I recently learned how important sniffing is for dogs, and it's changed my entire approach to dog walking for the better! I used to see walks as a chance to get some good exercise and always attempted to walk briskly. My dogs never wanted to cooperate, though, and would constantly stop to sniff things. Then I'd get annoyed and try to hurry them along, and we'd all end up unsatisfied.
Since learning the crucial role sniffing plays in doggo mental stimulation, I've completely reframed my walks. I've let go of trying to exercise and now just enjoy listening to my podcasts and letting Henry Rollins and Jax sniff as much as their little hearts (and snouts) desire. It's a win-win-win!
The Telegraph explains that sniffing is especially vital for older dogs, citing veterinary surgeon Zoe Belshaw, who works on the BSAVA Old Age Pets Project:
"As most dogs age, they become increasingly motivated to sniff, irrespective of whether or not that's what they wanted to do before. I think it's a massively important part of their quality of life, being able to sniff . . . If you have ten minutes and they go ten metres but spend nine and a half minutes sniffing a lamp post; for that dog that is probably so much better than you trying to drag it around a circular walk around the block. Sniffing is really, really important . . . Vets should tell [owners] to get a podcast or do something that makes the time go by to make it not frustrating for them because you see so many dogs being yanked because the owner thinks either the walk is for the dog and it needs to move, or because they themselves are so fed up of the sniffing – but embracing the "sniffari" is really important."
Staci Lemke, CPDT-KA, RVT explains that sniffing can also benefit anxious dogs. The American Kennel Club reports:
Fast-paced walks through hectic surroundings can pile on added pressure for fearful dogs. In contrast, meandering sniff sessions on a long leash can lower a dog's pulse rate and release the mood-boosting chemical dopamine. "If we can find a safe place where these dogs can let their guard down and explore using their noses, it can greatly reduce the amount of stress in their lives," says Lemke.
Sniffing isn't just important for older, aging, or anxious dogs, though—it can benefit all doggos!
Dogs have hundreds of millions of scent receptors in their noses and a brain that is highly attuned to the sense of smell, which is at least 10,000 times greater than ours. Smell is the main way dogs gather information to make sense of their environment. American Kennel Club explains:
The way something smells gives dogs more information than the way something looks, feels, sounds, or tastes. Think about how dogs greet each other. Information is transmitted via noses rather than barks or paw shakes. In fact, dogs obtain more detailed information from scent than we can even imagine. Human noses and brains simply aren't wired that way.
"What the dog sees and knows comes through his nose," affirms Barnard College professor Alexandra Horowitz in her book "Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell." "The information that every dog — the tracking dog, of course, but also the dog lying next to you, snoring, on the couch — has about the world based on smell is unthinkably rich."
All of this makes sniffing crucial! American Kennel Club cites Penny Leigh, a certified dog trainer and director of the AKC GoodDog! Helpline, who describes how sniff walks can especially benefit dogs that don't have access to yards:
"Sniff walks are especially important for urban-dwelling dogs that do not have yards or opportunities to be loose in a safe, fenced environment where they can sniff and meander at their pleasure."
AKC also describes what a "sniff walk" entails:
When [Vet Tech Staci] Lemke takes her dogs on a sniff-centric walk, she lets them choose where they want to go and how long they'll linger at each smell, covering very little distance slowly. She reminds us that "humans are more about the destination, dogs more about the journey." Rather than planning to reach a particular place in a set time while on a sniff walk, pick a safe, peaceful spot and allow your dog to take the lead and explore at their own pace.
So next time you walk your dog, consider making it a "sniff walk" instead of an exercise walk! I've been doing it with Henry and Jax, and they seem delighted. And I find myself watching them and wondering what hot neighborhood gossip they're sniffing out along the way.
Previously:
• I use tiny ice cream cones to hide pills from my dog
• This sausage dog slapping its tail to the beat of 'Louisiana Saturday Night' is one of the best videos on the internet
• What ever happened to white dog poop so popular in the 1970s?
