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Lately my six year old schnoodle (schnauzer, poodle mix), has been exhibiting bizarre behavior. He constantly raises his head and sniffs the air. Occasionally, he has raised his head so far back that he fell over. He doesn't appear to be in any pain anywhere, is eating and drinking normally,and going for walks with no decrease in activity level. Any suggestions as to what could be going on here? It is very strange.

Hi Barabara,

Your dog obviously thinks he's caught scent of something. Keep track of where he is when he does this. Is he indoors or outdoors? Does it always happen in a certain room? Try to pin it down to one area, because there may be an actual reason for this behavior. I know of an instance where a mouse died in a wall and the dog could smell it before the family did. This is just one possibility.

Good luck with your search.

-- Contributed by: Barbara

We have a chihuahua, Joe,13 yrs old, having low thyroid taking soloxine. Lately he will not even come out to walk(he has his claws clipped and has a coat). Sometimes he'll have a little run around in the house so I don't know what's wrong. Is he being lazy -with his walks? I just don't know what to do.We also have Jerry 12 years old, cross terrier who is completely the opposite.

Expert Reply

Hi Karen,

I'm sorry to hear that your little senior Chi is having such a hard time. At 13, most dogs begin to slow down anyway. After all, this is the equivalent of about 70 in human terms.

A hypothyroid condition produces a multitude of symptoms. These can include:

Lethargy
Slow heart rate
An intolerance for low temps
Anemia
Dry skin
Weight gain

Although your vet is treating your dog with soloxine, it takes some time to get the dosage just right. Vets typically start out with the recommended dose for a dog's particular weight, and then must monitor the dog's blood and adjust the dosage as needed.

Even once your dog is on the ideal dosage, he'll still be 13-year-old dog that has been through a serious illness, so he probably will never be as spry as he once was. Thank goodness your 12-year-old Terrier is still maintaining good health.

My advice is to let your Chi set his own pace. He's bound to have some ups and downs, but the medication should eventually even those out.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes to everyone.

-- Contributed by: Karen

I'm Baby Sitting "Champ" my nices tea-cup Yorkie, and I noticed thathe has a strong smelling urine Help...

Expert Reply

Hi Cissy,

Some male dogs do have especially strong smelling urine. While this isn't necessarily a sign of a health problem it is something to bring up at the dog's next veterinary check up.

In the meantime, I've heard that giving a male dog vitamin C is supposed to help with the smell. I haven't tried it myself, but I have breeder friends who swear by it. I would try giving one chewable of low dose C every day for a week to see if it helps cut the smell. You can probably cut down to one or two tablets a week once the problem is under control. Also make sure that your niece's dog is drinking plenty of water so the urine is less concentrated.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Aunt Cissy

Hi Reed,

Although there is no breed that doesn't require at least minimal grooming, some are relatively care free in that respect. A standard smooth-coated Dachshund fits the specifications you've listed.

You might want to spend some time browsing through our Category:Dog Breeds category for info and pictures of many breeds. If you don't find a breed here that sparks your interest, you might want to visit AKC.org.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find a wonderful family companion.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

i am looking for an about 20 lb to 30 lb dog that doesn't require grooming. My family doesn't want a "yippy" dog though. any suggestions?

-- Contributed by: Reed
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