Do you find it annoying when your dog wants to stop and sniff at everything you pass? What can really be that interesting about a fence, a gate, a bench, a lamp post or a patch of grass, we wonder?
But if we understand about a dog’s sense of smell then it might begin to make more sense! For a dog, smell is their strongest sense, having a staggering 300million scent receptors (more in some breeds), compared to humans, who have a mere 6million. In addition, the part of the brain which deciphers these smells is 40 times larger than ours.
It might be difficult to comprehend just what this means in practice, but imagine you placed a small item of clothing on a seat in a full football stadium with the dog sitting down in the centre of the pitch. The dog would be able to identify exactly where that item of clothing was, just through scent alone.
So let’s rewind, back to our dog walk.. we may think getting quickly to the field or park to throw the ball is much more entertaining for our dog. 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 – we call it peemail! They can tell who has walked by, when, and even how the other dog was feeling at that time.
You might not get very far in your walk, but that’s the point- think about the journey rather than the destination. For the dog, sniffing is a brain workout; mentally challenging, burns off excess energy and increases their respiration rate. It’s said that 15 to 20 minutes of sniffing is the equivalent of around an hour’s walk. In addition, it gives your dog choice over where and what to sniff, reducing anxiety whilst increasing their overall sense of wellbeing.
Here at My Happy Hounds, the Paddocks are designed with choice in mind. Harvey’s Paddock is the place to go for all things scent! There is a sensory garden full of dog friendly herbs and plants, with textured surfaces to explore.
Harvey’s Paddock Sensory Garden
The field shelter has scent walls on each side to stimulate their noses into action. If you’re undertaking scentwork training, you’ll find lots of areas to practise, with magnetic strips to place your scent tins, and holes to hide your vials. The caravan also makes a great vehicle search. Don’t forget that the fence all the way around the Paddock is magnetic too.
Scentwork areas in Harvey’s Paddock
If you’re not currently undertaking scentwork but like the idea of enhancing the bond between you and your dog, taking part in relationship building activities and enjoying lots of fun time together, then why not check out the amazing scentwork classes run by Natalie at Tees Valley Dog Training, held at My Happy Hounds.
Twiggy and Nellie undertaking Scent Detection training with Natalie.
Suitable for most dogs, being a low-impact activity, and no prior experience of training necessary, there’s a class for everyone!
Visit My Happy Hounds to book a Paddock
Or to find out more about training classes visit Tees Valley Dog Training.
