Why It’s Important to Let Your Dog Sniff on Walks

While it might be a bit frustrating having your dog stop and sniff every five seconds, sniffing time on walks is actually very important! 

Our Dogs Can’t Help But Sniff!

Dogs are little smelling machines! Dogs actually have 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, which means they can analyze smells 40 times better than humans. Our furry friends naturally have neophilia, which is a natural attraction to new smells. That means your dog physically can’t ignore fresh new odors on their walks! 

Sniffing Can Affect Doggy Behavior!

Sniffing is an important part of canine communication. Dogs can often pick up on other dogs, events, and interactions through sniffing. Think of smell communication as doggy Facebook! We love to catch up with our friends and other important world events and letting our dog sniff allows them to do the same. Not allowing your dog to sniff on walks can negatively affect your dog’s mental health. Dogs can often get depressed when not allowed time to sniff, as they are cut off from the rest of the canine world. 

Scheduling is Key!

The best way to make sure your dog is getting the best sniffing experience is by arranging walks appropriately. To make sure your dog is getting enough sniffing time, use the 70-30 rule! This rule, created by dog behavioralist Colleen Demling-Riler, states that 70% of your walk should be spent actually walking, and the other 30% of your walk should be dedicated to sniffing and exploring. 

Explore!

Where you walk with your dogs can also affect their smelling experience. While any green grassy area is great for sniffing, you can switch it up by going on dog-friendly adventures with your pup! For great hiking spots around Nevada, check out our previous blog post: Dog-Friendly Hiking Around Nevada. Explore our other “Dog-Friendly” blog postings for more dog-friendly spots around Las Vegas that are great for your dog and your dog’s nose!