collie pup

Question
my collie pup is a 4 month old male. When he gets excited or scared, i notice an odd odor coming from him, and he "leaked" a little urine. Could this odd odor be his male scent gland working? I've had lots of dogs in my life but no males so I don't know. If it is his male scent, do you think it will go away once he is neutered? thanks

Answer
Hi Erin,

Besides the small amount of urine that escapes when your puppy is frightened or excited, he might also be releasing a small amount of discharge from his anal glands. If a dog is scared or overly excited, these glands can secrete a smelly substance. Anal glands or sacs as they're also called, are two small scent-sacs in the area of the anus. These are a type of "marking" glands. When a dog has a bowel movement, these sacs are normally squeeze, and a very smelly, oily secretion is released with the feces. The smell released from a dog's anal glands has a pungent odor, that might be described as the stink of fish left too long in the sun.

Your veterinarian can show you how to check and even empty the anal sacs at home to prevent problems with odor, or you can also see how to do it here:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/anal_sacs.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_2275318_express-dogs-anal-gland.html

It's common for puppies to have some "excitement urination", they usually grow out of it. Building your puppy's confidence by teaching him some basic obedience commands is a good way of helping the spontaneous release of urine or anal gland fluids when he's excited or over stimulated. At 4 months old, your puppy is the perfect age to start a "puppy kindergarten" class at a dog obedience school. You can read more about building your puppy's confidence here:

http://www.sithappens.us/index_files/Page3283.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/1239/3-6months.html

Best of luck,

Patti