Signs That Your Dog Can Sense Rats
Even when you are unaware of intruders in your home, your dog may be able to hear and smell rats and mice inside your walls. A dog’s hearing is so sensitive that they are able to hear the small scratching sounds and squeaks as rats and mice move around. In response, your dog might do several things.
In an attempt to get to the rats, your dog might dig and scratch at a specific wall in your home. Even when you try to stop them, your dog may insist on continuing the behavior. Note that excessive digging, especially indoors, is not always a sign of pests in your home.
Dogs require a lot of mental stimulation, otherwise, they will find other ways to amuse themselves. Your dog may start using the carpet as a toy, digging into it to relieve boredom.
Because your pup’s sense of smell is so acute, they can probably smell rats and mice through the walls. As such, they may sniff around the area, press their nose to the wall, and seem fixated on searching with their nose nearby.
Not all cases of wall-sniffing indicate rats, though. This behavior can be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder or boredom. Behavior like this may also be the result of a neurological problem, such as seizures or liver failure.
With rats in your home, your dog might be more agitated or easily upset than normal. This is because they will be on high alert, listening for movements in the walls or under the floorboards. However, note that this behavior can also be indicative of pain or distress in your dog. Be sure to monitor them for signs of illness if this behavior occurs often.
A dog who can sense rats in the home may display odd behaviors like sitting and staring at specific spots in the house. However, behaviors like this can also be indicative of some medical conditions. If your dog is older, consider the possibility of canine dementia.
Frequent barking or whining directed at a specific area of your home could suggest that pests are nearby. However, this isn’t always the case. Repetitive barking can be a sign of some health or behavioral problems. Your dog may bark excessively due to boredom, anxiety, fear, or feeling a lack of attention.
With rats in your home, your dog may pace around the same area, following walls attentively. As rats and mice scurry through the wall, your dog might hear them and attempt to follow them. However, dogs will pace for other reasons as well. These include boredom, anxiety, and stereotypical behaviors developing from stress.
Training Your Dog to Smell Rats Safely
When keeping pet rats and dogs in your home, it’s important to introduce them gradually. Pet rats and pet dogs are different creatures, though they share some similarities. Your pet rat is likely very small and cautious, while dogs are much larger and more curious with predatory instincts.
Depending on your dog’s breed, introducing them to rats may not be advisable – breeds developed to hunt rats specifically are some of the least suitable for cohabitation.
Make sure that you allow your dog and rats to smell each other safely. Allow them to smell each other through the cage bars first; but exercise caution, as rats are territorial and may not take kindly to a predator in their home. Always supervise your dog and your rats closely and end the introduction if aggressive behaviors develop.
Will my dog scare away mice?Scientific research indicates that dogs by themselves are not a foolproof solution to mouse infestations. Researchers at the University of Florida determined that mice are no more afraid of dogs than they are of their other common predators such as cats, foxes, snakes, weasels, lizards, and owls.
How do dogs “see” with their noses? – Alexandra Horowitz
Whining, barking, and even growling while staring at the wall are all additional signs that your dog can hear and smell mice. You should monitor your dog’s body language, as this could indicate that it senses, hears, and smells mice in the walls.