My dog barks at the smell of cigarette smoke

LpPepper

My Westie who is about a year and a half old barks at the smell of cigarette smoke . He does it nearly everytime my parents smoke .

Why is he doing this?

The Sweeper

Because it smells poisonously bad and he doesn't like it? He's at ground level. Cigarette smoke sinks to ground level. It probably smells worse to him than it does to you because he's getting the full whack of it, down there on the ground - more than you'd even get sitting beside them.

IvySlayer

Don't let anyone smoke around the dog. It's as bad for them as us, maybe worse.

seamus

He could be reacting to the cigarette itself. It shines more brightly at every inhalation, so the dog is probably assuming that it's fire, and since fire = danger, he is quite rightly barking at it.

If this is a long-term thing and he just starts barking whenever he smells cigarette smoke (without even seeing a cig), then it's probably an association thing; Smell of cigs == fire == danger == bark!

The easiest thing to do is to not smoke around the dog.

kylith

Try giving him a filled Kong or a bone to chew if people are smoking. That will take his mind off barking at them and help him associate it with something pleasent.

doggiewalker00

kylith wrote: »

Try giving him a filled Kong or a bone to chew if people are smoking. That will take his mind off barking at them and help him associate it with something pleasent.

asociating smoking with being pleasant...LoL
a dog has a stronger sense of smell than us,If non smokers detest the smell of them i could only imagine how bad it would be for the dog.

Tell your parents not to smoke when visting you,Simple(I presume your a non smoker and dont like the smell of them in your house)
or just get them to go outside

The dogs doing your parents a favour:Dso i dont see any problem in this behaviour;)

kylith

doggiewalker00 wrote: »

asociating smoking with being pleasant...LoL
a dog has a stronger sense of smell than us,If non smokers detest the smell of them i could only imagine how bad it would be for the dog.

Tell your parents not to smoke when visting you,Simple(I presume your a non smoker and dont like the smell of them in your house)
or just get them to go outside

The dogs doing your parents a favour:Dso i dont see any problem in this behaviour;)

Well, the OP didn't come here for opinions on their parents' smoking, but on how to stop the dog barking at them.

Of course the easy answer is not to smoke around the dog, but maybe that means putting the dog outside and they don't want to/can't do that. Maybe their parents are like mine and would have very little patienece with being told not to smoke because it upsets the dog. Maybe they visit their parents and doesn't want to dictate to them in their own house.

And finally, I'm sure we can all agree that a dog barking at people for no good reason* is not acceptable, and that desensetising the dog is probably the best option before it starts going up to people smoking in the park and barking at them as some people would take this as an act of aggression.

*good reason: tresspassing, threatening behaviour. Bad reason: sitting quietly having a smoke.

Mr. Presentable

kylith wrote: »

. Bad reason: filling my little lungs with smoke.[/QUOTE]

Either the dog or the parents need to be outside.

kylith

nipplenuts wrote: »

kylith wrote: »

. Bad reason: filling my little lungs with smoke.[/QUOTE]

Either the dog or the parents need to be outside.

Quite, but when the dog starts going up to strangers who are smoking outside and barking at them what do you suggest the owner do?

Far better to train the dog not to bark at people. The OP can still request that people smoke in the garden or out a window.

Sigma Force

It could also be that the dogs thinks they are eating because they are putting something to their mouths. Is he fed bits of your food when you are eating it?

Run_to_da_hills

The dog should be employed by the department of health to help weed out unauthorised smokers in public buildings.

Graces7

LpPepper wrote: »

My Westie who is about a year and a half old barks at the smell of cigarette smoke . He does it nearly everytime my parents smoke .

Why is he doing this?

Because he is a wise and discerning dog..

I tend to do the same.

People should not smoke around babies/children or animals.

eightyfish

I need a dog like yours, might help me give up the "social" smoking at weekends.