Dogs see the world through their noses and sniffing is essential for their mental and emotional well-being. It helps reduce stress, promotes calmness, and tires your dog gently.
Sniffari walks are a great option for all dogs
A “sniffari” is a walk that encourages sniffing and exploration. It provides essential canine enrichment and can easily be built into your every day. Puppies, older dogs, dogs in recovery, anxious or reactive dogs and dogs of any breed can benefit.
Regular sniffaris, will satisfy your dog’s innate curiosity and help them connect with the world. Checking their “pee-mail” for local news and sniffing at their own pace will avoid frustration, reduce arousal and stress and give their feelgood a boost.
This is a lovely video that explains how your dog sees the world in technicolour through their nose:
https://youtu.be/p7fXa2Occ_UDid you know? 8 amazing facts about a dog's nose:
1. Dogs can breathe in and out at the same time - so they are able to smell 100% of the time unlike humans who only smell as they breathe in.
2. A dog could pick up the scent of a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic sized swimming pool.
3. Humans have around 5 million scent receptors in their nose, whereas dogs have up to 300m depending upon their breed.
4. Every dogs nose is unique and has and their 'nose print' is thought to be as individual as our finger prints.
5. Dogs can smell up to 100,000 times better than us.
6. Dogs use each nostril independently when they are sniffing which means they smell in 3D.
7. The % of the brain that is devoted to analysing scent is 40 times bigger in a dog than a human.
8. Inside the nose of both humans and dogs is a spongy membrane containing scent receptors and nerves. When laid out flat this is the size of a postage stamp in a human while in a dog it is the size of an A4 sheet of paper!
Now you know how important sniffing is to your dog and the positive effect it can have on their wellbeing and behaviour, it's time to embrace the joy of the sniffari and transform your dog's happiness and health!
Visit our website for more easy, everyday canine enrichment ideas.
