Most dog owners recognize the importance of keeping their dogs healthy physically and mentally. Not only will this be good for the overall health of the dog, it can also help reduce the chances of problematic behaviors arising from boredom or depression.
There are a bunch of puzzle toys for your dog to try, but usually, owners ignore one of the simplest natural and rich behaviors—sniffing.
1. Don't underestimate the power of a dog's nose. It is important to remember how powerful a dog's nose is. Their sensitivity may be 100,000 times that of humans. A common saying is that a dog can sniff out a drop of blood coming out of an Olympic pool-sized area!
Their sense of smell is crucial to communication, exploration and evaluation.
2. Walk slowly and give your dog a choice. Many people often mistakenly believe that faster and longer walks are the best choice for exhausting dogs. Typically, dogs are tied to a short leash and walk along the roads and sidewalks around the owner. Maybe they will go to the community and on the road, where they will sway with a lot of other dogs for a while.
Walking may not be particularly fun, and community communication with other animals may be overstimulating or stressful if the interaction is not managed properly.
Choose a quieter walk with grass and other non-pavements, let your dog loosen the leash (or at least use a longer leash) and follow their noses, and you can provide a more rewarding experience.
Your dogs rarely have their own choices, by giving them time to decide what they want to investigate, how long they take to take a walk, or in other suitable environments, you are actively empowering them.
3. Sniffing can make your dog feel better
Some dogs may be overly excited when doing high-energy activities, but utilizing the dog's natural sniffing behavior is a calm and relaxing option. A study published in the American Journal of Applied Animal Behavioral Science in 2019 even showed that providing sufficient sniffing opportunities can make your dog feel more optimistic
4. Sniffing will make your dog feel more tired
The spiritual enrichment your dog gets during slow walking, and spends a lot of time to sniff, which is much richer than the mental enrichment they get when walking faster. This means that short sniffing can exhaust them, and that they are usually more relaxed when they are at home and are less likely to show destructive or mischievous behavior.
Sniffing is an important part of dog communication
Don't forget that sniffing is also an important part of dog communication. You may feel frustrated when your dog wants to sniff every lamppost in the block, but they are usually just looking at the scent marks of other dogs nearby. These scents allow them to tell whether the dog is male or female, which is the dog they are familiar with and whether they are nearby.
When the owner finds that the dog is meeting another strange dog, their dog will involuntarily sniff the other dog's butt, which will embarrass the owner. But for dogs, it's almost like an assessment handshake. They began to learn about the unique smell of another dog.
Smell can also be a pleasing act. If your dog is trying to get along with another dog, they may start sniffing the ground and let yourself know that they are not a threat. Let your dog do this, rather than pulling them apart, help both dogs relax.
5. Other sniffing activities provided for dogs
In addition to giving your dog more opportunities to sniff while walking, if your dog likes to use his nose, you can also consider some other rich activities.
6. Foraging
Disperse dry dog food or food in a safe, non-disturbing, grassy environment, and then let your dog come out and look for food naturally, this is a cheap and easy way to provide your dog with extra richness.
This is a great activity for less active dogs, which may be restricted in exercise, and it can also be a useful tool to help nervous dogs feel more relaxed and confident.
On rainy days, you can still do this small-scale activity indoors with a nasal pad. These are usually rubber pads that can feel the "grass" tied to it, and you can bury the dog's food or snacks inside to sniff it out.
7. Odor work category
If you want a more organized learning environment to harness your dog's sense of smell, then the nose practice course may be worth considering. This not only hone your dog’s skills, it can also be a great way to strengthen your relationship.
Your dog will learn to recognize a special scent and learn how to find it and remind the trainer of its hidden position.
So, next time you go out for a walk with your dog, don't be impatient when they want to stop and smell it; hug it and you may find that you have a happier dog.