On Your Next Walk, Let Your Pup Follow Their Nose
A ‘sniffari’ gives your dog a chance to be the boss
Most dogs want to take in the smells on a walk and explore based on what odours are around. When they can’t, it can be very frustrating for them; they’re being robbed of the opportunity to follow their noses. It would be like humans going on a hike and being whisked along too fast to visually register the trees, flowers and view of the mountains. A ‘sniffari’ is an outing where your dog sniffs whatever they want and leads you where they want to go.
It’s good to differentiate between sniffaris and outings that have a different purpose. Sometimes, I take dogs out because they need and want to go, and I’m just along to facilitate their experience. Other times, the goal is for me to go for a run or a hike, and the dog comes along to join me in my activity of choice. The point of a sniffari is to allow your dog to explore the world by way of all its glorious smells.
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opens in a new tabOne easy way to help your dog distinguish between outings where they get to call the shots and ones where they must follow along is to use different leads and collarsopens in a new tab for each activity. Maybe use a flat collar when on sniffari, but a harness when going for a run. Once your dog gets used to the pattern, they will know what the expectations are even before leaving the house.
The bottom line? Sniffaris let dogs be dogs – and that’s good for their quality of life and mood. These adventures in smelling leave many dogs more content (and even tired) than after a walk when they’re moving but don’t have the opportunity to take it all in through their nose. Interesting and stimulating activities like this will also leave your dog in a calm state afterwards (albeit sometimes only briefly). So go ahead: let your dog sniff to their heart’s content.
