I'm not sure why, but I heard that it's good to let your dog do that when you're on your way home from somewhere. It helps them find their way home if they ever get lost.
LOL...Holly's parents had a cat they took to the country from the city when they moved approx 6 miles away. a month later the cat was missing and they saw him back in the city roaming around....LOL....:o)
You need to keep them in a small area for about 4/5 days. Heard an old wives tale that said to put butter on all four paws. The only thing I could get out of that plan was by licking their paws clean they took away the scent of the last home they lived at.
Answered None of the above
their sense of smell is better than their vision so they do it so they can smell things around them.