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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Stupid question alert!

14 replies

OrmIrian · 01/12/2011 12:53

And this is going to out me once and for all as a totally soppy and spineless dog owner Blush

When I am walking the hound on the lead (and it is mostly on the lead as I can't go off-road now it's dark every evening) he seems to want to sniff a lot. Every lamp post, bush, corner and rubbish bin is fascinating. I keep telling him it's just wee and how interesting can it be but he takes no notice Hmm. Now I know it might be a discipline issue and I could insist he stops it at once but I can't help feeling it's important - he is isolated from other dogs and rarely gets to see them when we're out (if I let him play with other dogs off the lead I might never get him back!). So I like to think he's managing to dip a toe in the world of dog by doing this sniffing.

What do you do? Am I being utterly wet and stupid? Do you set a time limit?How much dogginess so they need?

Please don't mock.....

OP posts:
ThunderboltKid · 01/12/2011 13:00

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This has been withdrawn at poster's request

ChickensThinkYouCanGetStuffed · 01/12/2011 13:24

I let Jas have a good sniff around when time allows. I don't see any harm in it.

silentcatastrophe · 01/12/2011 13:54

Your dog's nose is his social life! He can tell who's been there, what they've been doing...All the gossip takes place through his nose. Dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell. Human smell is like a small postage stamp in the corner of a dog's handkerchief smell, so sniffing about reveals more information than we can think of, to a dog!

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/12/2011 14:56

Well exactly catastrophe - the question is do I have to let him read the whole newspaper, or should he just skim the headlines Grin

OP posts:
CalatalieSisters · 01/12/2011 15:08

It is a shame you can't walk him much off the lead atm. When I have to keep my dog on-lead I just try to make sure that I am the one calling the shots about whether or not it's ok to linger. So, slack lead and loads of dawdling, but when I do ask him to move on I want him to do that promptly -- not as a result of tugging on my part (tugging being horrid for both parties).

ThunderboltKid · 01/12/2011 15:41

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at poster's request

CalatalieSisters · 01/12/2011 15:58

Yes, sorry thunderbolt, I didn't read thread properly and I wasn't reponding to your use of the word tug. I was just pondering the stop-start business of getting down the street with a male dog. My dog isn't too bad. I think that being neutered takes the edge off his interest in the chemical bulletins posted along the road.

RedwingWinter · 01/12/2011 16:49

I let my dog sniff a lot when we're out on walks. He needs a chance to be a dog, after all, and it's part of the fun for him. I draw the line when sniffing turns into hunting and always make him move on then. There's a tell-tale change in his ears when he starts listening out for mice.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/12/2011 17:15

Ah, I feel like that when he starts looking out for manky old bits of discarded kebab Grin

OP posts:
RunnerHasbeen · 01/12/2011 17:26

I think they will sniff as much as you let them. As I have got more heavily pregnant and slower, the dog has increased his sniffing - he never pulls at me to hurry up or go faster. The only time I hurry him along is when he is overly interested in piles of leaves, there is too much hidden treasure (Greggs bag, bone from a chicken wing...) that he can smell and get to before I can even see what it is.

If he is a scent hound, like mine, I'd doubt that sniffing is a poor alternative to playing - it's even better. Mine starts to play with other dogs, well has a sniff, and as soon as they are interested in playing he is distracted by a smell and ignores them - it's so antisocial!

scrappydoodah · 01/12/2011 17:32

I'm mean and horrible. When we are on a walk we are on a walk, and trot along at a fair whack. The occasional wee is ok, but I'm not dawdling around for a dog. Off lead in the field and the forest is different though, that's doggie play time and they are allowed to sniff, and roll in stuff and be dogs.

They both learned pretty fast and don't seem to mind to be honest. I should add they go down the field first before walkies, as you can't keep a dog moving if he needs a comfort break.

glasscompletelybroken · 02/12/2011 09:20

We have abeagle and sniffing is what they do. I do put a limit on it though because if I didn't it would literally take half an hour to walk a couple of hundred yards! I give her a gentle tug in the right direction every now and then just so the neighbours don't think we're a statue...

glasscompletelybroken · 02/12/2011 09:21

Have I just invented a new breed?
a beagle - obviously...

minimuu · 02/12/2011 18:16

I walk 6 sometime 7 dogs at once and do restrict their sniffing or else I would not get down the road at all as they would want to sniff at different times. Grin

When my dogs are on lead they do not sniff or wee or poo unless asked to do so. I am not a meany really but just have commands for both behaviour.

My dogs know that when on the lead they do as I do or say however I do allow a lot of off lead walking.

A dog will need more stimulation if not allowed off walk so I would be playing games etc and the reward would be sniffing. I would not just allow random sniffing for no reason at all.

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