Why do dogs want to smell like Fox poo?

I live near the countryside in Worcestershire and my two year old Border Collie, Max, is always rolling in fox poo when I take him for walks. I can't seem to stop him doing this but how can I keep him clean and how do I get rid of the dreadful fox poo pong that seems to permanently cling to him?  Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Jaldi

It was once explained to me that this behaviour shows the dog going back to its roots. Apparently, to be a successful hunter a dog needed to be able to sneak up on its prey, and that's why they have the urge to roll in fox poo, dead fish, anything pungent that we find disgusting really! 

The poor little nervous bunny would sniff the air and think, "can't smell any predators so I can eat a bit more grass." The last thing that probably goes through the rabbit's mind is, "there's a really bad smell of fox poo that seems to be getting stronger, but a bit of poo won't hurt me!"

It can also be that to a dog's nose fox poo smells so very much better than dog shampoo! A dog's sense of smell is about a million times better than ours and it may be your dog is simply saying that stuff you wash him in smells really vile to him and it gives him a headache! A bit like standing next to someone on the Tube who has overdone the cheap scent.

To a dog's nose, fox poo must smell like Coco Chanel Mademoiselle does to us! 

But how do you stop the dog doing this every time you wash him? Or how do you repair the damage afterwards?

I've heard that tomato ketchup or concentrated tomatoes does the trick, but haven't tried it myself. 

Anyone given it a go? Anyone broken their dog from an obsession with Eau de le fox merde?

Beverley Cuddy, Editor 

Puppy Love 7 - what to do with poo and other wee problems!

Day seven of our advice for prospective puppy owners. What to do with poo? No I'm not talking about using it creatively as an entry for the Turner prize, mailing it to people you don't like or making it into a hat.
What is the law, can you put poo in your bin? If so which one - refuse, recycling or food waste (ugh!). Or do you flush it down the loo?
There are some other solutions but if you've just got the one dog, which is the best?
Has anyone tried those clever nappy disposal systems for eg?
Which poo bags are the best and why?
What are the must have accessories so you can avoid the embarrassment of putting a bag of poo in your Chanel handbag.
And if you are very into gardening - how do you train your dog to toilet in one specific area?
And how do you avoid wee burns on the lawn?
And come to think of it, what about products to clean up the house if your dog has an accident? And once a dog has wee'd somewhere they tend to go back to the same spot - what can you do to break the cycle? Someone told me to use a bio clothes washing product so you really do get rid of the smell as dogs can still detect the scent mark long after we can't - but that advice was a few years ago. Anything better been invented since?
And I guess the best plan is errorless housetraining - see the magnificent Dr Ian Dunbar's advice on how to achieve that in our Perfect Pup guide and also in his wonderful book What to do Before you Get Your Pup available as a free download  on Dog Star Daily here.
Beverley Cuddy, Editor

Gail Gwesyn-Pryce, Dogs Today GSD Advisor, says...
My chickens seem to sort out the poo that is on the grass - I don't have a lawn. I found lawns and large dogs don't mix, especially in the winter! Other areas I bag it and bin it with the small amount I put out to be collected. I recycle everything else. I wish someone would invent a dog poo recycling plant - I think they would make a fortune! Dog poo should be firm, dark and odourless if the dog is being fed correctly, and one pile per meal fed. I found some really good bio-degradable bags from the Guide Dogs Catalogue.
If you wish your dog not to use your lawn then make a toilet area - a little boxed off area filled with bark chippings - if this is the first place you take the puppy to when you arrive hom from the breeders and he uses it the the chances are that he will continue to go to the same spot. You could also try putting a toilet training pad just under the surface.
And yes, the biological washing powder to clean any accidents still works a treat and put vinegar in the last rinsing water, but make sure it is dry before allowing access to that area again.

Puppy Love 6 -Training

In the latest of our series of advising Liz our ad sales lady of everything she needs to do before he gets her GSD pup, what methodology for training should she follow?
What should she look for in a good puppy training class? Ideal class size? Age of pups? What qualifications/affiliations should the trainer have?
And how many weeks should the course be for? How early can you start and what should you be doing before the class begins?
And what are your view on socialisation before the vaccines kick in?
Anyone found any good puppy slings or other devices to make socialisation easier before you can let the little darling potter about?
What the ideal first thing to wear - a traditional collar or a harness or even a head collar?
Any suggestions welcomed, best ideas will be used in the magazine.


