I think what you're dealing with are Pear Slugs, which may or may not be what Beeman mentioned above. I used to see them on my pear trees and would just squish 'em when I found them. I don't see them anymore. In small numbers they didn't seem to do much damage, just mining the leaf surfaces here and there. They are a serious pear pest though in other parts of the country. Here is a link that might be useful: Pear Slugs

These like to be kept moist and like all newly or recently planted trees an area free of grass and covered with mulch several feet across should be provided around it. And dogwood in particular do not like having the bottom branches stripped off, exposing the bark to hot sun. If you think it may not be doing as well as it should those could be some involved factors. If it does well it is genetically capable of getting much bigger than it is now. How well it does and how big it gets depends on what happens to it. And it will not get big overnight either way, if it takes off later it will still probably not grow much more than one foot per year.

floraluk- 'Flowers may have a scent or not. Leaves may have a scent or not. Flowers and leaves on the same plant do not necessarily smell alike.' So, I guess I can conclude it is not the Cherry Laurel because the leaves should have a scent regardless of whether it flowers?

Meantime on land that you have control over, plant what you like, rip out what you don't Such a narrow view. There are choices that some people make on their own land that affect others. That is what invasives are all about. Similar to pollution - people that create it (on their own property) eventually share it with others. Was it right that they did what they wanted on their own land? What about if you dump pollution in a stream on your own land but it flows downstream to others? Just like streams, private properties are not isolated, they connect together. To me, and others, invasive plants affect all of us at some point. And yes, bad diseases and pests have been brought in on imported plants by people that thought they could do what they wanted. And now Elms, Chestnuts and Hemlocks are dead and dying. True, it was an accident, no one did this this on purpose; but this is one of the risks that come with "doing what you want". And it affected LOTS of people and even wildlife. I don't know if that was the source of the dogwood issues, btw. I'd like to encourage everyone to think beyond yourself and consider that your actions can have impacts on other people and the environment. When you're considering new plants, research them and find out what they're about. Make an informed decision.