I am currently having issues with my 18 month boy and his scenting.
Firstly, we have almost cracked perfect lead walking *yay* but he has now realised that as we are going at a more reasonable pace, he has more time to cock his leg and scent, or stand stock still to sniff. I have tried walking on with a little tug forwards, food to distract him, a firm 'leave' but nothing seems to divert his attention away from smells worth scenting.

Another problem I am having with him is his nose. Lately he seems utterly enthralled by smells in the park, to the point where he will stand in the same place foaming at the mouth, sniffing the ground and no amount of excitement/ball/food/other dogs will tear him away. His recall isnt bad but he wont come straight back now, he has to pee on whatever he is sniffing before coming back. I can keep his attention for a few minutes before he is back sniffing at other dogs marking or random patches of grass.

I know this is what dogs do but I feel as though I am fighting a losing battle in exercising him properly. Literally, all he wants to do is sniff and scent. He wont play with other dogs and has a 2 second intrest in his favourite ball.

He is an angel at home, we play games, learn new tricks, play ball outside but as soon as we get to the park or woods, he is a different dog.

I am concerned about the foaming at the mouth, is that normal? He doesnt seem to be ingesting anything, just face to the floor sniffing. We have been using these few walks since he was 12 weeks, what could have made it so interesting now!

I do try to be exciting, jump about and call him in a stupid excitable voice to attract him, but its becoming quite hard to keep up the charade knowing that nothing will be as interesting whatever the smells are. Even when I wave food *the best high value chicken or bacon food* under his nose,  he simply moves my hand away as if to say "Mum, do you mind, I'm busy"

Gosh, I have rambled on abit, hope you get the idea of what Im trying to explain. I just havent encountered anything like it before and don't know how to deal with it. Any help or experience would be great.

Vikki

My first thought would be that there is an in season bitch around. He could be smelling where she's peed previously. My old Bullie used to do this, he'd have a good sniff start chomping, and his head would "spasm". Can't really describe it that well but it was like he was continually wrinkling and relaxing his forehead, there would also be drooling and frothing.

> I am concerned about the foaming at the mouth, is that normal

It's just from him salivating at the 'lovely' smell that causes this, I wouldn't worry about that bit. Buster can get so frothy & drooly that big bubbles start emerging out of the side of his chops

I have been struggling with the same. I do let Buster sniff now as opposed to trying to immediately get his attention and that in itself seems to be making it easier to call him away from a scent when I need him to (ie, when he is blocking a pathway). I let him have abit of a sniff, so he can get his 'fix' then use the 'leave it' command (& prasie & treat when he leaves it), this is working OK, but I can't get him away from a smell immediately, especially if it's one of those smells that make him froth at the mouth and chatter his teeth!
When all else fails, I'll put my foot over the scent - that seems to break his focus enough for him to listen to me, or another thing is for me to shout 'Hiya', then Buster thinks we will be meeting somebody & he can't help lifting his head to scan the horizon!

Yep, sounds like a normal dog appreciating the scent of an in-season (or soon-to-be in season) bitch.

Just been through this with my 2 boys<sigh> Seems to be passing now perfectly natural but a real pain!!

When my entire HWV started to demonstrate the smelling, snuffling, inhaling and frothing at the mouth I took my other (neutered) dog to the vets!!  I could only imagine he must have had an infection.  Luckily not :)

This behaviour continued for a few months longer but it seemed to have been a phase.  I can't be absolutely sure but I think he was a similar age to yours.  I wonder perhaps if it's a stage they reach?  It certainly appeared to be a new way for mine to process information and whilst he's still quite interested in smells (obviously) he seems to almost understand them faster.  A quick sniff then move on.

I don't allow mine to cock his leg at everything, or either of the dogs to check out every interesting smell as there would be times when we'd never get anywhere at all.  Whilst we are en-route to our destination I maintain a brisk walk but once we've 'arrived' and particularly if they are off lead I let them poke about to their hearts content.  Luckily we do rural walks with no other dogs and I rarely have deadlines so it doesn't matter too much.

Whilst we were training I either improved my treats or did most of the formal stuff at home for while.  I think that with boys you need to accept that they get brain drain for a short period when their hormones take over.  It happens with human boys too, except they stomp upstairs to watch TV and don't come down for a year or two!!

> or another thing is for me to shout 'Hiya', then Buster thinks we will be meeting somebody & he can't help lifting his head to scan the horizon!

And you wondered why they call you the funny dog woman.  LOL   :-)  :-)

> And you wondered why they call you the funny dog woman.&nbsp; LOL&nbsp;

LOL I've done much more embarrasing things than shout greetings to people that aren't there :-D During the bad weather we had this year, Buster didn't want to cross the icy foot bridge, but also refused to turn around & go home, I tried to temp him over the foot bridge by laying flat out - (face down!) in the snow, whimpering like a dog! (45 mins later I realised that wasn't going to work! luckily OH came to find me & Buster ran over the bridge to greet him *rolly eyes* )

It's also common to spot me crouched down, hiding behind a hedge, calling to Buster in a high-pitched voice (trying to makea game out of re-call).

