So many smells! Why Dogs Need to Sniff
Dogs noses are designed for smelling
If you were asked, “What’s your dog’s favorite time of the day?” Any dog owner would easily respond, “Walk time.” Even just mentioning the word is enough to get a dog up from a deep slumber (we all know what happens when you grab their leash too).
From a dog’s perspective, what could be better than a walk? They get to explore the outside world, watch the squirrels and birds dig around the dirt, observe other dogs, take in all the smells, and generally just have a doggone good time with their best friend by their side.
But as an owner sometimes it can feel tedious (dare I say annoying) when your dog has to stop and smell every lamp post and blade of grass you pass by. Walks should be full of walking! Let’s face it: it’s important for dogs to sniff since it’s their way to read their environment. But you can still have a productive walk and not have to spend 7 minutes at every fire hydrant you pass.
Lead by their Nose
Primary Sense
A dog’s primary sense is smell, much as human’s primary sense is sight. When humans go for a walk, we use our eyes to gather information about the environment. We can see flowers or fall foliage, we watch our neighbors pass, we see the squirrels jumping between branches. Dogs use their noses to understand their environment.
For the sake of comparison, humans have about 5 million olfactory receptors in our noses. On the other hand, dogs can have up to 300 million olfactory receptors. The section in a dog’s brain for processing scent is nearly 40 times larger than a human’s scent processing (that is also larger than the section in a human’s brain to process sight). In essence, “preventing your dog from smelling, is like walking around with a blindfold on” ( The AKC ).
How Dogs Smell
To add more context, dogs can smell in parts per trillion. The best way to explain this is while you may smell chicken noodle soup, your dog smells chicken, noodles, carrots, celery, onions, thyme, and all the other ingredients you put in the pot individually. As we mentioned in our other blog “Why Dogs Roll in Smelly Things,” there are layers to their ability to smell. Which means, when they stop to sniff the mail box on their walk, they are smelling the previous dogs odor, as well as, their age, general health, and disposition. So the next time your dog stops to check their “pee-mail” on a walk, it helps to consider that they are effectively gathering the neighborhood gossip.
How to Walk and Smell
If we haven’t convinced you yet, it is REALLY important for your dog to smell. Just as important as socialization, and the walk itself. Not only is it what they are wired to do, but it just makes them happy to sniff around.
So how do you find a good balance between walking and smelling? Here’s a few options:
Take one walk a day as a dedicated “Smelly Walk”
-Let your dog stop and sniff what they want, for however long they want. Take it slow, and let them enjoy their time
Dedicate a few minutes at the beginning and the end of the walk for smelling
While on your walk, when your dog stops to sniff, give them 5 seconds to smell, then tell them to “Leave It” or “Let’s Go” and continue walking
Reward good, slack leash walking with a sniff break
-After several minutes of walking well, give them the “Break” or “Go Smell” command
Time to “Stop and Smell the Roses”
In the human world, dog needs may be peculiar (we’ll leave sniffing fire hydrants to them), but we still love them for it. Next time you’re on a walk, allow your pup to fully inspect their surroundings and you might find yourself with a happier pup. Leave a comment below on how your mindset has changed while allowing your dog time to sniff!
Written By: Gabby St.Martin
Gabby is a dog walker and writer for Dog Tired Adventures. She loves being active, the great outdoors, and loving on her Doberman, Sig.