New research shows
that allowing dogs to exercise their noses is good for them.
A dog's nose is a
work of art and they need to use it.
Most dogs like to
sniff when they're on the go. It's been estimated that they sniff around 33% of
the time when they're moving here and there and this is how they pick up all
sorts of information about who's been there, whether a female is reproductively
active (we don't know about males), how big they are, and perhaps what they're
feeling.
Allowing dogs to
take their time getting to know each other’s marks (prior to face-to-face
interactions) might therefore help dogs have smoother introductions, giving
them more social cues to guide their behaviors. (For more details, see
"When Small Dogs Pee, Are They Saying It's Really Not Me?")
The bottom line is
simple: Let a dog's walk be for them, and if they're pulling you here and there
with their nose pinned to the ground and occasionally snorting, let them do it.
I've often thought that not allowing dogs to sniff and to exercise their
nostrils and other senses could be a form of sensory deprivation.
No comments:
Post a Comment