Why am I always banging on about SNIFFING?
Most dogs love to sniff - whether that’s in the house, garden or out on walks. It’s really difficult for us to comprehend how important it is for dogs to use their noses - the world of scent isn’t something that most humans think about very much!
Sniffing provides dogs with important sensory and mental stimulation. For puppies and new rescue dogs, it’s brilliant for encouraging them to work that brain!
Dogs ‘see’ the world through their noses. Sniffing can help them to process and understand the world around them, and if your dog is nervous or reactive, it can have huge benefits for them to experience the world around them in a calm, passive way.
Sniffing is also a stress reliever - it helps to reduce the heart rate and releases all those nice calming hormones I’m always telling you all about. Imagine taking a big deep breath when you’re feeling stressed - sniffing can have a similar effect.
There are TONS of games and activities we can use to encourage our dogs to sniff and explore the world around them, with their noses! I use sniffing all the time in behaviour work and the results can really be astounding.
And it’s so EASY!
Give me a shout today if you’d like to find out more about how we can use nose work to help your dog 🐾
