West Highland Terrier Rolling in poo

motherfunker

Can somebody please tell me how I can stop my westie rolling in every peice of **** she sees on the ground. We can not let her out of the house but sometimes she escapes when one of the kids or their friends leaves the door open, and as soon as she does she goes and rolls in something. Then she has to live out the back until I get around to washing her and cutting stuff off her, then as soon as she gets her next chance she is off and covered in crap again. I am at the end of my teather with her, only for my wife stepped in yesterday I was bringing her to the pound, partly becuase I get so cross with her for doing it again and partly becuase it is no life for a dog to be stuck in the back garden for weeks on end with no human interaction. I have 3 kids, one a baby and we both work full time so I dont have time to wash her straight away everytime and frankly I couldent be bothered anymore. My wife wants me to give her one last chance and promises she will walk her more which she thinks will reduce her desire to escape but I cant see it lasting. She is about 2 years old now, is this a young dog thing or is it going to last forever. We saw a westie on the beach one day rolling in horse **** and it looked like the happeset dog in the world so I think it could be something to do with the breed. We have another dog who done this a bit when she was young but has more or less stopped it now, but the westie is just relentless in her pursuit of ****.
Does anybody have any advice on how to stop this behaviour or does anybody want to adopt a beautiful but stupid west highland terrier?

Toulouse

Don't give your dog to the pound or just anyone. For advice on the rolling or for rehoming contact Maureen Byrne http://www.dogsbehavingbadly.ie/contact.html She runs Westie rescue and is very highly regarded.

Why would the dog be stuck in the back garden for weeks on end? Do you not walk her, train her? I think you and your wife need to figure out whether you really have the desire to be good dog owners because that's no life for a dog and you sound like you've already given up.

cowzerp

**** is like perfume to some dogs!

just keep her away from it and she cant roll in it..

boodlesdoodles

Westies are natural rooters and diggers and rolling in dirt is a biproduct of that. It sounds to me like your dog could be bored, perhaps you shold exercise her a bit more; get the kids to play fetch or football. A tired dog is never a bored dog. I have a Westie and while he's not a roller he is a nuzzler of dirt. Another solution is to have a sand box and when you catch your dog rolling, give a firm no and move the dog to the box then reward when they dig in the box. They'll eventually begin to associate the box with treats and as the right place to roll or dig.

Allgäuerin

Thats "normal" for every dog. We have two westies of our own. One male, one female. They both are the same.
Before your dog ends up in the pound, we would love to take her!:)
PM if you need us!!!

Blueprint

Just read this post, then took dog out for walk, wondering how anyone could even consider dumping a dog in the pound for rolling...

Turned around, dog has disappeared - call him, no response - whistle for him - he comes racing up, happy pleased expression on his face, covered in rancid fat from some meat someone has seen fit to dump in the bushes - he is currently banished to the garden awaiting his bath. Last week he found some smelly fish someone had dumped!

Still love him though...

boodlesdoodles

Allgäuerin wrote: »

Thats "normal" for every dog. We have two westies of our own. One male, one female. They both are the same.
Before your dog ends up in the pound, we would love to take her!:)
PM if you need us!!!

I'd love another Westie, hopefully next year. Fair play to you for offering. And I have to agree giving up a dog to a pound for doing what's in their nature is a bit over the top.

motherfunker

Why is she stuck in the back garden for weeks on end?

Because she is so covered in **** that it is impossible to even stand near her at times, even to wash her I need a towel around my face to stop the smell. As I said we are both very busy people with 3 young kids so we cannot always find time to wash her. Usually we wash her fairly soon after the event but lately we have just left her outside as we are getting so fed up with the constant cycle. We have another dog who has more freedom at the front of the house but spends alot of time out the back with the other dog playing, running around, having fun. When they are inside the dogs are treated as a full part of the family, they have full run of the house, the westie is not allowed upstairs as she kept going up there to poo but the other dog can do as she likes, she sleeps in our bed or under our sons bed, shc actually had her first litter of pups in our bed, in the middle of the night between myself and my wife so I presume she felt safe with us as a result of being good owners. When the westie is clean she is so beautiful and gets as much love as the other dog, but she just will not stay clean.

I washed and trimmed her on Sunday afternoon, she rolled in **** yesterday(monday), my wife washed her yesterday evening, I started this thread an hour ago, 20 minutes ago I let her out the back for a pee, 15 minutes ago I went outside and she is now covered in **** again, and seing as she is the only dog who usually poos out there I presume it is her own **** she has rolled in, she is covered, right down her spine and on both shoulders.
I just rang my wife and told her, even she says the dog has to go. I am in Donegal if anyone would like to adopt her.

