Sniffing is a highly enriching activity and is a natural way for dogs to explore their environment. Dogs experience a lot of their world through smell and can glean an abundance of information by exploring with their noses. By sniffing other spots where dogs have urinated, your dog can determine the other dog’s sex, age, health status, and whether they are spayed or neutered. Sniffing has countless benefits, and can help calm your dog, give them a sense of agency, and exercise their brain. So how much should you let your dog sniff on a walk?
That answer depends on how responsive your dog is to cues, and what kind of behavior problems you may be working through.
Many dogs immediately drop their heads to sniff as soon as they start a walk, but over time, this becomes a steady habit and can lead to your dog being more distracted from listening to you. Attention and engagement are key in dog training, and while it’s great for dogs to sniff, you should be able to ask your dog to tune in when you need their focus. Some dogs are reactive to triggers in the environment such as: other dogs, people, bikes, and strollers. If you can’t ask your dog to reengage with you after sniffing, you may not be able to call their attention off a more serious distraction that triggers their reactivity.
Having a clear communication system and release command are key to letting your dog know when it’s okay to sniff, and when you need their attention! For example, if you see one of your dog’s triggers approaching (i.e. another dog), it’s important to start asking your dog to engage with you. You could use a cue like “ready,” “focus,” or ask them to “heel.” Once the trigger is gone, you can then release them back to sniffing and allow them to just be a dog.
The release cue is crucial for your dog to understand that they’re being released to sniff on your terms, rather than on their terms, especially if you have a reactive dog!
Practice calling your dog to attention from sniffing during walks. You don’t have to keep their attention for long, and can release them back to sniffing once they check in. If you have a dog that’s easily distracted, you might start your walk with a game or use a high value treat to get their attention. Even though the world can be an exciting place with all the sights, smells, and sounds, your dog should also learn that it’s very exciting (and REWARDING) to check in with you. The more you practice engaging your dog and asking them to focus when it doesn’t matter, the more effective it will be when a trigger finally appears and you need their attention!
Dogs that are just starting their training journey or those that are easily distracted should practice focusing more and sniffing less on walks, but once checking in becomes a habit, let them sniff!
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