Can you picture your dog, during his daily walks, sniffing every inch of the pavement (tracking) or his nose in the air (air scenting), catching a scent coming from God knows where, that we are not equipped to smell?

What does my dog smell?

So many things, my dear, so many things…

With more than 100 million olfactory receptors (Yes, more than 100 million!!), your dog’s nose is insanely powerful and puts us to shame, with our ridiculous 6 million.

Needless to say that he can smell a dead rat miles away and days old scents.

Food, people, other animals, very interesting smells for our furry friends but one of the most interesting things for them to sniff and analyze are hormones.

So many things can be told through hormones!

The gender of the other dog, of course, but also if he’s scared (fear can be detected through pee, poop and sweat!!), healthy, neutered or not…So don’t blame your dog for sniffing his friend’s rear end or even your Uncle Dave’s.

It might be inappropriate in the human world but for a dog, it’s basic behaviour and absolutely not rude.

Unless it lasts too long and/or if the other dog isn’t ok with that.

Then you’re absolutely right to call him away and go on with your walk.

And to help Uncle Dave think about something other than your dog shoving his nose between his legs, you can tell him about the Jacobson organ that dogs have! An organ acting like a second nose and meant especially to detect and analyze pheromones.

See, Uncle Dave? My dog is not a perv, he’s a superhero!

The 5 stars sense of smell:

Scientists say that the part of their brain devoted to analyzing our smelly world is 40 times more developed than ours.

Some breeds are well known for having a very developed sense of smell and can be used to detect explosives, truffles, drugs, human remains… (Never ending list). They’re naturally good at it and this ability makes them very good for the job they were bred to do.

In the last decade, we’ve developed new skills like detecting cancer, warning people with epilepsy of an incoming episode, detecting gluten… It’s amazing!

Obviously, not all dogs are born equals and gifted with this 5 stars nose.

Some breeds with a short snout, like French bulldogs, Boston terriers aren’t bred to become Police dogs but it doesn’t mean that they can’t use their nose and enjoy some nose games or man trailing!

Let them sniff!

Now that you know how powerful your dog’s nose is, I hope you understand why it’s so important to let him sniff and how it’s part of his biological needs.(Learn more about your dog’s needs HERE)

When your dog is sniffing your neighbor’s fence or a post, it’s a bit like you when you’re scrolling on your favorite social media or reading your email. Welcome to PEEBOOK, my friends.

Do you like to be disturbed when you’re scrolling through Facebook? Think about it the next time you feel the urge to pull on the leash or ask Doggo to “Leave it”.

Instead, try walking him with a long line if the environment allows it, and let him follow his nose.

Keep in mind that nose focused activities are about 8 times more tiring than physical activity. So it might be worth it to let your dog sniff however many fences and posts he wants, instead of walking 4 miles, right?

An easy way to stimulate their brain and nose, is to take them to new places and to let them discover new smells and use that beautiful tool they have!

A calming sense:

Sniffing is tapping into your dog’s brain, as we saw above. This innate behaviour also lowers the heart rate and has a calming effect on your dog.

That’s even something you can use if you see that your dog is a bit anxious and needs to relax.

Toss a few treats in a snuffle mat or on the grass, and let him find it. It’s called foraging and it’s extremely good for dogs, anxious or not!

Sniffing is also used as a calming signal, between dogs and other animals. You can probably remember your dog “pretending” to be sniffing the ground when another dog was approaching him. That calming behaviour is interpreted as “I mean no threat, I came in peace”.

Learn more about calming signals HERE.

Dogs can also use it when they want to disengage after playing, to let the other dog know that they need a break.

Happy nose, happy dog!

Such an interesting and powerful sense, right?!

Studies have shown that the more dogs are allowed to use their nose through different activities, the happier they are! And we all want our dear furry friends to be happy, right?

Using their brain and nose helps them feel more confident and calm.

Activities like foraging, scent detection and nose work are excellent for your dog’s mental health and happiness.

If you’re interested in starting a fun activity with your dog, join us for the online and live nose game class! Contact us for details!

The Who let the nose out? article first appeared on Only Pawsitive Solutions.