Is it bad to let my dog sniff everything on walks?

Does Your Dog Sniff Too Much. Let him.

The dog worlds is ruled by the nose and sniffing stuff is one of the long time favorite pastimes of dogs everywhere. If their nose catches something interesting they feel compelled to go check it out. You pooch isn’t doing it because he wants to disobey you, it’s just that every fiber of his being is saying go check that really cool smell out!! Now, just because your pooch wants to sniff something doesn’t mean you should allow him to sniff every single little thing he wants to. And there should probably be a time limit too – I mean some dogs dig their nostrils in there and set up camp. If I let my dog decide how much sniffing she should do, our short ten minute walk around the block would take about two hours. You dictate the pace and the amount of sniffing to be done. Sometime enough is enough already and we have to get moving. If you are interested in getting some exercise, then you should not allow your dog to stop and sniff too much. However, if you’re just out for a leisurely stroll then feel free to let your pooch sniff away. It’s really up to you.

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. As humans, we are very visual, but for dogs smells are everything. 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.

Sniffing provides lots of mental stimulation, particularly if your dog is growing old in years. Some dogs, especially as they age, prefer to plod slowly and investigate the scents around them. If your dog is also suffering cognitive decline or loss of sight or hearing, a slow walk with plenty of sniffing time is needed to keep them mentally stimulated. As most dogs age, they become increasingly motivated to sniff, irrespective of whether or not that's what they wanted to do before. You see so many dogs being yanked because the owner thinks either the walk is for the dog and it needs to move, or because they are so fed up of the sniffing - but embracing the 'sniffari' is really important. Older dogs don't need to be marching for the whole 10 minutes of a walk. If you have 10 minutes and they go 10 metres but spend nine and a half minutes sniffing a lamp post, for that dog that is probably so much better than you trying to drag it around a circular walk around the block.