My dog is going crazy searching for a scent

gazzer

About 3 weeks ago one of our cats left the remains of a bird on our porch step. She must have done this while we were at work so when we got home we noticed it and disposed of it. For the next 2 days our Springer Spaniel kept going over to where the bird had been and was sniffing around the space like goodoo.

Then the snow came and then then thaw. We also cleaned out the back (including the porch step) with disinfectant but our Springer keeps going over to the spot and basically trying to bury her nose in the step and inhale the whole thing

Its gotten to the stage now that any time she is in out kitchen she runs straight to the porch door and starts whimpering and crying and putting her nose at the base of the door and sniffing and snorting away. Once we get her out of the room she is ok but once she is in the kitchen she heads straight to the porch door. When she is outside rather than play in the garden like she normally would she is straight over to the porch step doing her sniffing routine.

I was just wondering if anybody had any ideas as to how to get the 'scent' away from the step? Im beginning to think there is a dead body underneath the porch the way our springer is behaving.

Thanks

kylith

Try using biological washing liquid. The enzymes break down organic compounds, so might help with this. I've not heard of it being used for cleaning up blood, just urine, but it can't hurt to try.

dvet

Sometimes if you use a cleaner that's ammonia-based, they can think it's the urine of another animal. So best to use a cleaner with no ammonia/ammonium in it.

Sometimes dogs also develop compulsive behaviours which become an ingrained habit. I wonder if there's any aspect of that with your guy, if it's distracting him to the point of not wanting to play?! If nothing you do is working, maybe you could give a dog behaviourist a ring. They might be able to break the habit.


Edit: if cleaning doesn't work, and a dog behaviourist doesn't work... maybe you should start worrying about the dead body thing!!

fishfoodie

dvet wrote: »

Edit: if cleaning doesn't work, and a dog behaviourist doesn't work... maybe you should start worrying about the dead body thing!!

Or you could offer his services to the Gardai, I'm not sure if our bunch have any working cadaver dogs; but I know most Police forces do !