Why do dogs wallow?

Have you ever seen your dog roll around the floor? It’s called wallowing and it’s common in all dogs. Do you know why?

There are many theories that explain why dogs wallow, to know exactly why your dog does it you can analyze each theory and compare it to your dog’s behavior.

Theory 1

Dogs wallow before or after they are happy or excited. For example, before they start playing, when they are about to start a race at a park or after they get a treat for good behavior.

Theory 2

Dogs are descendants from wolfs and continue to have the hunting gene, some dogs more than others. Which is why some dogs wallow in dirt, feces or food to camouflage their smell that helps them hide from others.

Theory 3

Dogs are dogs, and even if you try to cover their natural smell using soaps and perfumes they prefer other smells. Which is why they wallow in things that they like the smell of.

Theory 4

They wallow to scratch themselves. Dogs may use furniture or parts of the wall to release the itching.

Theory 5

Some dogs wallow to relax and liberate tension, it’s like stretching for us.

So… Why do you think your dog wallows? Which theory makes more sense? Do you know another theory?