I'm way past caring about how I must look now LOL and I'm sure I must be called something along the lines of funny dog woman, :)

And I thought it was only me :)

My 'conversation' on the way to the park sounds something like this

"Good boy *treat*Walking, good boy *treat*good...NO!! (about to cock against open shop) GOOD BOY (when he resists) NO!! Leave!! *treat* NO!!! Good Boy!! NO!! Good Boy! Leave!! *treat*....and so on.

I must sound like an absolute loon, and I dont care :)

>It's also common to spot me crouched down, hiding behind a hedge

This is where you will regularly find me, calling out in my highest, most excitable squeaky voice. Must say, it hasnt worked for a while but is a good excuse to avoid conversation with avoidables in the woods :)

I really do hope it is just a phase, or even a local bitch in heat being walked out of normal hours.

We didnt have too much luck today, lost the ball as he was too distracted to even look towards where it had landed. (Grr, I hate losing balls :( ) I supose I am mostly worried about him not having a good enough run.

We go out 3 times a day, although our first walk is just a few laps of the park as my mornings are hectic. He just kind of plods along, Id be happier if he ignored my calls to have a run around with another dog as a least then he's having a good run about and interacting with others :)

> I must sound like an absolute loon, and I dont care

Yep! I was a bit self concious about my 'strange' behaviour when Buster was a pup, but it didn't take long to realise it's far more embarrasing to have badly behved dog, so if it means wandering around in public making stupid noises, silly body postures (trying to look more intersting to get the dogs attention) and chatting to a dog (command/priase/coaching), then so be it :)

> This is where you will regularly find me, calling out in my highest, most excitable squeaky voice. Must say, it hasnt worked for a while but is a good excuse to avoid conversation with avoidables in the woods

LOL, definately :-D

Just wanted to add, I would also be careful with the amount of verbal praise and correction you are doing. If you are doing a lot of talking to him (Leave it, good boy, no etc) he may start ignoring you. After all, if you were going for a nice walk and you had somebody walking next to you constantly saying 'Excuse me, listen to me, over here! Yes you, don't do that, do this, hey come here, go there'...etc. I'm sure you would soon start to ignore them as well :)

I will bear that in mind. I see what you mean, he will probably start to become immune to my voice.

Would you reccomend another way of keeping his attention, rewarding positive and correcting wrong behaviour if even the best food isn't working? I am open to any suggestions if it will help :)

Yes, the first time this happened with my dog I couldn't believe it--totally and utterly absorbed by the 'email' left by a bitch in season to the point where I had to pick him up and walk away :) what a spoil sport.

Yesterday I was looking at all three of them going nuts over a patch of grass and was hoping it wouldn't come to carrying them away again...60kg of dogs is a bit much!

> I must sound like an absolute loon, and I dont care

Similar thing, 1st GSD, went to classes and he did ok but no-one pointed out that when everyone 'leave your dog' and we all turned into statues was NOT a good thing! Zigi got to the stage where I would twitch one finger and he would recall. Ask who ended up in middle of the recreation ground - and elsewhere - doing star-jumps etc while telling dog to 'stay'. talk about a right twit :-)
Chris

I have been known to do a demented disco dance in the park to get attention ( at my age not a pretty sight !!!) very embarrassing when you realise you have an audience, and I don't mean the dog.

> I have been known to do a demented disco dance in the park to get attention ( at my age not a pretty sight !!!) very embarrassing when you realise you have an audience, and I don't mean the dog.

LOL :-D I have such a funny image stuck in my head now :-D

> laying flat out - (face down!) in the snow, whimpering like a dog!

Oh thank you so much!  I haven't laughed so much in ages.  I have been sat here with tears rolling down my cheeks.

It's wonderful to recognise yourself in so many posts when people 'fess up!!

I know why they reckon there are more loonies out than there are locked up.  They are all dog people!  :-)  :-)  :-)

Have to confess that I have felt a right loon at times, especially when the "viewers" are not dog people themselves.  My first Beardie girl really enjoyed obedience classes, and I would take her out, and away from the rest of the gang for training alone.  As she was doing well, I wanted to have a go at training her to a whistle.  Can't whistle myself, so bought one.  We were walking along an empty (as I thought) pavement, at quite a fast pace, when I whistled my command for stop, and pulled up very quickly.

I was mortified that the jogger behind me collided into us, and looked in horror at the woman that whistled as she walked, then stood stock still.  I didn't know anyone was about!

> I was mortified that the jogger behind me collided into us, and looked in horror at the woman that whistled as she walked, then stood stock still

Oh no!!

These very embarasing situations are great little memories for a good ol' giggle at oneself (and everyone else!) :-D

> I know why they reckon there are more loonies out than there are locked up.  They are all dog people!

I think you're right on that one :)

Well on our walk yesterday a elderly yellow Lab walked up to my bitch whom is not in season mounted her,then a big chocolate lab mounted the yellow,a blocke shouts over b...... hell a threesome

Sheila