13/07/2026
Why letting your dog sniff is so important.
Psychologists talk about “fast thinking” and “slow thinking.” Fast thinking is immediate and reactive. Slow thinking gathers information before making decisions.
Dr. Laura Donaldson’s webinars explore the idea that when our dogs stop to sniff the world around them, they may be doing a lot more than collecting odors. They may be gathering information, solving social problems, and regulating their emotions. Those are really good things if your dog needs to slow down a bit…smell the roses, so to speak.
While I’ve never thought of it as “slow thinking,” I am a huge advocate for giving dogs time to acclimate to a new environment before asking them to work. I do it for practical reasons; my dogs work better when they’ve had a chance to look around and take it all in.
Laura takes that one step further, exploring what sniffing may be doing for the dog’s mind and emotional well-being. It’s an interesting perspective, and one I’m looking forward to hearing more about!
Tomorrow evening she presents two webinars. The first explores sniffing as slow thinking and social problem-solving. The second looks at how everyday sniffing may help dogs recover from stress and trauma.
Courtesy of Denise Fenzi and Laura Donaldson
