Here's something you might be interested in.
One of the great mysteries of the universe is why dogs roll in the stinkiest stuff in the known world. The short answer is that we do not know.
That being said, there are a few different theories regarding this matter.
Your dog is marking a spot by putting their scent on it. They are not really wanting to come back to you all stinky but it is the price they pay in order to let other dogs, and other animals, know that they have been by the location and they have marked it for their own.
Dogs do not have as elaborate a communication system as we do. They roll in the gunk in order to (if it is feces) take the odor back to their pack and let them know that a stranger is about. If it is a dead animal that they are rolling in, then they are taking the odor back to the pack to inform them that food is nearby.
All dogs are related to wolves, some closer than others but all dogs trace their family tree back to the wolf. Wolves are carnivores who are smart; trying to track and kill other animals who are smart and on the defensive. The more a wolf can do to cover its presence the better the likelihood of success in the hunt. Therefore, the wolf (dog) will roll in the stink in order to cover their own smell and not give themselves up for detection before they are ready to attack their prey.
I am no scientist when it comes to the behavior of dogs but these seem to be about the most plausible of reasons to me. I could be wrong but unless it is just a dogs way of asking for a bath, and cutting down the chance of refusal, I don't know what else it could be.
One of the great mysteries of the universe is why dogs roll in the stinkiest stuff in the known world. The short answer is that we do not know.
That being said, there are a few different theories regarding this matter.
Your dog is marking a spot by putting their scent on it. They are not really wanting to come back to you all stinky but it is the price they pay in order to let other dogs, and other animals, know that they have been by the location and they have marked it for their own.
Dogs do not have as elaborate a communication system as we do. They roll in the gunk in order to (if it is feces) take the odor back to their pack and let them know that a stranger is about. If it is a dead animal that they are rolling in, then they are taking the odor back to the pack to inform them that food is nearby.
All dogs are related to wolves, some closer than others but all dogs trace their family tree back to the wolf. Wolves are carnivores who are smart; trying to track and kill other animals who are smart and on the defensive. The more a wolf can do to cover its presence the better the likelihood of success in the hunt. Therefore, the wolf (dog) will roll in the stink in order to cover their own smell and not give themselves up for detection before they are ready to attack their prey.
I am no scientist when it comes to the behavior of dogs but these seem to be about the most plausible of reasons to me. I could be wrong but unless it is just a dogs way of asking for a bath, and cutting down the chance of refusal, I don't know what else it could be.