How many minutes of sniffing is good for dogs?
Darrion Dickinson
2025-06-30 12:46:41
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For a dog, smell is their strongest sense, having a staggering 300million scent receptors. Sniffing however, is the dog’s way of making sense of the world around them, and having their nose in that brown patch of grass is the equivalent of us reading an interesting email. They can tell who has walked by, when, and even how the other dog was feeling at that time.
It’s said that 15 to 20 minutes of sniffing is the equivalent of around an hour’s walk. For the dog, sniffing is a brain workout; mentally challenging, burns off excess energy and increases their respiration rate. It gives your dog choice over where and what to sniff, reducing anxiety whilst increasing their overall sense of wellbeing.
Pat Lehner
2025-06-20 00:17:02
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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 hugely beneficial for dogs and essential for their wellbeing. It’s tempting to hurry our dogs along when time is short, but giving them time to sniff is almost as important as the physical exercise they get from a walk. 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. Pay attention to the things your dog likes to sniff the most. We bet when you see how much joy it brings them, you’ll be much more inclined to let them have time to sniff more frequently.
Pete Brakus
2025-06-11 05:29:16
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Sniff walks prioritize your dog’s sense of smell over physical exercise. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell, and allowing them to explore their environment through sniffing provides significant mental stimulation. These walks can be shorter, around 20 to 40 minutes, and are best done with a long or retractable leash to give your dog more freedom. The primary goal here is mental enrichment, sensory engagement, and relaxation. You might schedule exercise walks in the morning and sniff walks in the evening. Adjust the balance based on your dog’s age, breed, and energy levels. Puppies and high-energy breeds may need more exercise walks, while senior dogs might benefit more from relaxed sniff walks. Pay attention to how your dog responds to different walks. If they seem overly tired or bored, adjust the length and type of walk accordingly.
Conor Stoltenberg
2025-06-11 04:34:24
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Giving your dog 15 minutes of sniffing burns the same amount of calories as a 1-hour walk. Instead of your dog taking 5 seconds to eat their meal, they can now go searching for their kibble for 30 minutes or more. By replacing their ordinary food dish with a snuffle mat, you can now make meal time so much more fun. Think about the time of day when you would like to just sit down and watch your favourite tv show and your dog keeps bringing you their favorite toy. Well now you can replace this with a snuffle mat and you're dog will enjoy your tv time as much as you do. These mats encourage dogs natural sniffing and foraging behaviours. The mental stimulation mimics dogs natural environments for searching and working for food. This helps burn energy and decrease boredom, which helps decrease behavioural problems.
Brianne Becker
2025-06-11 04:25:15
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It’s said that 15 to 20 minutes of sniffing is the equivalent of around an hour’s walk. Allowing your dog to engage their sense of smell is like giving them a mental workout. As they sniff, they’re gathering and decoding information around them, which takes concentration and effort. This mental exercise can be as tiring as physical activity, meaning that a good sniffing session can help your pup burn off energy and feel satisfied by the time you get home. Emma Wailgum notes, “Allowing your dog to use their nose on walks uses a lot of energy and helps them feel satisfied and tired, which can help prevent unwanted behaviors at home.”
Alysha Schowalter
2025-06-11 01:40:11
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When you compare a dog’s 300 million scent receptors to a human’s 6 million, we start to see why dogs enjoy sniffing so much. Sniffing activates and exercises the brain and can make them feel just as tired as after a fast-paced walk. A 20-minute walk at your dog’s pace can actually be just as beneficial and even more enjoyable for your dog. Allowing your dog to sniff is just one enriching activity you can do with them. So, slow down your walk and allow your dog plenty of opportunity and time to sniff. A meandering, sniff session on a long-leash can release the mood-boosting chemical in their brain called dopamine.