Hate for the Butches

[Josie]

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Dennis really hates butcher shops.

His body tenses up and he goes into flight mode. He’s even slipped his collar before because he didn’t want to go past one.

Its the strangest thing!

Does anyone else’s dog do this??

 

[JudyN]

No, but Jasper is scared of the raw dog food shop - he really doesn't want to go in there! On one occasion, OH waited outside with Jasper while I bought a whole load of food, we stocked up the boot of the car (J travels on the back seat) and set off... and Jasper panicked and climbed in the front with us, front paws on my lap, back paws on OH's - which he'd never done before. Luckily we weren't off the indistrial estate so OH could pull over safely. He had to drive home without us, put the meat in the freezer and come back to collect us.

We now have a dog guard in between the front & back seats

All I can think is that it's so much of a valuable resource, and as the dogs can smell it they think that everyone else is aware of it too, so it's like sitting in a busy park carrying a million pounds in transparent bags. But it still seems odd, particularly when the meat is still in the shop so not 'his' to guard.

I'm always a little surprised that he doesn't try to drag me into the local butcher's shop but maybe there's a little anxiety there too that stops it being so enticing.

 

[arealhuman]

Wow, never heard of this before, strange indeed.

 

[doggie1]

Dennis really hates butcher shops.

His body tenses up and he goes into flight mode. He’s even slipped his collar before because he didn’t want to go past one.

Its the strangest thing!

Does anyone else’s dog do this??

I take it you can walk your dog along the High Street?

 

[Josie]

He's absolutely fine walking along the street but he just knows if we walk past a butchers (this only happens when we go away as we don't have one in Clevedon)

Before I realised his hatred of the Butchers I have waited outside with him whilst Oli got some meat but I ended up having to wait across the street because he had his tail between his legs and he was very flighty - which is an extreme rarity!

He's an odd boy!

(He also thought a graffiti cat painted onto a wall was real this morning so......)

 

[doggie1]

He's absolutely fine walking along the street but he just knows if we walk past a butchers (this only happens when we go away as we don't have one in Clevedon)

Before I realised his hatred of the Butchers I have waited outside with him whilst Oli got some meat but I ended up having to wait across the street because he had his tail between his legs and he was very flighty - which is an extreme rarity!

He's an odd boy!

(He also thought a graffiti cat painted onto a wall was real this morning so......)

We're going to have to try Eddi walking along the street at some point, he may need a muzzle though. If we take him on holiday to Portugal with us, it will be too hot to leave him in the camper van so he'll have to come with us.

 

[JudyN]

I've had a Google and it seems to be a common fear - but I haven't found any convincing explanations.

 

[arealhuman]

Talking about fake cats - on one of our walks a person has a cat statue in their garden and Jimmy frequently gets all uppity and does his best meerkat impression as we pass it Also, we were in a small town once that had a life size toy dog outside a shop. Jimmy thought that was real and barking ensued!

 

[Flobo]

My Leonberger cross that I walk and who sometimes stays with me is on a totally raw diet,(I go in to pick him up sometimes and there's bambi's leg,hoof n all in his bed!) and he absolutely will not walk past a butchers shop, luckily he was wearing a halti and collar when I discovered this as he is a big dog to have freak out on you! Interesting he's not the only one... I wondered if it was sensory overload??

 

[Biker John]

The only strange thing about Folly, is one of our walks goes through four fields, their is a footpath going through gates. Normally their isn't stock in them and the gates are left open. It leads to a nice walk through woods. However the second field Folly will not walk through one way off lead. as soon as we get to that gate she stops, if I put her on her lead she walks withought any aparent problem. The rest of it she is fine. On the way home ie walking the oposite direction she is fine. I have even tried turning round and doing a couple of steps in the 'wrong' direction in that field and she shoots off to go through the gate. Now as far as I can see their is nothing to worry her and she has never had a bad experience around the fields.

 

[Violet Turner]

Aparently they dislike the smell according to another forum

 

[JudyN]

Aparently they dislike the smell according to another forum

They don't like the smell of raw meat? That doesn't really make sense for raw-fed dogs, does it, or Jasper's fear of the shop I buy his food from. It could be to do with the smell of such a quantity of food though.

 

[Violet Turner]

@JudyN I'm not quite sure but it could be overstimulaton of the nose

 

[merlina]

Horses find butchers' shops' smells frightening. Obvious though because they are prey animals. But to all animals surely it's the smell of death, big time? And that means danger as well as food. (Glad I'm a veggie!)

 

[JudyN]

Maybe 'That's so much meat it must have been one hell of a predator who brought it down' I wonder if it's specifically raw meat? Jasper doesn't have a problem with pet shops, and would try to pilfer all the open shelves of chews, treats, etc.

 

[Josie]

Very interesting @Biker John - I wonder what it could be!

Den loves the pet shop. So I think it must be specific to the raw meat smell. I did give him abit of uncooked steak the other day and he spat it out! He prefers it medium