In response to anyone asking how could someone possibly give up a dog!
This would be the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life, I would see it as a complete failure on my part as a dog owner and lover but the main reason I would do it is because it is not fair on the dog at this stage. A dog deserves love and affection but this dog is getting none of these, partly due to us, partly due to her and her nature but whoever is to blame she is not a happy dog in her present situation.
I have always been a dog lover as has my whole family, my father used to bring home half dead dogs that he found beside the road and we used to try to nurse them back to health, I cried at the side of the road as a child as I watched him give mouth to mouth resuscitation to our Chihuahua who had just got knocked down(he is a doctor by the way). I am not on here to be judged by people who do not know me, if I dident care about the dog I could just leave her out the back and forget about her but my main concern is for the dog, I would like her to have a good life.

boodlesdoodles

Here's a solution for you: clean up the dog **** in your back garden and she won't be rolling in it.

IMHO it sounds like you prefer your other dog anyway so maybe your Westie would be better off in a home where she's properly loved.

Edited to say: have you checked your dog's skin? Maybe she's rolling around cos her skin is irritated.

rohe

we have a westhighland terrier for the past 3 years and we have fields all around us and the dog gets plenty of exercise on a daily basis and he still continously rolls in crap in the fields next to us,

each time he's done it we've washed him and he would run straight back out and do it again, but now we just couldnt be bothered washing him when he does it

i just comb it out of his hair and he doesn#t do it as often now only about once a month,its just the dogs nature to do it

so from my experience they dont grow out of it,you just have to grin and bare it:)

motherfunker

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

Here's a solution for you: clean up the dog **** in your back garden and she won't be rolling in it.

IMHO it sounds like you prefer your other dog anyway so maybe your Westie would be better off in a home where she's properly loved.

Edited to say: have you checked your dog's skin? Maybe she's rolling around cos her skin is irritated.

This is the first time she has rolled in it in her back garden, if you read my first post you would have seen that it usually happened when she escaped out the front door.
Yes I do prefer my other dog, she is 8 years old and we have lots of good memories associated with her. The westie has spent 2 years covered in various types and colours of ****!
And yes, as I have stated several times, she would be better off in a home where she was properly loved.
Please feel free to refrain from posting in this thread again, your input is not required, go make yourself feel like a better person on someone else's time.

motherfunker

rohe wrote: »

we have a westhighland terrier for the past 3 years and we have fields all around us and the dog gets plenty of exercise on a daily basis and he still continously rolls in crap in the fields next to us,

each time he's done it we've washed him and he would run straight back out and do it again, but now we just couldnt be bothered washing him when he does it

i just comb it out of his hair and he doesn#t do it as often now only about once a month,its just the dogs nature to do it

so from my experience they dont grow out of it,you just have to grin and bare it:)

I was thinking that was just the way they are but with a baby around the house we cant really have a dog covered in god knows what walking around.

babystrawberry

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

Here's a solution for you: clean up the dog **** in your back garden and she won't be rolling in it.

IMHO it sounds like you prefer your other dog anyway so maybe your Westie would be better off in a home where she's properly loved.

Edited to say: have you checked your dog's skin? Maybe she's rolling around cos her skin is irritated.

+1

Exactly what I was going to say, surely if the sh*t is not there for her to roll in then she would not be able to roll in it, if she is being confined to the back garden then she is obviously going to toilet there, if you do not collect this on a daily basis then it will most definitley accumulate (not pleasent in summer months i can imagine!)

A lot of dogs do this, as far as i can see it is to get their own scent on it (my opinion, not fact) Mongrel terrier I have at home has a tendancy to do this, she will also roll on rabbit droppings, my lurcher does it.

To my horror one day he also rolled on a dead rat, seriously digusting but you get over these things as a dog owner, all part of the package

I can see how this is not ideal for you, especially considering you have 3 kids, but maybe if you were able to cmmit just soem extra time to her it may not be such an issue, bring her out on walks (keep her on the lead so she will not be able to find dirt to roll in)

Please though, see if you can rehome to someone who will look after her if you decide to give her up, dont give her to the pound.

www.dogactionwelfaregroup.ie are very good for trying to find home for dogs that are no longer able to be looked after

boodlesdoodles

motherfunker wrote: »

This is the first time she has rolled in it in her back garden, if you read my first post you would have seen that it usually happened when she escaped out the front door.
Yes I do prefer my other dog, she is 8 years old and we have lots of good memories associated with her. The westie has spent 2 years covered in various types and colours of ****!
And yes, as I have stated several times, she would be better off in a home where she was properly loved.
Please feel free to refrain from posting in this thread again, your input is not required, go make yourself feel like a better person on someone else's time.