Dog training – some of my best memories of growing up. I was brought up with Pedro, a tricolour collie cross. In his twilight weeks, as he approached his fourteenth birthday, Skip joined us as an eight-week-old puppy and gave Pedro a new lease of life. After Pedro passed away, it seemed so unfair for Skip to be on his own that we found Nan, my first dog. Both Skip and Nan were border collies and therefore had brains which needed work, so we joined a local dog training club.
Soon the bug had bitten and we found ourselves joining the obedience dog show circuit. Pressures of work and bringing up a family have meant that I no longer actively participate in dog obedience. Dog training does not, however, have to mean such a high input, and that it is where ‘lower key’ dog training classes are invaluable. I think it is so important for everyone, human and canine, to share a language and to know the ground rules, so that life runs smoothly.
The important age for socialising a puppy is quoted variously as 6-12 weeks and 7-14 weeks. It is certainly important for a puppy to experience as much as possible in the early formative weeks of his or her life, and to ensure that they are positive experiences which will lay the foundation for a happy life. The practice where I work is not alone in offering puppy classes. Ours are a three week course for puppies under the age of fourteen weeks who have had at least one vaccination. They are run by two qualified veterinary nurses and a dog trainer.
Puppies really enjoy themselves! This is particularly evident from their response when they come into the practice for a different reason other than for the puppy class – they bound in, tails wagging and looking for the fun to start! It makes life so much easier and enjoyable for us vets when our patients enjoy coming to see us!
One regular feature of the puppy class is being weighed on the floor scales. So many adult dogs refuse to stand on the platform which feels unsteady, so an early and pleasant introduction to the floor scales is very important. Again, it makes life much easier and less stressful for all concerned (and takes up less time) when your canine patient willingly steps onto the platform to be weighed.
All members of the family are invited along with their puppy and everyone seems to enjoy themselves. I find it so interesting to see how the puppies progress even within the space of one class, the shy one coming out of its shell, the bold hooligan being put in his place. It is not unusual to find puppies crashed out after all the activity and stimulation.
A puppy class is also a chance for the owners to ask questions, which may well help other owners with similar problems or queries. If mistakes can be avoided at this early age, then problems in later life may never arise.
There is so much for a puppy to learn in his new home, but there is so much more in the great outside world. Puppy classes are a very useful way to start experiencing all that in a pleasant and controlled manner, whilst affording the human family support and encouragement.
Of course, your puppy is learning all the time so joining a class for older puppies is the natural step in his development after a puppy course. The adolescent stage can be challenging so, again, this is where training classes can help both the canine teenager and the human family, so to speak.
Alison Logan, vet

Katrina Stevens, Kesyra German Shepherds, says...
I would suggest going along to watch the class without the pup first, so that the owner can feel happy that the pup will receive only good experiences from it. It's too late if you go to a class and something untoward happens, such as another dog having a go at the pup, which could upset the new pup indefinitely. The training should be reward based and the class should involve some free play for the pups, but this must be supervised and care must be taken that any sensitive pups are not bullied by older, bigger or generally more dominant pups.
I would say a class of around six pups would be ideal and they should be as young as possible and ideally all around the same age and size. I usually advise my owners to go to an APDT approved class that also works towards the KC good citizens tests, as this gives the new owner incentive to work towards something.
I advise owners to take their pups out from the start. They can take the pup out in the car and carry him into some shops. They can visit friends' houses or the local pub or sit with him on a bench, so that he can watch traffic or children go by. The experiences must be pleasurable and it is ideal to have a few titbits handy to reward good behaviour. I give my pups homeopathic nosodes from four weeks and then a supply to my new owners, as I am not a believer in vaccinating too early. (This is due to three very bad experiences, but this is another story!). I am of the opinion that it is fine for the pup to be taken out to 'safe' places before the vaccinations. I take my pups to the end of my lane to see the traffic and school children. I don't let them sniff the grass verges, but they do walk on the pavement...after all I walk on that same pavement and I don't disinfect my shoes when I come back home! Equally, the foxes that frequent most gardens also go in the local park where other dogs go, so I really think that it is a matter of common sense.

