We’ve all been there. We’re trying to walk our dogs only to be inconvenienced by a 5-minute-long sniff on a blade of grass that seems to transport our dogs into a parallel universe. They can’t hear us calling them and if we trying to pull them away, they spread out their legs to not be moved. They seem to sniff everything, all the time and it can really slow down our walk. So, what’s the big deal?

Dogs have 220 million scent receptors in their nose dedicated to processing and dissecting scents. Some breeds have more, like Bloodhounds who have almost 300 million receptors and some have a bit less. Humans have only 6 million receptors. When dog’s breath in a smell, their nose actually separates the scent from the air, the air goes to their lungs and the scent particles go to the back of their nose to get processed by all these receptors which then take the information to their olfactory bulb sitting just behind the dog’s nasal cavity. The olfactory bulb is the part of the brain which is dedicated to processing scent information and takes up about 1/8th of a dog’s brain. The olfactory bulb is then responsible for dissecting this scent, for e.g. If a dog is smelling another dog’s marking on a tree, they would be able to tell how old the dog is, if it’s male or female, how healthy the dog and more. When two dogs sniff each other, they can even smell each other’s pheromones and notice the adrenaline changes. They can tell if a dog will fight or flight before it even happens just because of the smell change. They would also be able to smell if a human is having a burst of adrenaline and will naturally watch them carefully to see if a fight or flight response happens and if they need to protect themselves too. Note, they can’t tell what is causing the reaction, but will naturally be wary. It then takes these scents to the limbic system which processes a lot of the dog’s emotions and memory. This is why scent work and sniffing can play such a vital role in managing your dog’s emotions.

Scent work has been shown to lower a dog’s heart rate, blood pressure and release dopamine. Dopamine is what is released when a dog feels good and plays a big role in motivation, learning and memory. We trigger the release of dopamine when we use positive reinforcement training as well. When dogs are able to sniff on walks, they are a lot calmer, are able to make better choices and are happier. When dogs are forced not to sniff and to be pushed to move quickly, their cortisol levels can increase which makes them more on edge, heart rate and blood pressure increases, and it can actually increase their inflammation levels if it is prolonged.

When it comes to letting our dogs sniff, it needs to be prioritized for their well-being. I always ask my clients to rather go for a walk by themselves to meet their exercise requirements and then take their dogs for a sniffari. A sniffari is a walk that isn’t pressured by time or distance but focuses on sniffing and enrichment. A sniffari can also be as long as you need it to be, you can fit it into your schedule and can even be easier than doing a walk around the block. Take note of what they smell as well to appreciate what’s happening in their brain. If they smell a piece of crap, know that they are learning about what that dog is eating, the health, gender and age of that dog. When they smell a leaf, think about what animal was on there and what that scent is telling them. Take a moment to breath and lower your own stress levels when they do this, you may as well use the time wisely.

So please, let your dogs sniff, and let dogs be dogs.

TRY THIS GAME:

One of my favourite scent games to do with a dog is the scent wall. If you have a brick wall or even a big stack of logs for braai wood, stick some treats in the grooves of the bricks or wood and ask your dog to go and find it. You may have to help them out in the beginning but it’s an amazing game for them to play. You can also hide some treats higher up and lower down as research shows us that finding rewards at different heights boosts your dog’s confidence levels even more. It takes 2 minutes to set up and gives your dog the opportunity to work hi receptors. 

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