This is an open forum and you come on looking for opinions, you got mine. I own a Westie, he rolls in crap from time to time but I expect that as part of his character and the fact that he's a dog. If you can't handle the replies to your thread and reaction to your apparent hostility to your own dog then the Animal forum isn't the place for you. And when I hear someone speak about their dog the way you have I do feel like a better person.

Edited to say: I agree with the previous poster, she should be walked on a lead that way you can reduce chance of her rolling in dirt.

Blueprint

I don't think you can describe yourself as a dog lover if you are seriously considering giving your dog to the pound due its lack of training - dogs do need to be trained you know - they are not born that way!

Inexile

I appreciate that a dog rolling in sh1t is not a pleasant experience - my own does it from time to time, apparently they do it to cover up their own scent - could be a hunting instinct.

The only way to break this habit is to distract i.e when the dog goes to roll call it away and give it a treat or when it starts to roll make a loud noise to scare it (note this can be difficult as its important that the dog doesnt associate the noise with you ). Do you have time to see a trainer or do training classes.

I think the bottom line here is do you really have time for this dog. Can you spend 30 mins morning and evening walking the dog. Its not enough to let a dog out to exercise itself you really need to go with it. This would allow the dog to the required exercise and while on the lead it cant roll in anything unsavoury.

If you dont have the time for the dog please do not hand it into the pound - it could pick up something far worse than a bad smell there. Please make contact with a rescue group, as someone else mentioned there is a dedicated westie rescue. You may need to travel a bit to a rescue but but surely you gave time when you decided to the get the dog and you can give it time if you are handing him up.

echosound

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

have you checked your dog's skin? Maybe she's rolling around cos her skin is irritated.

+1 - Westies tend to have easily irritated skin and often need a specialised diet to combat poor skin/treatments such as a specialised shampoo that gets rid of skin conditions and inflammations.

The only solution I can see (if you are still planning on keeping the westie) is to always have her on a lead when outside the house/back garden so she doesn't get to roll in poo, and keep the backgarden where she roams without a lead free of poo also.

They do seem to be notoriously awkward dogs WRT pooing/peeing whereever they see fit (often indoors and upstairs in your room as you have found out) and rolling in all manner of dirt (although our other dog who is not a westie is prone to rolling in dirt too). Ours also developed a nice habit as a pup - she loved eating her own poo (giving her the odd bit of pineapple fixed this, a tip I picked up from another pet forum, apparently they hate the taste/smell of pineapple once it comes out the other end! She no longer eats poo thankfully and we haven't had to resort to feeding her bits of pineapple for 2 years now).

I know you are busy with 3 kids, but in all fairness, washing a westie to get the poo off shouldn't be taking you any longer than about 10 mins, and keep her coat clipped neat and tight to avoid it clumping in her coat. I know it's a pain to have to wash her daily, but 10 mins out of your day is not going to kill you surely And make sure she is kept in a more secure environment to stop her escaping and getting to roll in poo.

Failing all that, please make sure she goes to a good home if you are determined to give her up. Best of luck!

Whispered

Yes OP, I think you need to rehome the dog, but don't put it in the pound. To not train it, not put any time into it, then to blame the dog for the fact that you don't like it....

The dog has done NOTHING wrong. It behaves as a dog and you blame it for being smelly while in the same post saying she is stuck in the garden for weeks on end. It's a circle, dog is left out the back for weeks on end while your prefered dog (which is very very unfair btw) swans around sleeping in your bed. Dog gets frustrated. Dog escapes and rolls in muck outside the garden. If the dog was walked sufficiently and treated as fairly as the other dog in your family, chances are she would not bother trying to escape.

jen_23

motherfunker wrote: »

Can somebody please tell me how I can stop my westie rolling in every peice of **** she sees on the ground. We can not let her out of the house but sometimes she escapes when one of the kids or their friends leaves the door open, and as soon as she does she goes and rolls in something.

Can you talk to the kids/friends and ask them to be careful no to let the dog out when entering leaving the house?

I get so cross with her for doing it again and partly becuase it is no life for a dog to be stuck in the back garden for weeks on end with no human interaction.

You should prob be also getting cross with yourself as a dog is only as good as it is trained to be. And leaving a dog without interaction for several weeks on end is deplorable no matter what way you justify it to yourself.
I imagine the dog is also acting out for attention as I imagine good or bad she gets some when she rolls in poop.
Dogs don't mind whether the attention is good or bad as long as they get some

Does anybody have any advice on how to stop this behaviour or does anybody want to adopt a beautiful but stupid west highland terrier?