Dorothy Cullum, GSD Information Group, says...
I always advise to go to a breed club that knows the breed you have purchased. i.e. British Association for the GSD (BAGSD) to get your nearest training class.
Training starts from day one, NOT at six months when problems have set in. Then when vaccines have been given and kicked in one can sit at the gate to watch traffic etc and socialise with people at the office and park etc BUT do not WALK the dog into the ground. It is growing and is not a marathon runner.
Meet other dogs and get your pup to classes especially when as the club mentioned does the Good Citizens Scheme. Puppy - Bronze- Silver and Gold schemes, fun for both dog and handler.

Gail Gwesyn-Pryce, Dogs Today GSD Advisor, says...
The most important thing to get before your GSD puppy arrives would be Joye Ixer's excellent book on the breed. She has just updated it and if you email her on joyceixer@aol.com I am sure she will be able to supply you with a copy. Also make sure you have an indoor kennel, your freezer full of food (if you wish to feed your puppy correctly) and lots of common sense! Very importantly get your name on the waiting list for puppy classes and start as soon as possible.
I no longer vaccinate my dogs conventionally and would expect to be able to take my puppy socialising at seven weeks. Obviously as a dog trainer, I am training him/her at home from that age when they are at their most receptive (7-12 weeks) but certainly training should have started well before the four-and-a-half month period which is when bad habits will start to creep in. With a breed as intelligent as the GSD early training is a must and continued training a necessity to keep their brains exercised. They are not a breed just to be kept as a pet, they need a job of work to do - all mine do working trials. Go and visit some classes and look for a calm atmosphere with a small number of puppies (six if no assistant, eight maximum with). APDT have a list of trainers advocating kind training but there will be others. As a general rule I would want to see that the instructor has trained their own dog to a high (competition) standard if they are to instruct me in basics.
An ordinary buckle on collar and long lead is all you should ever need unless YOU teach your dog to pull. Dogs are not born pulling on the lead, it is something that owners teach them the first time they attach their lead to the collar. I get a lot of clients coming to me with this problem and we then have to use control measure to help with this - I advocate the Gentle Leader - but better still learn how to handle a lead the correct way from day one and you won't need anything else.

Puppy Love 5 - get me back home

Today in our new Puppy Love series we're looking at ID and getting your dog back generally if they go walk about. The best tags - the cutest, the most stylish, the longest lasting and most endurable for active dogs who like to go through hedges and through water, clever devices to stop them making a noise when your dog drinks/eats and clinks against the bowl.
Plus any other ideas and gadgets for helping you feel really secure that you stand the best possible chance of getting your dog back if it's lost.
What would you recommend Liz our ad sales lady buys for her new pup?
Beverley Cuddy, Editor

A dog disc, or collar with identification details engraved or written on it, is not only important but a legal part of dog ownership, so it needs considering and sorting out ready for that first foray outside. In fact, it is something we as dog-owners have to be mindful at all times.
For example, we moved house in November, so high on my list of priorities was a new dog disc for Pippin with our new address details. This became a chance to brush up my knowledge on current requirements for the information needed on a dog’s disc. The Control Of Dogs Order 1992 requires your dog to wear a collar with the following information engraved or written directly onto it or bearing; a disc engraved with your name and your address including postcode.
Interestingly, it is optional to include a contact telephone number! Not only does Pippin’s disc have our home number but also my work number which, for me, is the veterinary practice where I work and therefore ensures contact with someone around-the-clock wherever I might otherwise be.
I am often remarking to people that I think it might not be a good idea to include your dog’s name because this will reassure your dog that the stranger talking to him is a friend. By law, your dog’s name is not a requirement.
Pippin’s disc also has ‘I have been microchipped – scan me’. She does wear a separate disc with a similar message, in case she should lose her legal disc whilst lost but, in theory at least, any dog picked up without an owner should be scanned for a microchip if identification information is not otherwise available.
A disc meets legal requirements but, practically, is only going to act as identification whilst it is both on the collar and legible.
Dog discs used to be simply circular but now come in all shapes and colours up to the most fancy. The Internet has, needless to say, widened the choice. After years of going to a local trophy shop, I ordered Pippin’s disc from a web-site and it arrived the very next day – no return trip needed to collect it from the shop. I did, however, have guilty feelings about not supporting a local business but, as you may have experienced, time is at a premium when moving house!
I do think that it is a good idea to go for deep engraving, whether on a collar or disc, because this will last longer. I found a dog in our lane once, but could not contact his owners because his disc was so worn that it could not be read. The barrel he was also wearing on his collar had come undone and the piece of paper inside with his owner’s contact details had, at some point, fallen out (which is probably why this form of identification is not mentioned in the legislation). The split ring carrying the disc is also a weak point – it will readily wear through with the constant swinging of the disc. I have also known the hole in the disc to wear through so that the disc drops off the ring! It is therefore important to regularly check on the state of your dog’s disc and/or ID information on his collar. It is not yet a requirement for dogs to be microchipped. This is a totally different form of identification with its own advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is that the chip cannot be lost like a collar or disc. Disadvantages are that the chip can migrate or malfunction, and it cannot be instantly read like the information carried on a disc or collar, needing a scanner to reveal the chip’s number before ringing the central registry. The final pitfall is that all your information registered against your dog’s microchip must, obviously, be kept up-to-date or else it will not be possible to contact you.
Alison Logan, vet

