Are sniffing games tiring for dogs?
Jerod Kiehn
2025-06-27 09:38:57
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All dogs are individual with their own needs and preferences, but sniffing activates and exercises the brain and can make them feel just as tired as after a fast-paced walk. If you’ve ever had to study for an exam, it’s similar to that kind of tiredness. Even though you’ve probably been sitting in a chair for most of the time, you still feel tired after studying as your brain has been taking in so much information. Think of sniffing for dogs like social media for us humans, it’s how they get their news. Sniffing can also be very calming for dogs. A meandering, sniff session on a long-leash can release the mood-boosting chemical in their brain called dopamine.
Mariam Stark
2025-06-21 13:35:29
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Sniffing is hugely beneficial for dogs and essential for their wellbeing. It’s stimulating too - experts tell us just 20 minutes of sniffing is equivalent to an hour’s walk in terms of enrichment for your dog. Sniffing is your dog’s way of making sense of the world around them - and it provides lots of mental stimulation, which can help keep their brain healthy as well as their body. Giving them time to sniff is almost as important as the physical exercise they get from a walk. It’s tempting to hurry our dogs along when time is short, but this should be avoided to allow them to fully benefit from sniffing. Scentwork for dogs is really easy to do - for dogs of all ages and abilities. All you have to do is follow quietly behind, or at their side, and pay attention to the things your dog likes to sniff the most. When you see how much joy it brings them, you’ll be much more inclined to let them have time to sniff more frequently.
Alexandra Wilkinson
2025-06-13 07:38:04
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When your dog is using their nose to search for a scent their respiration rate can be anything from 140 - 200 bpm. So even though they aren’t running around, they’re still getting a real physical workout. This makes scent detection games a great option for dogs who aren’t able to do a lot of running around. A 10 minute sniffing session can be just as tiring as a 1 hour walk. It’s all down to tiring your dogs out with a calmer energy, which scent work is perfect for. Scent work is an activity that your dog will love, it lets them use their super special nose and it’ll be satisfyingly tiring. So when you put your dog’s brain to use in a scent work task, it really is a mental workout.
Nash Rosenbaum
2025-06-13 05:59:38
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My puppy is suddenly so tired after sniffing so much with a mental stimulation game I bought him. Is this normal. No zoomies tonight…