Sniffing Addiction (sounds strange, I know)

[bret]

Hi,

I've been looking around for something on this topic..no luck yet. My 4yr old beagle seems to have an odd sniffing addiction. I know these dogs are hunting dogs and all, but we find this kind of strange. A few days ago, Payson got to sniffing the bottoms of the legs on our table and chairs on the porch. Every time we go to the porch, he must sniff sniff sniff, and even screech out a little howl or whine every once in a while, like he's on to something. So we have not let him on the porch much since. If he's not on the porch, he is staring at the furniture through the sliding glass door.

So today, we caught him intensely sniffing the bottoms of the legs of our indoor barstool/high chairs. Something about him and chairs.

He's a very healthy beagle otherwise. Maybe he came from a large pack of drug sniffing beagles and inherited a bizarre similar trait? lol

Anyone got any ideas as to what's going on other than the obvious?

Thanks in advance!

[Mollys Mom]

My guess is that he picks up scents on the legs of furniture from people, animals etc. Your outdoor furniture could have critters around it at night. Molly doesn't do much indoor sniffing but Vazzle never stops - carpets, beds.

[btomlin75]

Mine do not constantly sniff in the house or in their yard but take them on a walk and 4.85 miles out of 5 miles their noses are working overtime. It is in the breed.

[Hunter Ruby]

My Hunter is a sniffer too. She continuously sniffs. It makes walks take more time and gives her a little selective hearing, but it makes her happy.

[Baylee Begals]

G'day, I love your problem please film him and put it on the forum.

Yep beagles do sniff and sniff and sniff -- when they are asleep, awake, playing, eating, toileting, and on and on.

My current girls have never been on a animal hunt in their lives, I don't think that garden snails count, and just slack around the house BUT they sniff everything that they can. Like your porch out front verandah is always a wonderful source of new smells every morning as those darn cats from next door love to sleep on the chairs of a night.

If it is worrying you about the furniture you could spray the legs with disinfectant for a few days in a row, that might deter him.

I really don't believe that he has inherited anything from having drug sniffing ancestors as otherwise we would all have CRUFTS or WESTMINISTER Dog show winning beagles.

Enjoy him he sounds delightful.

take care now

jewels.

[BeagleBiggel]

He may be smelling something good or something that is unusual to the dog. Dogs do have a very strong sense of smell. I suggest cleaning the carpet and try to let the dog sniff it.

[Alyssa18]

I have two beagles, both excellent hunting dogs. I agree with many of the previous posts, they sniff everything and everyone constantly! When I get home at the end of the day they sniff my clothes so excitedly they almost knock me over. If they smell something "familiar" (like if I was at work, they've learned that smell), they sniff a little then leave me alone. But if I've been somewhere out of the ordinary, especially somewhere there was other dogs, they won't leave me alone for half an hour or more and just sniff sniff sniff. The younger beagle loves to take our shoes/boots/dirty socks and sleep with them, comforting smell I'm guessing? Beagles are traditionally hunting dogs, it's just in their instincts to sniff everything, definitely not something to be concerned about.

[Cassie]

My dog snifs eveything too...she can smell the grass so deeply it seems she's going to suck up something through her nose (lol). I say as long as your dog isn't chewing those chair legs you're lucky...snif snif snif...