Taking your dog outside for daily exercise is always good when it comes to their health and happiness. Not only is it better for the dog's general well-being, but it can also help reduce the likelihood of problem behaviors resulting from boredom or frustration. But often owners overlook one of the simplest things – sniffing.
Giving your dog more options to use their powerful sense of smell will undoubtedly make them enjoy their walk more. They will also be more stimulated, given more choice and freedom, and ultimately be more tired and relaxed.
While humans are mostly visual creatures, dogs are all about scents. They have millions more olfactory sensors than humans. They can be up to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours. They learn about the world by turning their nose up at anything that seems interesting. Every tree, pole and pant leg may be covered in informative scents. They know that another dog recently passed through the area and roughly how long ago they were there. Not only that, they also know the sex of the dog, what they like to eat and what kind of mood they were in.
Owners often make the mistake of assuming that a faster, longer walk is the best option for making a dog tired. Usually the dog is on a short lead when walking with its owner. Maybe then they go to the dog walking area where they hang out for a while with lots of other dogs. The walk may not be particularly interesting and dog parks can be overly stimulating or stressful if interactions are not carefully managed.
By choosing a quieter walking route, with grass and other off-road surfaces, and leaving your dog on a leash (or at least on a longer leash) and following their nose, you can provide a much more beneficial experience. Your dog gets few choices of his own, and by giving him time to decide what he wants to investigate and for how long, you give him positive options.
Some dogs can become overstimulated when doing high-energy activities, but taking advantage of your dog's natural sniffing behavior is a calm and generally relaxed option.
The mental enrichment your dog gets from a slow walk with plenty of time to sniff is much greater than if he has to walk at a brisk pace. This means that a shorter sniffing walk can wear them out and they will generally be more relaxed and less likely to exhibit destructive or annoying behavior when they are at home.
Remember that sniffing is also an essential part of how your dog communicates. You can get frustrated when your dog wants to smell every lamppost you come across, but most of the time they're just looking for the scent trails of another dog nearby. With these scents they know whether the dog is a man or a woman, whether it is a dog they are familiar with and whether they are in the vicinity or not.
Owners may be embarrassed if their dog automatically sniffs another dog's butt when they meet. For a dog, however, this is almost an evaluative handshake. They get to know the other dog's scent.
Sometimes sniffing can also be a calming behavior. If your dog is trying to dismantle a situation with another dog, they may begin sniffing the ground to let them know they are not a threat. Allowing your dog to do this instead of pulling them away can help relax both dogs.
In addition to giving your dog more opportunities to sniff during walks, there are other enriching activities to consider if your dog enjoys working on his nose.
Spreading dry kibble or treats in a safe, non-distracting, grassy area and then letting your dog come out and forage for food naturally can be an inexpensive and convenient way to provide your dog with additional enrichment.
This is an excellent activity for less mobile dogs that may have limited movement, and can also be a useful tool to help nervous dogs feel more relaxed and confident.
On a rainy day, you can still do this type of activity on a smaller scale with the help of games, where you can keep your dog's kibble or treats so they can find it.
So the next time you take your dog for a walk, don't get impatient when he wants to stop and sniff; embrace it and you may find yourself with a happier dog as a result.
