30/06/2025
Dogs are social and intelligent creatures who require mental exercise as much as they do physical exercise. So, while you might think that taking your dog on a 60-minute power walk will provide them with all the activity they need, a 20-minute walk at your dog’s pace can actually be just as beneficial and even more enjoyable for your dog! We want to make sure our dogs’ lives are as enriched and fulfilled as possible and allowing them to practice their natural behaviours is a huge part of that.
Dogs have incredibly sensitive noses with up to 300 million scent receptors. When you compare this to a human’s 6 million, we start to see why dogs enjoy sniffing so much. That’s why these slower walks, where a dog can “stop and smell the flowers” can be more pleasurable for your dog as they can glean so much information from a smell and it’s incredibly enriching for them.
Sniffing can also be very calming for dogs. A meandering, sniff session on a long-leash can release the mood-boosting chemical in their brain called dopamine. It’s a lot like a yoga or meditation session for your pup.
So, slow down your walk and allow your dog plenty of opportunity and time to sniff. As well as visiting familiar areas, explore different places and mix up the route that you take sometimes. This will give your dog new experiences and of course, new smells to explore.
Demonstrated here by the gorgeous Winston 🐾 💙
