In fact, a short 10- to 15-minute “sniff” walk can be very enjoyable for your dog. Even on longer walks you can alternate periods of controlled walking at a heel with periods where the dog can explore and sniff the environment.
Sniffing is hugely beneficial for dogs and essential for their wellbeing. It's stimulating too - experts tell us just 20 minutes of sniffing is equivalent to an hour's walk in terms of enrichment for your dog. 'As humans, we are very visual, but for dogs smells are everything,' said Tug-E-Nuff Play Expert, Chelsea.
Intense sniffing in dogs' has been shown to lower heart rate and reduce cortisol secretion (the stress hormone). Perfect for keeping your dog busy for 10 minutes whilst satisfying their natural requirement to forage for their food.
Even though a sniffing session is slower than the average dog walk, it's about quality, not quantity. Dogs sniffing is a great form of canine mental stimulation, and it increases their respiration rate, so it's a tiring activity.
It stimulates their mind. Besides getting physical exercise from walking, your dog will also burn tons of mental energy when they get to sniff. The mental stimulation that a dog gets on a slow walk with lots of sniffing is greater than that of a frenzied walk.
"Rather than pulling the dog along, allow your pet to move at a more comfortable pace. If they stop to sniff, let them sniff! Or, if they have an interest in investigating a given area, let them do so," Becker says.
As owners we need to give our dogs time to sniff. Most of us know that five minutes spent training tires our dog as much as an hour's physical exercise but we don't always recognise that five minutes spent sniffing does the same.
Well it turns out sniffing has a very important function for dogs and Fluffy isn't being disobedient at all! Sniffing is calming for dogs. Sniffing lowers your dog's pulse, even while walking. The faster and more intensely your dog sniffs, the quicker their pulse rate will lower!
A dog sniffing a lot isn't actually a bad thing. It's a GOOD thing! Dogs sniff for a wide variety of reasons, but it is primarily to gather information. Dogs have a much better and more refined sense of smell than us mere humans.
In general, dogs enjoy taking in all types of scents and odors. However, strong fragrances and chemicals can bother dogs and even irritate their noses.
By simply smelling, a dog can determine if a new friend is male or female, happy or aggressive, healthy or ill. Dogs get a general idea about each other with a quick sniff, but get more detailed information by getting up close and personal.
Sniffing is just something all dogs, puppies to adult dogs, do to get the lay of the land, mark their regular routes in the neighborhood, and sniff out familiar scents from other dogs marking those spots. Scent sniffing also helps them understand if something, or some new dog, is in their area.
According to reports from The Telegraph, this gentler pace of walk should be embraced by owners, even if feels frustrating. Sniffing provides lots of mental stimulation, particularly if your dog is growing old in years. Some dogs, especially as they age, prefer to plod slowly and investigate the scents around them.
“When dogs use their sense of smell, it is tiring for them,” Mallory explains. “They are using a large portion of their brain to do the work. After some scenting activity, most dogs are able to relax more, and many take nice, long naps.”
Dogs crave enrichment on their walks, and sniffing provides them with crucial mental stimulation. This activity, which is so natural for dogs, is also very important in tiring them out.
It's a misconception that dogs can only enjoy off lead exercise – plenty of dogs need to be kept on lead for health or behaviour reasons and they still get the exercise and mental stimulation they crave.
Their exceptional ability to recognize specific scents — vastly better than humans' — helps them find bombs, guns, drugs and human remains, and point to some diseases. Now a study has found that dogs can do something just as remarkable: sniff out stress in people.
Disease can be spread in a number of ways, including: Direct contact between dogs – this can include the simple act of touching noses or sniffing each other. Contact with the feces (stool) or urine of infected dogs. Sticks, toys, equipment and objects with which other dogs have interacted.
Licking is a natural and instinctive behaviour to dogs. For them it's a way of grooming, bonding, and expressing themselves. Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
If your runny nose doesn't clear up in a week or two, doesn't improve with over-the-counter medication, or clears up but keeps coming back, you may be suffering from an infection or blockage in your nasal cavity. Other possible causes of a runny nose include: Acute or chronic sinusitis.
Nasal obstruction.
But wayward snacks and toys aren't the only things that can block nasal passages. Other sniffle-inducers include growths and anatomical issues, such as: Nasal polyps and cysts. Deviated septum, when the wall separating your nasal passages veers to one side.
Sniffing Can Make Your Dog Feel More Tired
This means a shorter sniffy walk can tire them out and they will generally be more relaxed and less likely to exhibit destructive or mischievous behavior when at home.