Importance of allowing your dog to sniff

Dog walking (will get to the sniffing part soon) in our country often is seen as tedious, often due to badly behaved dogs, no proper paths and parks to walk them and often our much accepted Sri Lankan street dogs can be troublesome.   However, we see with our work around town, there are many dog owners who seems to have overcome these issues.  More and more pet owners are out and about in Colombo city limits and the suburbs with their dogs.

On a walk with your dog, you may find that they suddenly pull you to go smell something.  This is called SNIFFING.  Sniffing is often forbidden by pet owners and trainers, but now there is research to show that is a great brain stimulator for dogs.  

Allowing Sniffing is often something pet owners are afraid of assuming that their dogs will pick up diseases, ticks and other unwanted dirt and parasites.   However, usually this will not be an issue if your pet is healthy and on a nutritious diet.  As long as your pets’ immunity is great, it is perfectly fine.

Sniffing is important for the dogs!!!  Sniffing is how dogs, gather information about their surroundings and environment.  Dogs have 300 million scent receptors on their noses, compared we humans with just 6 million.   Hence, Dogs enjoy sniffing…. So lets just allow them enjoy having such a great nose!!  As vision is to us, smell is to dogs.   Its their data gathering point and it helps them process it for a long time. 

Benefits of Sniffing

• Activates the brain – 10 -15 minute of sniffing can make them feel as tired as an hours walk
• Calming – mood boosting for dogs, releasing dopamine in their brains
• Optimistic – feel more upbeat and happy – often come back from a walk and play with toys
• Information gathering – they can smell a dog a cat or any other critter that may interest them (it truly is important to have the street dogs to live some poo and pee mails behind) 
• Natural behavior – activates their natural behavior and allows them the freedom make their own choices and — just ENJOY being a DOG

GO ON A SNIFFING WALK

• When on your regular walk, try not to work on getting from A to B at a given time. While a fast paced walk maybe needed, a sniffing walk will be equally beneficial.  Allocate 10 to 15 minutes of your exercise walk for your pet to sniff around and get some valuable  information about their surroundings.   A complete 30 minute sniffing walk at a slow pace will be excellent for them.   Trust me they will love this.
• A long leash with easy control will be helpful. However, ensure you keep a close watch as to where they put their noses.  No dark and dingy corners or burrows.
• Of course, every sniffing walk must be thoroughly supervised. It will be good to take different routes for different smells.
• Dog parks – if you have access to them, should be a good option as long it is enclosed and the ground is free of under growth.

HOME GAMES

• You can always throw some kibble around on the grass and get your dog to find it
• Snuffle mat or rug – hide kibble in a fluffy rug or bed for them to find (roll kibble up in an old towel and they can tear it open too)
• Hide kibble in various parts of the house for them to locate

Finally, please let your dog sniff as often as you can allow it, NATURAL behavior is so important for a healthy and happy dog.  !!  You will never regret it.

Written by – Ashani Gopallawa