Since I have Fritz I have learned that letting your dog sniffing is extremely satisfying and healthy for your dog. A few years ago, when I was only used to walk the dogs of my parents and family, I wasn’t aware that dogs should use their noses in order to explore and get a sense of what’s happening in their social world. And I can't deny that I was in a rush now and then and refused my dog to sniff. Sometimes, I still have conversations with people that doesn’t agree that dogs should sniffle during their walk. After reading many books and based on my own experience. I am a big advocate of letting dogs sniff, I am happy to share with you why;
It’s their natural instinct.
Dogs noses are between 1,000 and 100,000 times better than human noses. No wonder we use dogs for determine diseases like covid, cancer and other very specific smells we humas can’t. Dogs use their sense of smell in many ways we as humans don’t. Like walking, eating and showing how they feel to others dogs.
It makes them tired
Using their nose is like dogs doing maths. It uses a lot of energy to determine or find the right connection with how they feel about smelling a certain tree or leaf. Interactive brain games really help dogs to activate their nose-brain intelligence. A 5-10 sniffle time equals to 30 min play.
Sniffing makes a dog happy
When dogs sniff and explore, according to many studies, using their nose is extremely satisfying and thus makes your dog happy. You can see it as doing their thing where they are good at it.
They check their social media
Let your dog sniff is the same as reading the newspaper or checking their social media. When they smell that specific tree or corner of the street, they are able to understand how other dogs felt that day or even if the neighbor dog is expecting puppies. So dogs do not necessarily claim their territory when leaving their scent behind, they are responding to their friends social posts ;-)
Our upcycled denim toys are made for dogs that want to play with their nose. You can play tug or hide some treats in the knots and let them use their nose. Get your dog a upcycled toy here.