Leash problems! and sniffing

[bonesnsasha]

Alright my EM Sasha she's never really had to be on a leash I just harness her and hold it and help her into the truck. The problem is when I do have to put her on a leash she completely freaks out she weighs around 50 pounds I'm 5'1 and like a 115 pounds so it's a lot to handle when she does this. I have never had such an issue leash training a dog. I've tried everything leaving it on her to walk around to get use to it letting her smell it and get calm about having it put on and even just trying to drag her along behind me. She fights me every time we have to put it on her to go somewhere she's great with every other aspect of her training. Has anyone ever had a dog that just completely freaked about her leash I mean I've put her on it mulitple time and she still hates it to no end. What's a good method to use to get her to deal with it?

Next question my two pups sniff the house constantly and I don't know why they are smelling! Given I realise dogs like to smell things but they will sniff the floors for like an hour maybe more if I'd let them. Should I be concerned or just ignore it?

 

[Mambo]

Not to freak you out in any way, but the sniffing may be due to having mice. just a thought. We have them in our garage and all four of mine do the same thing when we allow them in there.

 

[bonesnsasha]

Oh gosh well I hope it's not that! I haven't noticed any signs of mice unless they are in our basement but would they be able to smell them in the basement through the floor?

 

[bonesnsasha]

Any thoughts anybody!?

 

[AKBull]

No ideas on the leash issues.

As for the floors. What type of flooring? Do they sniff everywhere or in just a general area? Have the floors had an intensive cleaning? Is there some type of cleaning product you use on the floors? Was there another dog or cat living there at some time?

 

[bonesnsasha]

We have hardwood in our living room and carpet in our kitchen (it's an old house haven't got around to tearing that our just yet!). I always use the same cleaning products and they are inside a good majority of the day n get to run around in here quite a bit. Well the people we bought the house from had a pomeranian but that's been over a year ago and we had another EM who passed away which was Sasha's brother. I'm not sure if it's my son because he's dropped food and of course the food stuff that occasionally falls on the floor but I can't see that they would look for food for that long I mean they seem very fixated as did the EM that passed away was also the same way.

 

[AKBull]

Maybe try different products when it's time to renew them? I'm thinking that or there is "something" under the flooring. If there were food stuff I'm sure they'd be pawing and or licking the area. Junior will rearange the furniture if he thinks there is a piece of food to be found.

 

[bonesnsasha]

Maybe I usually use lavender smelling stuff but not on the carpeting and rugs obviously but I don't see why that would cause such an obsessive sniffing reaction! It's suppose to be a relaxing smell. That's funny they aren't quite big enough to move my furniture just yet! sasha got stuck under our kitchen chair the other day and knocked it over though! I was actually going to have someone come in to observe them and see if it is normal and just observe their temperments! Actually I noticed earlier I was going to give Bonesy a bone and he's very snippy about taking it out of my hand so I didn't give him I don't really know what to do about that either! I guess all my other dogs have never had that problem just grabbing things out of my hand they always wait until it is given and then take it gentley. Bonesy is going to be quite the handful to get some manners!

 

[dmouse66]

I've read/heard that a dogs sense of smell is SO GOOD that while a human can smell a beef stew cooking and know it's beef stew, a dogs nose can smell each individual ingredient! That said, it could easily be mice under the floorboards or even spiders... or the cleaning product... maybe soak a rag in that product, wring it out and leave it in a different spot in the house... if they find it and sniff like they do the floor, you know thats what it is. As for the leash and snapping issues, I dont have answers but found a great site for training info: www.aspcabehavior.org