Buster was a bit 'frisky' on his walk today, he was well behaved but more 'alert' & energetic than normal, he wanted to jog all the way instead of plod and he seemed to be on a mission,  then sudden'y his nose was planted firmly in the ground as he sniffed at and licked/sucked up a smell he was hypnotised by. He refused to move, even with cheese (his favouite) wedged against his nostrils, for a moment I thought I would be stuck there all night :( I shouted 'hello' and he jumped to attention to see who I was talking too and then I could get him to walk :)

I am sure, by the way he was so intense with this smell, that it must have been a bitch on heat, even though he hasn't started to cock-his leg yet (he sometimes turns 1 leg out like he's thinking about it, but mostly he still squats!).

Help, how do I get him to pay attention when the smell is so disratacting? With other distracions (ie. people, dogs,) I can see them and get his atention before hand, but I am at a loss when he is fixated on this new-found smell :( :( In any other situation, cheese wedged up his nose would snap his attention back to me. There is only so many times he will be fooled by me shouting 'hello' before he cottons on to it being a trick! (he's nearly 16 months old & entire)

Any tips?

LOL Lost cause I should think!!!
Aileen

Lost cause here too. :-) I have a male that is staring at my bitch (on day 20 of her season ;-) ) and is being told off by her but he is not listening. I have moved him away several times but he still keeps going back to her. She is in a crate, by the way, so there's no risk of harm.

Hi, I'm new to this site, I was wondering if anyone could recomend a good place to start looking for a puppie? I have never owned a dog but have read up extensively on it. I want to do this right an would appreciate some advice. Ty

You cannot use duplicate posts I'm afraid Mark.  People could add their suggestions here if they wish.

>She is in a crate, by the way, so there's no risk of harm.

Remember that Day 20 is not too late to be mated successfully, and dogs have been known to mate through crates.

> and dogs have been known to mate through crates.

Oh my gosh!!!!!

All of you with bitches & dogs must have nerves of steel, I'm having a nervous breakdown at my dog simply sniffing about when on a walk (and I only have the 1 dog)!! I think I have it very easy afterall.

Oh well, looks like I'll just have to put up with the stubborn sniffing, unless I can up with some brainwave to distract him.

Thank you all for replying anyway though :)

Yep, best keep the boys in the crate rather than the girls - more difficult for the boys to erm, assume the position LOL (unless a very small dog or a very tall cage that is )

Hi Teri. She has actually been mated (planned) by my boy so even if she did get caught again it wouldn't be a disaster ;-) However, he is only out of the cage just now when I am there to supervise. If I have to go to the loo he comes with me or is put back in his cage :-)

I have 2 cages set up. One for her and one for him. They are not allowed out together until I am sure she cannot be mated. This goes on every season. You should see the bags under my eyes after 3 weeks LOL! I had an accidental litter many years ago and swore blind I would never have another....

We have a bitch in season and aswell on about day 20, my male Rottie who is 2 doesn't have a clue and just isn't interested in her at all but the GSD is going frantic...he's trying to get to her and she's trying to get to him....needless to say there is always atleast 2 doors firmly shut between them....roll on a few days time when this is over lol!

And to be honest, there isn't alot you can do to distract a male dog from the scent of a bitch in season...well unless you have a male like mine who just isn't interested!

Hiya,

Is this scent going on one particular walk?  If it is I would use this to help with your training.  I've taught one of my girls to sniff  on cue as a reward because she loves it so much.  So you could use a similar thing here.  Start at the begining of the walk when he is alert but not got his head down licking etc so that you can still reach him, as when he gets to that stage he isn't going to be able to learn.  So get his attnetion by asking him to 'watch' you or by saying his name, what ever he knows well, use a treat if needs be.  I would maybe use something other than his fave cheese aswell so something a bit more novel and with a bit more stinkyness, maybe garlic sausage, paperami, hot dog sausage or something like that.  When you get his attention then release him to let him sniff the scent as a reward for paying attention to you.  Keep repeating this for as long as you feel you feel he is coping with responding to you.  If he stops being as responsive then go in a different direction and continue your walk the other way.  If you get your timing right he will realise that paying attention to you gets him the best reward ever :-)

You could maybe set up trails for this situation, maybe lay out a little cheese trail or you can buy bottles of scent like rabnbit scent etc and use this to practise the above so that he gets the idea of what will get him the reward but with something he can be more responsive around.

Hope this makes sense as I'm writing in a hurry.

> She has actually been mated (planned) by my boy so even if she did get caught again it wouldn't be a disaster ;-) However, he is only out of the cage just now when I am there to supervise. If I have to go to the loo he comes with me or is put back in his cage :-)
>

If this is a mated pair I don't understand why the need to separate them at all other than when you cannot be with them?

Beyond the standing few days the bitch will naturally tell the dog off when she has gone over and he will accept this, but intervening your possibly prolonging his interest which with her own responses would have diminished by now, or do I own a much more natural breed, who know how to conduct their courtships?

My mentor always told me that once a pair were mated she allowed them to stay together until the bitch went home, or if a pair both owned by her they stayed together.  In this way the males learnt exactly when bitches were ready for mating and when they had gone over and became efficient studs, and her males rarely had bitches missed, but often refused to have anything to do with bitches until they were spot on.

>If this is a mated pair I don't understand why the need to separate them at all other than when you cannot be with them?

I kept them apart mainly because it's what I always do, and what I've been advised to do by others.  I didn't want to have too many matings which is why they were separated. 2 was enough. They have been together today for about an hour now (day 21) and she has told him off big time. He has settled down at my feet, so hopefully things will calm down now. Though they are all wondering when we are going out for a walk. Maybe once the snow stops......

> They have been together today for about an hour now (day 21) and she has told him off big time.

She probably would have done this earlier :D

Probably :-D She was doing it through the cage, and I have tried to let them say hi a couple of times but as he was very persistent I didn't want to risk anything. I'll know next time (if there ever is a next time ;-) )