Finding relief from stress, anxiety, and boredom can be as simple as stepping outdoors and connecting with nature and Mother Earth.
For dogs...multiply that relief times ten!
Social norms put unnatural restrictions on dogs' instinctive behaviors, including sniffing, digging, chasing, investigating, and foraging.
It's normal for dogs to
🐾Sniff crotches
🐾Lick faces
🐾Jump on people and things
🐾Track wildlife
🐾Forage in trash
🐾Dig holes
🐾Chase squirrels
🐾Roll in smelly stuff.
Nature offers dogs abundant sensory experiences that spark their curiosity, playfulness, seeking, exploration, and thinking. Sensory enrichment in nature helps older dogs stay mentally sharp and alert, and in young dogs, it contributes to healthy brain development.
Freely expressing instinctive behaviors helps all dogs regulate their nervous systems and fulfill their innate, species-specific needs. A walk in the woods that provides plenty of uninterrupted moments for sniffing, listening, and exploring is a wonderful antidote for boredom, along with its mischief and frustration.
Sniff Walks set you and your dog up for some powerful relationship-building time together. To ensure the experience is enriching and enjoyable for your dog, be prepared to let the dog lead. You interfere only for safety reasons. As an observer, you'll gain a wealth of information about your dog's moods, preferences, approach to problem-solving, and physical condition. Your perspective from the end of your 15-20 foot line lets you notice details about how your dog moves, uses his body, and reacts to the unexpected.
If you find yourself slowing down to keep up with your dog, then you're doing something right! Here's your dog teaching you to "stop and smell the roses"! So listen to that inner voice that sounds like a woof!
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