05/10/2026
Let them sniff 🐶
Research confirms that allowing your dog to engage their sense of smell is essential for their mental and emotional health. Because dogs process the world primarily through scent—dedicating roughly 40 more times brain power to smell than humans do—sniffing act as a high-intensity mental workout. Studies suggest that just 20 minutes of sniffing can provide the same level of mental stimulation as an hour of walking them.
Allowing your dog to explore new smells every day can lower the dog’s heart rate and trigger the release of dopamine, a “feel-good” hormone that promotes relaxation. Research published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that dogs given more sniffing opportunities showed a more “optimistic” mindset in problem-solving tasks.
Scent-based activities improve focus, decision-making, and memory, which is particularly beneficial for preventing cognitive decline in senior dogs. Also, through “scent mapping” dogs organize information about their surroundings which allows them to feel safe and grounded.
This is also important for you as well because a happy dog can improve your own mental and physical health by reducing stress and anxiety, boosting mood through serotonin release, and encouraging daily physical activity like walking. Interaction with a happy dog also increased oxytocin, the “bonding hormone”—while decreasing cortisol, which lowers blood pressure and helps manage anxiety, depression and even PTSD.
SEE PMCID: PMC8042315; PMID: 33860004
