A DOG'S NOSE KNOWS...

You don't need to be a dogaholic to know that , when it comes to sniffing,dogs are second to none. They can smell 100,000 times better than humans.

Difficult to imagine for me, cause Canaille, my English Spaniel Springer, is somehow the exception that proves the rule.

Don't get me wrong, that sweet guy has a flair for searching, but, to give you an insight of his sniffing behavior, let's say that his world of smells comes down to treats,yummy scraps,and fluffy comforters.

As for the " find it ! " game rules, better forget about them. He just ignores them,or, at least, turns them on its ear, follows his nose and...rushes to the fridge!

I guess he must take after me,cause,even though my nose is blocked nearly all year long, I can still smell cookies and chcocolate for miles around! Like owner,like dog ? Maybe...

Anyway, I've never had a dog whose nose knows. Except once, and even then, it was not mine.

It was a dog I had found running loose in my district, and as it was late in the evening, I had taken him back home.

A nice collar, but no medal to know where that lovely Chow-Chow was coming from and who he was living with.

Not with abusive owners, for sure, cause his lionlike coat was well-groomed,and a gentle roll of flat round his neck let me guess that he had not fled from his home because he was starving. So what ?

Well, I thought that a last walk before going to bed could give me a clue. Right on the nose!

As soon as we were out, the easy-going Chow-Chow turned into an imperious Husky, and I couldn't do anything but try to keep pace.

After a ten minutes'race, he stopped dead in front of a building,sat down and started whining.

Jeez, that dog had really a gift for sniff. Sure, his owners were living there. Unfortunately, there was a digicode, and I had to tell my sweet tramp we would come back the morning after for a heartwarming reunion.

No need to tell you that I had to drag him back home, and that I spent a sleepless night, cause that guy had a nose, but a voice, as well,if you see what I mean...

The morning after we raced back to the building, and fortunately that time the door was open. The caretaker was cleaning the hall,and when I asked her if there were people with a dog there, she answered yes and that they were waiting for me.

Waiting for me?? No time to dwell on that weird answer, cause a strong pull on the leash sent me right up to the second floor where my vagabond immediately burst into his " Coming Back Home " song.

I rang at the door, but the lady who opened it, looked at me, stared at Mr Chow-Chow, and said in a disappointed voice :

   " There must be a misunderstanding. My poodle is in heat, and I've           made an appointment here with the owner of a male to see if those         two can get along, and more if they hit it off ".

I apologized, dragged my jilted lover downstairs, and went to the vet to see what could be done.

Well, I guess Romeo the Chow-Chow was born under a lucky star,cause his owners had already phoned to know if by chance their dog had been found. They were having a party the day before, someone had left the door ajar, and Scout had taken a French leave to go in search of romance.

The vet called them back immediately, and when they arrived, Scout immediately pawed up for forgiveness, and, of course,his owners couldn't resist his " white flag ",and gave him lots of affectionate ear scratches.

When I told them what had happened the night before, they said that Scout had a real gift for sniff (and for love,as well).

Well,maybe I'll call my next dog " Scout ", cause, after all, the meaning of that name is " First Explorer ".

Could be a good way to blow away the curse of " No Nose Dogs ".

Now, don't be nosy, I won't tell you more about Canaille's quirks.