Afraid of a Smell???

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

We  live in a suburban area that still serves as a home to many forms of wildlife. Tara has become familiar with the smell of the deer, skunks, raccoons, quail, rabbits, etc. that frequent our property. She has never shown any fear or concern with these animals.

Yesterday we were in our "lower lot" which is a bit of a wild area and she smelled something that absolutely terrified her!  She smelled it and tucked her tail and RAN like the wind!  When she got about 30 feet away she stopped and then crept back for another whiff. Then off she would go again! It reminded me of a child watching a horror movie...terrified but too mesmerized to leave! She kept repeating this cycle until I made her stop and took her inside the house. Then she just wanted to go back outside and be terrified again! WTD?

In the past, and it has been a few years now, we did have a cougar roaming the neighborhood that was snatching cats out of fenced backyards and killed a horse about 1/2 mile from my house. I certainly hope we are not going to repeat that experience...

I can't recall ever having a dog do this before. Do your doodles react this way to certain smells? What in the world could it be? Would it have to be some type of predator to cause this amount of fear? Any ideas?

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

There is one spot in our backyard that Daisy is so curious about....for the past 4 moths she drops her ball and sniffs, EVERY time. I have to say leave it, even thought there is nothing there and she picks her ball up and runs to me.
Can't imagine what it is, Laurie's DH has never been here, there are no cougars and bunnies just hang around everywhere.

This is really weird, wonder what she thinks when she smells it that would make her fearful.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

That is strange Lisa and sounds similar.  I took Tara back to the area today and she is still afraid but not running today. She sniffs and jumps back but then holds her ground. I am going to keep taking her there and acting fearless to set an example for her. Of course I will have a big stick in my hand! LOL Hope she's not developing a fear of bunnies!

[Donna K & Quincy]

My guess is something big and scary has taken a pee and the smell lingers on. Maybe she is less fearful because the scent is fading. In the meantime how do you feel about guns, maybe we need to give Jane a call.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Yeah, where's Jane when you need her?  She has successfully taken on a croc and wild pigs so I'm sure she could handle a cougar and a bear. No problemo!!!  Calamity Jane- Gun for Hire!

[Pat and Traveler]

Oh, poor TaraBear!  Do you think it might be a coyote?  Not sure if a coyote would cause that much of a scare--hope it wasn't a cougar!  Yikes!  (Love that she just wanted to go outside and be terrified again...)   I take it she didn't bark?  I think Trav would run then when he felt safe, bark in a big, guard-dog way.  :)

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Pat,  no she didn't bark yesterday but this morning when Tara visited the offending site, she did just what you said Trav would do! She crept up to it, sniffed it, ran with her tail tucked and when she got to a safe distance turned back and started backing at it!!! OMD!!  I've been hoping the recent rain would wash the scent away but so far no joy. :(