Dogs and Smell

[nylalane]

I have a six month old labrador mix puppy. I believe that her sense of smell is not what it should be. She does not smell her food like she should. When I hold a dog biscuit or some of her food in a closed hand and nothing in the other hand she cannot tell that I have something in the hand that it is in. She cannot tell that her dish is full unless she sees the food in it. I was wondering what kinds of problems I can expect with a dog that cannot smell.

I am having some problems with her and I think that they are caused by her lack of being able to smell, however, I don't want to post the specific problems, because I want to see if any of the problems that are listed that I can expect match the trouble that I am having with her.

Please can anyone help me.

Thank you, Nyla

 

[bogolove]

I hate that you are having problems with your new pup. I guess the only way to know for sure is to get a vet to run some tests on her. Is the potty training going ok, or is this causing some problems with that too? sometimes it is hard enough training them without the added problem. Of course everyone (and animal) grows and develops at their own rate. Maybe she just has not gotten it yet? Even if you hold the treat in your hand right at her nose, she does not sound like she is sniffing for it? If she does not sound like she is sniffing for it, then maybe you should take her to the vet for some tests, but if she sounds like she is trying, maybe she is still young enough that she has not quite gotten the game yet. (or she will think it is a game anyway).Another thing to think about is how she likes the food or treats you have. some dogs are very picky about their food, and if you had switched her from what she was on from when she was younger, that could have something to do with it too. I know you didn't want to list your other problems you were having with her, but it might help some of us and give us some more insight to the problem.

 

[nylalane]

I know she loves the food and treats I give her, just by how she goes after them. I feed her Purina One Large Breed Puppy Formula and Milk Bone dog biscuits. We are having problems with the whole house training thing and we think it is because of the fact that she can't seem to smell as well as other dogs.

Plus, I know this sounds really bad, and I am ashamed to admit it. But I have a house guest, who fortunately is moving out today, yippeee, but that is another story. Let's just say, this guy has really, really, bad hygiene. Most dogs are repelled away from this guy because of his odor. My puppy sleeps on his blankets and the couch where my guest sleeps. I can't help but wonder that if other dogs won't go near this guy and my puppy will that she can't be smelling him like others.

Plus they do say dogs and their owners are alike. My sense of smell is shot. I have another roommate who has a sensitive sense of smell. She can smell our guest, I can't unless I go away for several hours and then I only get a whiff of it for a second when I come back home.

Nyla

 

[Renee750il]

I don't know that not differentiating between the hand with the biscuit and the one without it is any indicator. A dog's sense of smell is acute enough that just handling, or sometimes even being near something will make it difficult for a young dog to tell the difference. My Bimmer wasn't very good at that game, either, when he was a pup, but his nose now seems to rival even the Filas'.

Dogs also don't necessarily perceive odors in the same light as we do, either. Your dog probably smells your houseguest just fine, but to the dog's nose, he's not malodorous. Other dogs may not be particularly repelled by this guy's odor; it may very well be their OWNERS' reactions to him that they are acting on.

After your guest has left and you've fumigated , try hiding treats and letting your dog find them. You may have to show her the first few for her to get the point of the game, but she'll probably get pretty good at it.

 

[bogolove]

Renee has made some very good points. I have not really noticed that a dog was ever repelled by a person's smell, but how they are treated by that person. your dog probably likes your houseguest and he probably treats her well so she likes to hang out in his room. I mean, dogs smell their own poop, you know, and that doesn't seem to bother them. Is this your first dog? I am just curious because our current dog is my husband's first dog and I had to explain how different they can be from cats. I have had dogs all my life and my husband has had cats, now we have both and have each had to learn how the other animal was. It seems like her sense of smell is probably fine. Some dogs are more difficult to house train than others. Sometimes if an animal or person has lost their sense of smell, the sense of taste is not that great either, and you said she goes after the treats and food and likes them a lot, so she can probably taste them just fine. She is still a puppy, so she just needs some positively reinforced training and I am sure she will pick everything up eventually. I would still keep an eye on it, just in case, but it sounds like she is a perfectly normal puppy to me. I think you will see she will start catching on to things a little better as she gets a little older. Keep us posted on how she does.