Why Dogs Sniff So Much? 👃

and why it's a workout for them!

Short answer: dogs see and interact with the world through their nose. Their sense of smell is the strongest among ALL their other senses such as sight, touch, taste and hearing.

Fun fact: your dog recognizes you through your unique scent before they hear or see you.

Another fun fact: If you have a schedule, they know what time you will come back home based on how much of your smell is left in the house/room. How adorable is that?

Now let’s talk about how knowing this can change their lives (and yours) for the better:

You surely know that a dog’s nose is stronger than ours. Researches show that it’s between 10,000 to 100,000 TIMES stronger than humans’ sense of smell. That’s crazy… but if you think about it, you can really understand why sniffing and smelling is so important to them.

So, how can you use this piece of information to your dog’s advantage? LET THEM SNIFF!

Understanding this ONE fact can help you make sense of a lot of your dog’s behavior:

Why they sniff each others’ butts when they meet
Why they immediately sniff your guests
Why they like to sniff other dogs’ poo on walks
I’m sure you can think of 100 more examples!

What not a lot of people know is that sniffing is considered a workout for your dog!

You see, when dogs use their noses to explore new smells, they work their brains. This is similar to when we (humans) solve a word puzzle, sudoku or any game that make our work our brains.
They collect information about their environment through their nose and store them in their tiny brains.

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How can you implement this in your dog’s life?

During your daily walks, give them time to sniff and explore the smells. Don’t rush or drag them. But be careful! Don’t let them near suspicious material such as white powder (rat poison) or in an area where a sick dog lives. Some viruses can travel through poo (like the deadly parvovirus).

When you have new visitors at home, allow your dog to sniff them and get familiar with their new smells. Or if you get a new dog/move to a new house, allow them to explore their new environment the way they know best (smell).

Get them toys that use their sense of smell: a sniffing matt or a puzzle are my favorites! You hide yummy treats inside and your dog has to use their nose to find it and figure it out. You can also make some at home at ZERO cost! (link to tutorials at the end)

Take them to new places packed with smells!

When they meet new dogs, let them do their thing. Don’t yell at them or yank them if you see them sniffing the other dog’s booty… this might be weird to you but it’s like a doggy handshake.

YOU know your dog better than anyone else. Figure out what they like the most and do more of that!

DIY dog toys:

BONUS FACTS: list of adorable doggos with the strongest noses 👃

1. Bloodhound

   

2. Basset Hound

   

3. German Shepherd

   

4. Beagle

   

5. Pointer

   

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