Some dogs react with curiosity while others are more aggressive. It often depends on any experience they may have had in the past with rats. Some dogs may simply sit and stare at the area where they sense the rats are. Some will also head tilt while staring.
Having pets makes no difference. Rats are not deterred by cats or dogs.”
History of Dogs as Rat Catchers
In years gone by, dogs have been used in various industries to keep rats and mice away and this is because they can easily detect these rodents through their sense of hearing and smell.
Even when you are unaware of intruders in your home, your dog may be able to hear and smell rats and mice inside your walls. A dog's hearing is so sensitive that they are able to hear the small scratching sounds and squeaks as rats and mice move around.
You may notice your dog wagging its tail and scratching at the wall. Your dog may also be sniffing the wall and then follow the scent along it. Other signs that the dog is detecting a rodent in the walls include sudden excitement with no obvious stimuli, barking, whimpering, growling or staring at the wall.
Whilst catching a mouse or a rat may be a natural activity for cats and in some cases, dogs, eating rodents can have undesirable consequences on our pets. Dangers include infection from intestinal worms and/or toxoplasmosis as well as the possibility of suffering from secondary rat bait poisoning.
However, rats are also known to be adaptable, and in some cases, they may learn to avoid dogs or live alongside them without fear. Having a dog in a household can sometimes help to deter rats, as the presence of a dog and its scent may make rats feel unsafe and avoid the area.
Scents of Predators – Rats are prey animals, so the smell of potential predators such as dogs, cats, foxes, or racoons, can be very effective in helping to deter rats.
Dog poop attracts rodents.
“Dog waste is often a leading food source for rats in urban areas,” D'Aniello says. Although it is good that the waste is being eaten, it's definitely not ideal that dog poop that isn't picked up will likely attract both rats and mice, D'Aniello says.
In order to understand how serious the rodent threat to dogs and cats is, you need to know something about rats in particular. Rats are rodents and it is their nature to run when they see larger animals heading in their direction. However, rats are not nearly as timid and afraid of bigger animals as their mice cousins.
Although dog poop contains a lot of toxins and infectious bacteria that can make humans very ill, it also contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals that can be ingested safely by certain animals, including rats. So if they smell it in your yard, that's where they are headed.
Rats will only come out when they feel that it is truly safe, which is why you rarely see them during the day. Thus, seeing one or more rats during the day is often a likely sign of an infestation in your home or commercial property.
This shouldn't be much of a problem for larger dogs but a small dog can sustain considerable injuries from a rat attack.
Rat Bites for Humans and Dogs
Humans should avoid contact with rats because they can carry rat bite fever, a potentially deadly disease. Dogs seem to be less frequently affected by rat bite fever, but if your dog is bitten by a rat, make sure to clean the bite thoroughly with soap and water.
Vinegar. The pungent smell of vinegar is also a natural way to repel mice and rats. These pests cannot stand the sharp scent of vinegar, which means it can be used as an effective rodent repellent. You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for this purpose.
There are three kinds of odors that rats dislike: chemical smells, predator smells, and natural smells. These deterrents should be accompanied by more effective preventive measures, such as keeping the house clean, sealing gaps in the walls, storing food in sealed containers, and trapping rats where they are seen.
Rats cannot tolerate smells such as ammonia, mothballs, peppermint oil, crushed cayenne pepper, and pepper spray due to their intensified sense of smell. Clean and uncluttered homes and yards scare rats due to the lack of food and places to hide, as well.
Any new or unexpected noise will frighten them and send them scurrying. However, once rodents get used to a sound, they will no longer fear it. This means that ultrasonic repellents can be effective at first, but if an area has plenty of food and provides shelter, the rats will have a great incentive to return.
Pets like cats and dogs have a much stronger hearing than ours which makes them able to detect sounds with very low frequency – the rats make most of the time. Once a pet detects the activity of the rodents, it becomes very active and starts looking for the vermins' hidings.
Both rats and mice are good climbers and can climb vertical walls and "shimmy" up between walls and drain pipes. Rats are also excellent swimmers and have been known to enter premises through the water traps of the toilet bowl when infestations occur in the main sewerage system.
Regardless, we should take the dog to the veterinarian if they have killed a rat. This will rule out any problems and provide early treatment in the unlikely case there is a problem.
Healthy rats typically avoid people and prefer to be active when buildings are quiet. However, when cornered, they will lunge and bite to defend themselves. The saliva of some species of rats carries hazardous diseases, such as leptospirosis and Hantavirus. In rare cases, rat bite victims may contract rat-bite fever.
As previously mentioned, pacing and obsessive sniffing can be a sign that your dog is experiencing mental health problems, including anxiety, nervousness, boredom, or under-stimulation. If the behaviour is becoming repetitive or obsessive, you should discuss your dog intensive sniffing with your vet.
This reaction is typically one of barking, jumping up, pawing at the door, or trying to get your attention. If this is something your dog does, you can expect the same reaction when they are smelling a mouse. They might run around in circles or even run behind you for protection.