Imagine going on a long-anticipated walk, through beautiful scenery after you have been cooped up in the same place all day, but you have been fitted with a blind fold and are being dragged along at a quick pace. This is how dogs may feel when we don’t allow them time to stop and sniff the environment.
Dogs “see” the world through their olfactory (smell) senses. It's how they collect and process information and make sense of the world. The part of your dog’s brain that analyzes smells is 40 times bigger than ours. Sniffing is about information gathering for our dogs, but it’s also stress-reducing. Providing your dog with opportunities to sniff and explore more can give your dog a more enriching life
Taking away an opportunity for sniffing on a walk is not in their best interests and as much as physical exercise is important, the mental stimulation that sniffing provides is equally, if not more important
Studies have shown that allowing dogs to spend time sniffing provides many benefits such as:
● promoting calmness
● lowering stress and anxiety levels
● preventing cognitive decline
● providing mental stimulation and enrichment
Make time for a slow “sniffing walk”, where your dog is allowed to decide which direction to go and allowed to simply be “nosey” and follow wherever their nose leads them. It may take far more time and patience as we wait for them to finish smelling that blade of grass, but the benefits are well worth it.
The sniff walk also encourages your dog to make some choices for herself (himself) which is part of mental exercise—keep in mind what we deem as a good smell versus a bad smell, is not the same for dogs. Allowing your dog to take a few extra minutes to check out what they are smelling on your sniff walk is a wonderful gift for your dog! (PHOTO 3)
The sniff walk does not need to be long in distance if your dog is captivated by smells right near your house, as the idea is to encourage your dog to sniff away at what draws their interest.
So on your next walk with your dog, plan on taking it slow and encouraging your dog to sniff (without judgment) and explore these smells to his or her heart’s content. If you only make it to the end of your block but it took thirty minutes because of all of the stopping and smelling, keep in mind that your dog is exercising important parts of the body—the brain and nose.
In addition, quietly watching your dog as their nose takes the lead can be eye-opening and enriching for you as you notice the little things your dog pays attention to that you previously would have walked past. Enjoy this opportunity for quiet bonding time with your dog!
Alison Martin is the Founder of Animal Soul Connection. Email: alison@animalsoulconnection.com or visit www.animalsoulconnection.com
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