3 min read
Imagine taking a hike with your family, but they’re moving so fast that you can’t admire the trees and the flowers or even catch a view of the mountains. You’re missing all the good stuff! That’s what it feels like for dogs when their impatient guardians usher them along during a walk before they’ve sniffed thoroughly. But there’s a lot more to sniffing than just taking in the sights. Find out why it’s good to let dogs sniff on walks during National Dog Day (August 26)—and every day.
Is It Good to Let Dogs Sniff on Walks? Yes!
Dogs take the world in through smell. To them, it’s like reading the newspaper or opening peemails. Smelling during a walk also adds some mental exercise to a physical activity for dogs because sniffing is a great source of mental stimulation and enrichment for them.
Benefits of Sniffing for Dogs
- Calms their nervous system
- Relieves stress
- Stimulates the brain
- Helps tire them out
- Releases feel-good endorphins
Stop and Smell the Hoses: PETA’s Tips for a Great Walk
Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses—whereas humans have only about 6 million. Just from sniffing, dogs can figure out the age, sex, size, health condition, and stress level of other dogs who’ve passed through an area—and maybe even what mood they were in. To compare humans’ and dogs’ sniffing abilities, if you made an analogy to sight, what we could see at around a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away.
How to Give Your Dog the Best Walk
- Check the weather before you leave the house. Make sure it’s not too hot or too cold for them.
- Pay attention to your dog and their wants. Don’t talk on the phone, text, or otherwise ignore them.
- Don’t yank on the leash, and let your dog make some of their own choices.
- Bring a water bottle and a dish for them.
Don’t be like this. Remember, it’s their walk!
Celebrate National Dog Day: Join PETA’s ‘Sniffari’ Challenge
What’s a “sniffari”? A sniffari is an outing on which your dog will be able to sniff whatever they want, when they want, while their nose leads you to where they want to go.Sniffaris let dogs be dogs—which is great for their mood and well-being. These adventures in smelling leave many dogs calmer, more content, and even more tired than an everyday walk does.
Join PETA’s Fall Sniffari Challenge and pledge that you’ll devote some time every day to letting your canine companion explore on their terms. Plus, your support of the Fall Sniffari Challenge can help improve the lives of companion animals in need—by helping us provide life-changing spay/neuter surgeries, desperately needed veterinary care, relief for dogs left chained and tethered 24/7, and more.
