Why does my dog roll in dirty laundry?

If your dog has been rolling in your laundry a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do to get it to stop doing it.

So, why does my dog roll in dirty laundry? Possible reasons why your dog rolls on dirty laundry are that your dog likes the scent on your laundry, the scent makes it feel calmer, you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior, it is masking its own scent, it likes how it feels or that it is doing it for attention.

Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the most likely cause, it should become a lot easier to figure out what you should do about it.

Why does my dog roll on dirty laundry?

Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.

It likes the scent

It is likely that your laundry has a strong scent on it. The reason why your dog rolls on your laundry could be that it likes the scent on it. This would be more likely if it also does things such as roll around on your blankets or bed.

It is anxious

The reason why it does it could also be that it is anxious and rolling about on your laundry calms it down due to the scent on your laundry. This would be more likely if your dog tends to do it when you are not home and if it starts to become anxious when you are about to leave home.

Encouraging the behavior

It could be the case that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it rolls on your laundry, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to give it rewards when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it does not.

To mask its own scent

If it also tends to roll around on smelly things such as grass or mud, the cause of the rolling could be to mask its scent. This is so that other animals can’t smell it when it is near and so that they don’t know where it’s been.

It likes the way it feels

The reason why it does it could simply be that it likes the way that it feels to roll around on your laundry. This would be more likely if it does not do it excessively and if it rolls around in other places just as much.

To get attention

The cause could also be that it is trying to get extra attention from you. This would be more likely if it tends to do it when you are present, when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it extra attention when it rolls around on your laundry.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been rolling around on your laundry.

What else happened when your dog first started rolling in dirty laundry

If your dog did not always roll around on your laundry, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If your dog started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior gets rewarded or something causing it to be anxious.

What is different when it does it

If your dog does not always roll around on your laundry, it would also help to consider what is different when your dog does roll around on it. For example, if it only seems to do it while you are not home, it could be because it has some separation anxiety and the scent on your laundry makes it feel safer.

How to stop my dog from rolling in dirty laundry?

Below are some options you have when getting your dog to stop doing it.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

As mentioned above, it could be the case that your dog learned that rolling around, on your laundry results in it getting rewards. Instead, it would help to try to reward your dog when it behaves the way you want it to, to avoid rewarding it when it does roll on laundry and to try to redirect its focus when it seems likely to start doing it.

Reduce reasons why it might be anxious

It could be the case that it has been doing it due to being anxious. It would help to limit possible reasons why it might get anxious, especially when you are away. Things to do would include feeding it, letting it pee and giving it exercise before leaving it for long time periods.

Keep your laundry out of reach

It would also be an option to simply put your laundry in areas where your dog is unable to get to it such as in a wardrobe or in a laundry basket that is in a raised position.

Why does my dog roll on dirty towels?

Likely reasons why your dog rolls on dirty towels are that your dog likes the smell, your dog is trying to mask its own scent, your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded or that your dog simply likes the feeling. It would help to avoid giving your dog rewards when it does it and to try to limit your dog’s access to dirty towels.