Let them sniff! The many benefits of letting your dog use their nose
In this blog I talk about a passion of mine: nose work! It is so amazing to consider all the information that dogs get from using their nose. Instead of pulling your dog from a smell, embrace it!
A dog checking the doggy social media and pee-mail from scents left in the grass
Why is sniffing important to your dog?
Our dogs perceive the world through their nose and gather so much information through sniffing. It is almost beyond our visual-oriented perception! I always tell people that the 4 things your dog should do every day is sniff, chew, lick, and run.
Sniffing is something that our dogs will do anyway, so let’s embrace it!
Sniffing turns on the ‘seeking system’ in the brain, which is innately pleasurable and helps dogs reduce stress and feel better. Sniffing can help calm over-exuberant dogs (like mine) and increase confidence in worried dogs.
Why is sniffing important to you?
A calmer and happier dog is easier to live with! Calmer dogs are less reactive, and helping our dogs find calm is an essential life skill.
Sniffing is easy exercise! If you don’t want to do a training walk find zen on a sniffari or set up sniffing games in your home.
What our dogs sniff shows us what is important to them! I always love it when the snow helps me see what my dog can smell.
Click on this image to download a handout with ideas for fun sniffing activities!
Nose work can be a really fun sport to do with your dog. Working as a team with your dog to detect a hide builds your relationship and makes you an expert on reading your dog’s body language. The picture below is my dog Buffy at a trial working hard to ignore distractors in the boxes and instead tell me where the odor is.
Do you want to teach your dog to find things?
Every Tuesday night I teach odor detection classes at the Canine Learning Center in north Fort Collins. Come join me!
We have different levels to accommodate dogs who have never done to a search before to seasoned pros. The entry-level class is a great introduction to using odor detection to use your dog’s brain, ending with them finding your car keys! Then you can learn how to teach your dog to find essential oils used in competition, and refine these skills in the other classes.
Too busy to train your dog? Let me help!
I understand the frustration of needing to help your dog through behavior issues but never managing to find the time to train. This is why my Dog Tutoring service can be so helpful!
With Dog or Puppy Tutoring I come to your home and train your dog during the week while you are busy doing other things. So you come home to a happy, calmer, and better trained dog. At the weekend I show you what we have done and how you can maintain it.
This is perfect whether you are struggling with issues like pulling on the leash or excitement over visitors, and is terrific for puppies.
Dog Tutoring spots are limited, so book soon!