I can't imagine the dog is particularly stupid prob just not trained very well.
Have you taken her to basic obedience?
There's a link here on how to stop your dog rolling in smelly things.
http://www.dogtwist.com/stop-your-dog-rolling-in-smelly-things.html

Blueprint wrote: »

Just read this post, then took dog out for walk, wondering how anyone could even consider dumping a dog in the pound for rolling...

Turned around, dog has disappeared - call him, no response - whistle for him - he comes racing up, happy pleased expression on his face, covered in rancid fat from some meat someone has seen fit to dump in the bushes - he is currently banished to the garden awaiting his bath. Last week he found some smelly fish someone had dumped!

Still love him though...

That's actually a nice story (the ending not the fat ) blueprint and is how most owners should be regardless of how stinky the pup gets!!

motherfunker wrote: »

Why is she stuck in the back garden for weeks on end?

Because she is so covered in **** that it is impossible to even stand near her at times, even to wash her I need a towel around my face to stop the smell.

Really and I know you prob will get defensive but it is your fault that she is rolling in the poo and being stinky. Youre not watching her. She's a dog! Some dogs get mischievious. It's a given with dog ownership.
You prob had one idea in your head when you got her that the first dog turned out great and you prob thought this dog would be similar and now that she isn't and is a bit harder work youv'e given up.

I washed and trimmed her on Sunday afternoon, she rolled in **** yesterday(monday), my wife washed her yesterday evening, I started this thread an hour ago, 20 minutes ago I let her out the back for a pee, 15 minutes ago I went outside and she is now covered in **** again, and seing as she is the only dog who usually poos out there I presume it is her own **** she has rolled in, she is covered, right down her spine and on both shoulders.
I just rang my wife and told her, even she says the dog has to go. I am in Donegal if anyone would like to adopt her.

You know she rolls in poo so pick up the poo? :rolleyes: regardless of if she's never done it out the back.. It makes sense that if she sees it she is probably going to roll in it. (unfortunately for you)

In response to anyone asking how could someone possibly give up a dog!
This would be the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life, I would see it as a complete failure on my part as a dog owner and lover but the main reason I would do it is because it is not fair on the dog at this stage. A dog deserves love and affection but this dog is getting none of these, partly due to us, partly due to her and her nature but whoever is to blame she is not a happy dog in her present situation.

Atleast your'e facing up to responsibility that your'e not capable of looking after and giving this dog the attention she needs. So Fair play for that. I do wish you all the best in re-homing her and I hope she thrives with her new family.
When looking to rehome it might be an idea to ask for someone with a secure garden or a bit more time on their hands!

motherfunker

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

Edited to say: I agree with the previous poster, she should be walked on a lead that way you can reduce chance of her rolling in dirt.

For those of you who cannot take things in the first 2 times they read them I will repeat it a third time.
She rolls in **** when she escapes out the front door!!!
When she is walked she is always on a lead.
She never rolled in **** in the back garden until today.

I came on here for advice not judgement.
Feel free to close this thread now, it has served its purpose and I wont be back to read any more of your replies.
Thank you to anyone who contributed constructively to this thread, it was greatly appreciated.

boodlesdoodles

motherfunker wrote: »

For those of you who cannot take things in the first 2 times they read them I will repeat it a third time.
She rolls in **** when she escapes out the front door!!!
When she is walked she is always on a lead.
She never rolled in **** in the back garden until today.

I came on here for advice not judgement.
Feel free to close this thread now, it has served its purpose and I wont be back to read any more of your replies.
Thank you to anyone who contributed constructively to this thread, it was greatly appreciated.

You know I wasn't the only one to tell you what you didn't want to hear. Get on to the Westie rescue or the previous poster who offered to take her and get your dog the loving home and respect it deserves. IMHO you deserve the judgement many of us have given you for favouring one dog over another. Best of luck to you and maybe next time think before you get another dog.

echosound

motherfunker wrote: »

She rolls in **** when she escapes out the front door!!!

But seriously, I have had a westie for 3 years now, and never once has she escaped out the front door, even when visitors arrive unnanounced who don't know the dog could make a bolt for the door when they open it - I just make sure the indoor hall door is always closed (with the dog on the other side in the sittingroom/kitchen/rest of house) so she has no access to the front door.

