The importance of sniffy walks with your dogs
Do you remember reading the Sunday Family Circus cartoon when the Mom would ask why it took so long for Billy to get home and it would show the red tracks of all the places Billy stopped at before he came home? That’s how I think a map would look after we finish one of our sniffy walks. Well, our map does kind of look that way. Here is part of what the map looks like after a recent sniffy walk with Lili. We didn’t get very far on our walk, but she sure had a great time.
Partial sniffy walk with Lili.
Lance and Lili love going on sniffy walks, especially in the spring and here are three reasons why sniffy walks are beneficial to you and your pets.
1-Sniffy walks provide your dog mental stimulation.
It is estimated a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times greater than ours. Some estimates are even greater than that. Dogs take in much of their information of the world through their nose and it allows them to make sense of what is going on around them. Sniffing is mentally stimulating for a dog as they use their brains to take in all this information. Talking with dog parents, I often hear how they walk their dog for an hour, but it doesn’t tire their dog. Allowing your dog to take a sniffy walk can tire out a dog quicker than a dog who is not allowed to sniff on their walks. Sniffy walks let your dog have the chance to make their own decisions about where they want to walk and it can be a calming activity for your dog.
Another bonus….while snuffle mats and sniffy toys inside your house are great, they also use a lot of treats. Sniffy walks provide a mentally stimulating time for your pet without giving them extra treats.
Lili, after she has sniffed our local park. She is happy and relaxed.
2- Sniffy walks help build a connection with you and your dog.
Sniffy walks are a great way to discover what your dog is interested in. Lili loves to search for animal holes while Lance wants to sniff everything. Lance has learned to be a great sniffer from Lili. When he first came to live with us he just wanted to go and go. Now, he likes to stop and smell the flowers, the poles, the grass, well, you get the idea. Moving at their speed helps to build your connection with your pet and Lili will check in with us if there is an area she wants to go and we tell her to go ahead.
Lili checking out animal holes at One Loudoun.
Lili really loves her sniffy time!
3- Sniffy walks also benefit you! It’s a time for you to slow down and relax and get some fresh air.
Going on a sniffy walk with your dog gives you time to slow down and clear your mind. I typically do not use the phone while on our sniffy walks so I can be in the moment with the dogs.
Going on walks with my dogs clears my head and it gives me a chance to think about everything and nothing all at the same time. I’m not on anyone’s schedule, other than Lance or Lili’s, and there have been plenty of times when I’ve come up with great ideas for my business, solved a problem that my brain was trying to work out, and during this time of year, I enjoy seeing all the blossoms and flowers that are out.
A happy Lili at Potomac Green park in Ashburn, VA.
So go out and enjoy a sniffy walk with your pup. What are some of your places your dogs love to sniff at? Let me know in the comments.
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