4 Benefits of Sniffing for Your Big Feelings Dog
Sniffing is so so so so SOOOO beneficial for your dog!
Not only is it how dogs see the world and intake a lot of information, it also helps to lower their stress levels.
Now, let’s get into the benefits of sniffing for your dog.
Your dog “sees” the world through their nose.
Smell is a dog’s most important sense. There are approximately 30-50x as many scent receptors in your dog’s nose vs your nose!
Your dog gathers information about their surroundings by using their nose.
This tells them information like who has been there, how long ago, and if it’s a safe space for them. Dogs can also smell if a dog is neutered, sick, or stressed just from their urine! So, all those smells around the vet are like big red flags for stress.
As your dog sniffs, their brain is in motion as well.
As they are gathering and processing all of the information they are provided with amazing mental stimulation while satisfying their natural needs. It’s like an extra workout for their brain.
Sniffing is a way for your dog to take a break.
Whether it’s during tough or uncomfortable social situations, after a big reaction, or after an intense play session with their bestie, sniffing helps to release your dog’s stress by lowering their blood pressure and heart rate.
And one of our favorite ways to help anxious, fearful, reactive, Big Feelings dogs is to get them sniffing!
Whether that’s outside on walks or even inside playing sniffy games like find it, using snuffle mats, or doing nose work.
And TBH - your dog can sniff as much as they want! Sniffing for their entire walk is freaking amazing and we love to see when dogs get their noses to the ground and just let their sniffers go wild!
P.S. Enjoyed this article and want a little something extra?
Download our Big Feelings Dog Checklist to get practical, low-key tips you can start using right away to support your dog. It’s full of our favorite simple strategies to help your dog feel safer and more at ease.
