Weasels Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Howdy DOLers So... I take my 2 teenage kelpies to a local park 3-4 mornings a week. They generally have a great time, chasing a ball and sniffing the sniffs. But yesterday my 18 month old rescue boy got really spooked for no apparent reason. He kept running back to the entry of the park, and when we moved away he ran up to the fenceline and just lay down there. When I went over to him he wouldn't take food, and when I asked him to follow me he'd take a few steps then lay down again. He wasn't limping or in any apparent discomfort, he was just acting quite scared and kept looking back at the exit. He was fine on the walk home and has been his normal self ever since (although I haven't taken him back to that park yet). There were the same people & dogs there that we see most mornings and I didn't see anything happen as we entered the park. Someone told me this morning that they sprayed insecticide at the park on Wednesday, and maybe he was reacting to that? None of the other dogs seemed bothered, but Weez has a good sense of smell (especially compared to our other dog) and is easily scared (he's been afraid of plastic bags, windscreen wipers, going indoors etc. previously, although he's gotten over those fears for the most part). Has anyone ever heard of a dog reacting to the scent of pesticide or insecticides before? Especially 2 days after it has been sprayed? Other than this I am at a loss as to what spooked him. We took him to the beach this morning and he was completely normal. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I think it's possible ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 Thanks Pers Even if it is in the realms of the possible I'd be happier knowing what it could have been - I've been thinking it over and over but I can't identify anything else that would have got to him like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Some dogs seem to notice things like that - some just don't care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 He's definitely a dog that notices things - we are working on his reactivity with a trainer and he is generally a sensitive young thing. Both our dogs have their issues but I suspect Weez in particular got a pretty raw deal in puppyhood The Fox couldn't care less about anything much as long as someone is willing to throw a ball for her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 (edited) One of my fosters, Doug, is obsessed with Roundup so I suppose it's possible for another dog to be scared of something similar. Doug has to be locked away while I'm spraying weeds because I caught him following along behind me, licking at the sprayer where the Roundup was leaking out a little. He focuses very strongly on the sprayer and will ignore most things to try to get a lick at the precious Roundup. In Doug's case, it seems to be a habit- he also eats rocks, the bristles of brooms and anything made of that really hard plastic. Edited December 10, 2011 by Hardy's Angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 Hmmm that's interesting HA. We haven't used any spray around the house since we got the dogs (which shows given the state of our garden ) so i haven't observed his reaction in a controlled setting. He does follow OH around trying to lick the plants after OH has used seaweed emulsion though... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Both my dogs hate their advantix; frontline or any spot on. As soon as I go near it they take off, but there is no reaction when I apply it so I don't think it stings and I assume they hate the smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Yep .. the spot on stuff isn't popular here either . slightly (or a lot) OT .. My first pig, Grunt, was obsessed with transmission oil! he would roll in it, rub on it , try & lick it ..... it was like a cat with catnip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted December 10, 2011 Author Share Posted December 10, 2011 I must say I'm pretty averse to the smell of advocate spot on too Pers - That must have been really hard to clean! Weez loooves to roll in newly marked chalk lines on the local oval, it turns his coat grey for a day or two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Just a quick update for the one-in-a-million chance someone else encounters a similar problem I took Weez back to the same park yesterday morning. He was wagging away as we pulled into the car park and was completely back to his normal happy self. Short of a bad-fur-day, the insecticide is still the only explanation I have. He loves to run around the edge of the park sniffing when he isn't chasing the foxdog, so he could have just been miserable because his senses were being offended Anyway, it was a strange interlude but no harm done :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) I'm with you Scarlet & Persephone. Thought I was the only one with this problem. My girl is & has always hated Advantix time, every 2 weeks. I put it down to the smell cause it couldn't hurt her I wouldn't think. As soon as she gets a wiff of it her whole body goes tense & she goes nuts. It turns into an aerobic's work out for me, trying to hold her & apply the product. I usually end up with more on me than her. Edited December 13, 2011 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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