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Drooling when i walk him.

Angel

Member
Scooby my 5 month old cavalier drools heaps when i walk him on the leash. He's absolutely fine at home and doesn't drool at all. But soon as i put the leash and collar on and walk him, he's drooling. Sometimes, he does tug on the leash a bit so i guess there's a bit of pressure on his trachea, but is drooling normal for a cav? Or is there something wrong?
 
I dont know much about this, but my mom has a Pekinese that does the same thing when she gets really stressed. Does he seem afraid?
 
The drooling can be a common sign of stress. If he is not used to walking on a leash outside or is seeing alot of things he is not familiar with, it might cause the drooling. The first time we took our dogs to the dog park, they drooled and had huge strings of it. And the other recommendation to try a harness is a really good one.
 
I'd agree that this is almost certainly a sign of stress. First off I'd consider using a harness anyway -- a lot of vets and neurologists feel this is a better and safer option for cavaliers both because they are small dogs and there's always the risk of neck and trachea damage (one Swedish study showed the majority of dogs do have some tracheal and vertebral problems that seem due to being walked on collars); and also becuse some neurologists feel the neck pressure could be painful and perhaps even worsen syrinxes in a cavalier that has syringomyelia (there's a very high degree of asymptomatic syringomyelia in the breed).

Next, it might be a good idea to take your dog out for little short walks and build up to longer walks so that he has a chance to get comfortable with the idea. If you have a garden, I'd walk him on his lead in the garden to get him used to the lead. Many dogs find being on a lead very stressful and they do need to be introduced to it and taught to walk on one.

If there's lots of traffic, noise etc this may also be extra stressful and thus it might be a good idea to drive him somewhere quiet, like a local park, for walks until he gets better used to them. :)
 
I also would like to add that it may be a good idea to get him into obedience classes. They are great for socializing your dog with other dogs and having your dog become more confident. I agree it's most likely something to do with stress. Good Luck!
 
Drooling

I had to reply to this as when Holly was around 8 months old she started to do the sme thing , it mostly seemed to happen when I went to a certain park where we used to meet lots of dogs, Holly wears a harness and doesnt really pull so I knew this wasnt the problem.. After more walks it became clear that it was due to stress, she still does it sometimes if a dog comes near that she is alittle unsure of, but due to more socialization she hardly does it at all now and she is 15 months. Hope it helps.
 
thank you for your advise guys. Makes a lot more sense now. I have invested in a harness for Scooby from ebay, so hopefully that rocks up soon...
 
brady drools when we go for car rides. at frist i thought it was because he smelled his food or treats that i'd bring with. but then i put the food in the turnk and he still did it. then i noticed that he doesn't like getting in the backseat so much. i think he doesn't like being clipped to the seat belt, but i can't let him go without it i'd be too afraid that something bad would happen.
 
The most common cause of drooling in an otherwise healthy dog, with a healthy mouth, is anxiety or nausea. For the dog that is drooling on his walks I'd be thinking anxiety, and for the one that drools during a car ride, it could be either anxiety, motion sickness, or both.
 
Brodie drools when he encounters good doggie smells. In his case, I really don't believe it is fear or anxiety; just plain excitement. Anytime we are somewhere other pets have been (doggie parks, street walks, even my moms back yard), drool hanging from the corners of his mouth is common...And he LOVES these places...sniffing pee-mail seems to be the culprit. He is always very happy visiting these places with positive body language, tail wagging, prancing around! If we go in a petstore or visit the kennel club, no drool! He enjoys these places as well but no pee-mail here. He doesn't drool when we go to the vet, which he is definitely fearful of...locking all fours when we enter the exam room. I have never had room for concern with Brodie's drool. He is always thoroughly enjoying himself when it happens :)
 
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