Has anyone ever hard of putting perfume on a dogs feet to stop them sniffing in the show ring?  At ringcraft last night I was having a battle trying to keep my dogs head up when walking her and got talking to a lady who has corgis, who said she puts perfume on her dogs paws.  I wonder if Willow would like a bit of 'Tramp' or 'Old Spice' on her tootsies!

I'm not laughing, just wish I had thought of doing it.
My dogs hold there heads away from you if you wear scent.
I can just see them now walking round the ring heads held high.
BLISS an soloution to the four footed hoover!!!!!!!! (lol)

I've heard of people being told to put a spot of vick on the dogs chest fur but I prefer to train them :)

My boys think anyone wearing perfume is dead sexy! They have to be shut away if visiting females wear scent ...

Yep, do it all the time!!  As they move their feet, they get a whiff of the perfume and aren't distraced by doggy smells!

- and food !  I may try it at the next show and see if it works!

Hi Val,
  I wonder what exactly people use then!  Something strong like Opium perhaps!  And some dogs might like perfumes - I know when I've shaved my legs and then put a perfumed cream on afterwards, my dog is after me all evening trying to lick my legs!
  Hilda

Just a thought, could not some dogs be extremely irritated by perfume (rather than annoyed) :D Just a thought as it is strong and has many additives.  Also the alchohol is very drying.

Funny you should say that Hilda but........ ;)

Geoff :)

I also was told to do this, especially if the rings are busy...put the perfume on too - just in case, people can be so funny at shows and they will think that the sweet smelling person is you and not the dog :)

When I first started I had this problem with my male.  He would insist on going around the ring with his nose firmly planted on the floor, collecting the 'sniffs' from all the dogs that had walked there previously.  It was suggested I could rub a little diluted lavender oil on his chin.  Then he would smell nothing else, and hopefully trot along with his head up.

It didn't work for me...maybe it was too strong...but he spent the whole time trying to back away from the scent, and sneezing.  Instead I just worked at home on keeping him moving a little too fast (to keep his head up).  Once i could consistently keep his head up, then i could slow it all down a bit.  Also, when in the ring i move him just to the inside of where the other dogs will have trotted, so less smells to catch his attention.  It's natural for a terrier breed (mine) to want to sniff...so it is hard to 'stop' him, instead I just work around the problem.

Hmmm?  I would have thought perfume on the 'feet' would make my dog more inclined to drop his head and sniff...to see why his feet smell odd....?

Hope this helps.

Caroline

Just to be devil's advocate here. Isn't it against KC rules and regs? You know the one about not having any substance except water on them?

Hi Sarah,
I may have to try the perfume on Ruby but i couldn't use it on Daisy. Lets just say she gets rather excited by the smell of certain perfumes for some reason. We found this out when she dived on my gran!!!!
Let me know if it works on Willow

I remember reading in a Joyce Stranger book years ago about someone putting purfume on their Beagle for obedience training to stop it sniffing.  I might try it on lily, at training all she wants to do is sniff sniff sniff ....

Would it not be easier to carry a piece of liver :D

There are some smells where dull boring old liver can wait ... ;)

Exactly Jeangenie!  Nice to see some people understand dogs! ;)  And in my breed, other exhibitors throw food all over the floor before we've even got in the ring!
If everyone objected to everything that goes on at dog shows, then they might as well stay at home.  Those who enjoy it do and those who don't - stay away!

After my boy threw himself on the floor at LKA and refused to even stand up for my daughter let alone show another elkie exhibitor gave me the 'prefume' advice.
We tried it for the first time at an open show last weekend..Kimmi showed Asa to best AV Hound..he behaved beautifully.
Archer 

Well done Archer!!

LOL!  There's someone who shows in my breed who appears to purposely drop food when in the ring.  they always try to go into the ring first, and leave a little trail of treats behind them as they walk around....so the other dogs all drop their heads to grab the treats....

I've learnt to walk inside their trail of goodies....

I find this at ringcraft, especially when we follow the puppies and puppy walkers who have been baited with all sorts of delicacies.  Needless to say, Willow hoovers up!

I do carry liver ... wave it under her nose even but she prefers the floor :rolleyes:

I have been using jasmine for a long time now , It is easier to get them to listen to you when they are not distracted.
Mari