As no one has yet mentioned the excellent Indigo collars I'm obviously going to have to! They don't advertise with us (grrr), so this is a completely altruistic gesture on my behalf - but Indigo please do start telling pet people about what you do!!! The agility world know and love these tags, but they'd be just as great for pet people, too!
They make a really robust engraved tag that threads onto a collar so that it is never going to fall off when your dogs repeatedly jumps through hedges! I used to get so fed up buying new tags for Tess as she was always pulling them off and going around looking like an unloved stray. (Plus they don't tinkle against your dog's bowl when he eats!)
Beverley Cuddy, Editor

Has anyone invented solar powered air con yet?

Is there anything out there to keep my car cool while we are stopped? This does not mean I want to leave them in the car routinely, but there are unexpected situations when you need to - for example if you're stuck in a traffic jam on a hot day or even just a way of keeping the car cool so when we get back at the end of a walk it's not boiling hot. Maybe an air condition unit which is solar powered? Does such a thing exist? What do the police vans use as there must be times when their dogs have to remain in the vans?
Beate Rothon

Puppy Love 4 - we're toying with you!

If you are only just catching up with this, our lovely ad sales lady Liz is soon to take delivery of a gorgeous GSD pup which will be coming to work with her. I'll have to have a word with Tess and warn her that this pup will grow up to be quite a bit bigger than her!
We'd really like some suggestions for the best toys  that will hopefully look much more appealing than our computer cables etc!
One office dog (who shall remain nameless) did once eat a desk! Honestly, it was only when it fell apart we'd realised what had been going on!
So what would be your must buy list for a gorgeous puppy shower? Wouldn't that be a great tradition to start for new puppy owners - a party were peoplebring the new pup to be gifts!
If you're a Kong fan - what's the best puppy stuffing recipe and how many do you need? (Think I could have phrased that better! Although I suspect we've all felt like swapping out little bundles of fluff for the stuffed toy variety when they've chewed the kid's school shoes!)
And is there anything new and exciting that should be the pup that has everything's toy cupboard?
Please do share your tips and check back over the first four puppy questions on here and add your best tips. This could be a great resource to really help new owners prepare properly.
Beverley Cuddy, Editor

Congratulations on your new puppy! You are about to embark upon a fabulous journey, and no one can blame you for wanting to buy lots of shiny new things for the new arrival.  The first few days with a puppy can be a bit stressful, so it does help to have all the supplies you need to hand.
Sadly, many puppy toy shopping lists are created by pet accessory companies (or indeed by pet shops!) and are designed to make you spend as much of your hard earned cash as possible.
This one is different. It’s designed to make sure that you get all the important things that you need while saving you money at the same time.
Ready? Set? Let’s buy some toys!
The top toys we recommend to every new puppy person are:

Can we be accommodated?

I'd like to arrange a holiday with my girlfriend and my three dogs - who don't mix very well! Is there anywhere out there offering accommodation for us and secure kennels for the dogs, where I can walk them every day but they will be well looked after the rest of the time?
The kennels need to be really secure as my three Northern Inuit Dogs have been trained by Houdini, but they do not come indoors as they find the heat uncomfortable and shed an awful lot of hair.
Alternatively maybe there is a kennels in a scenic area where we can find our own lodgings close by? I'm not prepared to vaccinate my dogs, so any suggestions would be gratefully received!
Mick, by telephone