Dog Behaviour

[Eileen Chesworth]

My Bailey has bad body odour lately. Can anyone tell me why and what I can do about it? 

Why does my boy lick clover? He also licks wet spots that I think is urine from other dogs. Sometimes he will lick then mark over top. What is that all about? 

It is just lately that he has been doing this. He also has diarrhea and I think it is because of what he is digesting in the field.

My daughter's dog is in heat and he goes insane around her. I think that other dogs in the neighbourhood might be in season and perhaps that is what he smells. He is hard to manage when he gets a sniff and when he is in that state of mind. It is a struggle to get him to listen at that point. I can understand that, but I don't know how to manage it.

Any one have any advice for me. I am a novice when it comes to a dog that has not been altered.

[Catherine Carter]

It looks to me as if Bailey is licking the spot in the field where a bitch in season has already marked the same spot for other dogs to know she is on heat. He is then covering the same spot with his own urine to claim it as his own.......all quite normal....also don't let him be near a bitch in season if you don't want to be cruel to him.....the diaorrhea is something else though which might be worth being investigated by a vet. Hope this helps a bit!

[Eileen Chesworth]

I know you are right. I thought it had to do with a bitch in season. If we know there is a dog in season we keep the dogs apart but he seems to find out before we do. Soon as we know the dogs are separated. No worries there but when we are outside, when he sniffs the urine spot he is impossible to work with. Should I force him away or ask him to leave it or just let him carry on?

[Ossian]

Agree with the "licking thing" dogs rely on taste and smell for indentification and then the pee over the top is a territury issue so that other dogs know he has been around.

dogs are also great self medicators when they can get access to what they need so clover... is it red or white - is possibly where your diahhorrea is coming from. It could be that you have changed his food, his water supply, introduced more milk in his diet dozens of things and you wont can tell from this quick conversation.

However.....
clover is known as an alternative agent—in other words, one that produces gradual beneficial changes in the body, usually by improving nutrition; also known as a “blood cleanser.” It is a traditional remedy for psoriasis and eczema. However, the mechanism of action and constituents responsible for red clover’s purported benefit in skin conditions are unknown.

Modern research has revealed that clover also contains high amounts of isoflavones, such as genistein, which have weak estrogen-like properties.

Stop now and look at the larger picture, the behaviour you describe will have additional clues that you havent seen yet

[Eileen Chesworth]

I did not know that about clover. It is white clover. He smells around and around it and then he licks it and then pees on it. I have not changed anything with his diet. We feed him the best dog food and give him lots of water with ice cubes, no milk products, his normal treats, and for something really special weiners. I thought perhaps the weiners had turned bad but the diarrhea continued. We have given him imodium and that solves the problem short term but if it keeps up we will take him to our vet for sure. I was wondering if the warmer weather has caused the diarrhea as well. We have had him at the lake - could he have swallowed some duck stools? I don't know? I am more worried about the diarrhea at the moment than the behaviour over scent of a bitch. Other than that he is a normal happy dog. Same requests to go and chase a ball, same requests to play, walk and sleep.

[Ossian]

sorry forgot the body odour! you dont say what age the dog is what he is like when he is bothered by the bitch or what the "odour" smells like. I think if it isnt a normal doggy, pee, sweaty, sexually charged thing I would be saying vet check
Safe rather than sorry

[Eileen Chesworth]

That sums up what is going on with Bailey. Except he does not "chatter" his teeth. That is funny. He will talk and call or howl in an abnormal manner. It is funny as well. I know he has instinct and he is strong willed about it. I have not figured out what to do about it either. I am just hoping that the bitches will either get pregnant or stop walking where I walk with my boy. Yes like that is going to happen.

[Eileen Chesworth]

My boy will be 3 years old in the fall. I remember we had a cat that lived 25 years with us but when he was at a stage that he could be sexually active, I don't remember now but it must have been when he was about a year and half old, he developed this horrible odour, I don't know how to describe it, musty, foul, constant even after his bath. Worse than stale sweat, or pee feathers, because urine has a distinct smell and I know he does not have an infection, but he does spend a some time licking his penis but not his anus. Our dog is with us all the time, he even sleeps on the bed with us, so I would notice the odour more than if the dog stayed in a pen or kennel.

[Eileen Chesworth]

I have an appointment with the vet soon but I don't think it is his diet because it is a brand that he has been on for over a year. But yes, we will see what the vet thinks. Thank you.