Nellie is a German Shorthaired Pointer. One of her endearing quirks is the way she surveys an expanse of grass – the cooler and greener the better – and then plunges face first into it. She plows furrows through a field with her snout, inhales the fragrance deeply, and then rolls onto her back for a satisfying scratch.
Nose dives, drop-and-rolls, and face plants are common doggy activities.
Like the perfume hawker/stalkers in the Macy’s cosmetic department, sometimes a particular scent assaults your pup unexpectedly.
You can almost hear the dog say “Whoa!@! What the ____? Now THERE’S a wicked awesome aroma! Let me dab some of that fragrance behind the ears, and while I’m at it, everywhere else, too!”
Your dog coats herself with bouquet of fish carcass for any number of reasons. It could be her subtle way of attracting attention, to mask her own unique scent, as a calling card, or a sort of ticket stub memento from a recent adventure she attended.
It may be Eau de Swamp and Muget du Manure to you, but its White Diamonds and Chanel #5 to her.
For training purposes, prevention and preparation for the inevitable are your best bets:
Keep her on a leash and on the sidewalk under your watchful eye;
Closely supervise her in the dog park and be prepared to redirect her when she begins to fixate on a particular spot of the ground;
Vigilantly clear your yard of unsavory items;
Invest in a dog shampoo you can count on (beware of ones that only vaguely camouflage odor);
Have your dog groomer on speed dial.