I know you say you've children, but can you not close the hall door and keep it closed if they're in and out so the westie won't be able to bolt out? Or impress upon your children the fact that they need to not let the dog out the front door? (if they're old enough tell them they will be responsible for cleaning the dog if they let her escape, they will soon learn to check to make sure she's not running out). Plenty of my friends and relatives who have both yonug children and dogs manage to make sure their dogs don't go running out if the kids open the door.

I'm not trying to be harsh or judgemental here, our other dog is an accomplished bolter and managed to escape once or twice when we got her first, before we realised she was a serial escapee and made sure to never again give her the opportunity to escape...

That's just advice, BTW, not a criticism or anything. Take away her means of escape and the problem is solved.

boodlesdoodles

echosound wrote: »

That's just advice, BTW, not a criticism or anything. Take away her means of escape and the problem is solved.

+1 its the nature of a Westie to make a run for it. I've been seen at the top of my road in my pj's when he's made a bid for freedom!

star-pants

I'd like to point out that if anyone posts a thread - they have to be prepared to get the good and the bad. You start a thread with the gist of it being 'my dog rolls in crap, I want to dump it in the pound' you have to expect some annoyed dog lovers.

From reading your post OP - tbh it sounds like none of ye have had/spent the time to train the dog. As you said you've the 'perfect' dog who is 8 and probably well sorted, you've 3 children and lives to run.
It's unfair to blame the dog for this - you say the dog constantly rolls in crap, but you say this only happens when she escapes out the front door. So unless she's getting out the front door on a biweekly case, she can't be always rolling in it.
Is it that difficult to keep the dogs located where they can't get to the front door / keep the children from leaving the door open. Having dogs or not, leaving the door open is not a good habit - and you said you have a baby - what if the baby got out the front door?

Rolling around is something a lot of dogs love. My pup loves the rain, will jump in all the puddles crawl through the trees roll in the soil etc. She's my pup and I'm prepared to do what it takes to take care/train her. I have another dog also who doesn't really do this, do I love her more because of that? no.

Anyway - you wanted advice - here it is -- exercise more control over your household and the dog, there's obviously not many boundaries there. Unless the dog is actually covered in poo you shouldn't wash them that often, you wait til it dries and then brush it out. Otherwise you're getting rid of all the oils in their skin and they'll smell anyway. Could be another reason why your dog is rolling in things, they may have a skin irriation. Have you brought them to the vet?

spurscormac

I think the last poster has touched on another possible cause without realising it...

If a dog is constantly washed, it will want to get rid of the "wash" smell, ie the loss of its own smell. It will do this by rolling in anything - and probably his own number 2s are a prime target to get its own smell back.
If you're washing with shampoos and/or drying with a cleanly washed towel, you're exacerbating the issue.

Another way to enable them to get their own smell back, is to let them lie in their bed, or if they have a specific towel or blanket, give them a rub down with it after drying.

So it looks like you could be caught in a catch 22, so try to eliminate the escapes by stopping the dogs opportunity to get out & clean up his crap from the back garden more frequently.
This will hopefully lessen the number of washes required & help you and the dog get out of the cycle of wash, roll, wash, roll, ad infitum.

getz

it is quiet common for a dog to do this ,in the wild dogs do it to hide their smell from other predators, i once had a staffie that did this,

Jip

One of my little gits rolled around in the horrible liquid that runs out of the back of the brown bin refuse truck the other day, now that stank. When there's none of that to roll around in she tries eating deer poo. The other guy stick his head in anything that smells to us but makes them blend into the surroundings, have you ever had a dog return to your house after rolling around in fox ****, now that stinks. To even think that I would give away one of them because of this is the craziest idea I could ever think of.

The OP comes across as very naive and lazy. He's not the only one with a family and dogs and most other decent dog owners can get by. Pick up the dog crap so he can't roll around in it and keep a better eye on the dog. Dogs are dogs and will do everything they can get away with.

Enii

What do you feed your dog? I find the dry food best as it leads to very neat solid poos that are so easy to clean up.

Why does the dog find poo to roll in? Could you not clean up immediatly after him and therefore remove the chance of rolling in it?

ISDW

A little tip, especially for fox poo, is tomato ketchup. Squirt it onto the coat, it neutralises the smell apparently.

andreac

What has the world come to?:mad:

People willing to give up their pet to a pound because its behaving like a dog. Sounds like the dog is better off in another home where it is allowed to be a dog and will be loved no matter what.

I would imagine the dog is rolling in stuff as her skin is irritated from all the washing, what are you washing it in as a matter of interest? Coz the shampoo is probably making her itchy and hence the reason she is rolling in stuff.
Dogs arent meant to be washed everyday, so her skin is probably irritated from all the washing. They have very sensitive skin and i think Westies are extremely prone to skin problems too.