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Having a dog is especially helpful when mice first begin to seek shelter with cooling temps.  And if you have a senior dog keeping mice away from your perimeter, chances are high that mice will choose a different home that doesn’t involve the possibility of death.

Will a Senior Dog Keep Mice Away?  A Senior Dog that marks his or her yard and maintains the perimeter by sniffing out vermin can help control mice. While dogs can keep rodents away, they are not likely to reverse an infestation but they deter mice from invading your home in the first place

In this article, we’ll go over how and when mice are most likely to enter the home and what you can do with your dog to make mice choose a different nesting option. Sorry neighbors!

When Mice Seek Shelter of a Home

Mice like a warm environment. Most often they will seek indoor shelter when outside temperatures drop below 60f and on a regular basis.  They will also look for a new home if  their current home is invaded or taken away from them.  This means mice are potentially on the lookout for a new home any time of year.

Mice will also seek shelter if temperatures get too hot. If their current nest becomes exposed to temperatures above 95, they will seek a cooler environment.

How Mice Select Their Home

A mouse prefers a quiet location where they can stay warm without the hassle of hiding from you and your dogs.  That’s why vacant homes and unoccupied buildings are notoriously associated with having mouse infestations.

But when vacant buildings are scarce and the weather begins to turn cold, a mouse has no choice but to hedge his bets and set up shop in human occupied dwellings. For a mouse, his selection process for which home to enter begins with his nose.

How Will A Senior Dog Help Keep Mice Away?

Urine Marking – A mouse can be deterred by the smell of feline, canine and snake urine. Your dog’s natural instinct to mark fences and shrubs is actually helping to keep mice and other vermin away from your property.

But what happens most frequently with dogs is that they are only marking in the back yard and not the front and side. When this is the case, a mouse on a mission will not smell dog urine in the front yard and therefore, could make its entry.

Sniffing and Flushing Mice Out – A mouse has great survival instincts and does NOT want to be risking her life every hour of every day.  If your senior dog is good at finding and flushing mice out of their nests then the mice will move far away from the threat. 

Alerting You – Knowing that we have mice is half the battle and our senior dogs will likely use alerting signals.  Dogs will very often sniff relentlessly under a stove or paw at a baseboard.  Take these signs to heart and realize he is trying to tell you that ‘prey’ has been located and you should investigate promptly. 

One mouse is manageable to remove, but once you’ve got a good nest you’re more likely to need a professional.

Tips  

Teaming Up with Your Senior Dog to Keep Mice Away

Let your dog urinate all around your home’s perimeter.  You can put her on a leash and walk around the areas where she doesn’t have normal access.  This is especially important as temps begin to cool as that’s when mice are trying to seek interior shelter.

Pay attention to the signs of your dog signaling or sniffing/tracking in the home.

Since you have a dog, you can’t put poison around your perimeter and that’s not safe for any other wildlife.  Consider pulsating devices plugged into your basement as that is the most common point of entry and these devices will not harm your dog.

On a bright day, cover all of the windows in your basement and turn off all the lights.  Walk around inside your basement and look for any daylight peeking through.  Fill those with caulk immediately as a mouse can fit through the tiniest crack imaginable.

So in conclusion; will a senior dog keep mice away? Yes, but mice are tricky and intelligent creatures.  The best chances of keeping mice away from your home are for you and your dog to team up.  With his nose and urine and your mitigations skills, you‘ll make a very good mouse-proof house.

And if your dog does a great job of keeping mice away, why not take 30 minutes and make these absolutely delicious: 3 Ingredient, No Bake Dog Treats! 

Help spread the word about unsafe peanut butter for dogs. Companies are putting a sweetener in peanut butter and although it’s safe for human’s they’re not considering the fact that it kills dogs. Check your brand here: Safe Peanut Butter for Dogs List.

Thanks for stopping by SeniorDogDays!