# Sense of smell



## pauleady (Mar 11, 2011)

I have noticed that when playing fetch with Bailey, if he does not see where the ball has landed, he will struggle to 'sniff it out'. This also happens when he drops it half way back to me if something else catches his eye, and I send him back to find it. I often have to go and look myself and will usually find it before him.

Is this normal for a cockapoo? I would have expected that with the gun dog genetics, this would be one of his better skills, or does this get messed up with the cross breeding?

This is my first dog so maybe I am expecting too much. does anyone else have this problem, or should we check with the vet? 

Thanks,

Paul


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

I don't think there is anything wrong with his sense of smell. He may just need longer and more encouragement to carry on his search.
My dog will sniff out a ball but he works in typical spaniel fashion, as in his nose is to the ground but he never sniffs in a straight line, he 'works' an area, running diagonally across the area until he catches the scent and tracks it to its source. I do have to keep telling him to 'find it' he seems to take it as his cue that he has to keep looking as there is still something to find even though he has no clue what it is.
You could try looking into scent work training, to sharpen up his use of his nose


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## pauleady (Mar 11, 2011)

wellerfeller said:


> I don't think there is anything wrong with his sense of smell. He may just need longer and more encouragement to carry on his search.
> My dog will sniff out a ball but he works in typical spaniel fashion, as in his nose is to the ground but he never sniffs in a straight line, he 'works' an area, running diagonally across the area until he catches the scent and tracks it to its source. I do have to keep telling him to 'find it' he seems to take it as his cue that he has to keep looking as there is still something to find even though he has no clue what it is.
> You could try looking into scent work training, to sharpen up his use of his nose


That puts my mind at rest, thanks. Bailey also sniffs like that (diagonally) and I thought he was struggling to get the scent, but from what you say that is the way they do it.

I'll keep working at it with him.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Good question...I kind of have the opposite with Betty...If I throw a ball or a stick she just doesn't seem to see where it lands and will often run straight past it...she is usually pretty good at sniffing it out in the end in the way Karen describes.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Nacho is just like this. Absolutely terrible at sniffing out his ball. I always find it myself. However I do think with age his sense of smell is improving or he is just getting better at it. He is brilliant at tracking the scent of rabbits in our garden - not so good at seeing them though!! The other day a rabbit was just sitting there stunned as it had seen us too late to move and he just ran past it (literally within 2 metres). The rabbit then bolted and it wasn't until a minute later when he sniffed the area in which the bunny was previously sitting stunned that he went into overdrive and followed its scent all the way across the field into the hedge in which it escaped. 

Lesson learnt - I won't be taking him shooting with my dad!


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## Anita (Jan 5, 2012)

Frisbee seems to have no sense of smell. At dog training we play a game where a small piece of sausage is hidden under a flowerpot. Frisbee has never found the sausage - he just runs off with the nearest flowerpot really pleased with himself for pinching a new toy!


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