How your dog’s nose can help with behaviour problems!

Sniffing is an essential part of a dog’s happiness and health. In terms of enrichment for your dog, it’s suggested that 20 minutes of intensive sniffing is the equivalent to an hour’s walk.

Dogs have up to 300 million scent receptors (whereas we have a measly 5 million or so). Their noses are far better designed for scent detection than ours, and a far greater percentage of their brain is dedicated to translating all the information their noses pick up.

While you can smell a squirt of perfume in a room, a dog would have no trouble detecting it in a large stadium and distinguishing its ingredients. As well as being able to smell the biscuit tin opening – even when you’re sure you made no noise at all – they can sniff out suspicious substances at airports, detect cancer and other diseases (including Covid), find missing people, alert to low blood sugar or imminent seizures and find us delicious truffles underground.

Is it any wonder your dog doesn’t want to walk in a straight line when there’s all those interesting odours to explore? Scent is how dogs make sense of their environment, so don’t always move them on, let them stop and sniff. It does us no harm to relax for a few minutes, even if we’re taking in the view with our eyes rather than sniffing the ground with our nose!

So, to help with some of the behaviour and training problems you may be experiencing, it makes sense to think about harnessing your dog’s eagerness to spend time sniffing. 

Puppy manners on walks

When you begin taking your puppy out and about it’s quite likely you’ll find they think that everyone they meet is a potential best friend. While some people don’t mind a cute puppy launching itself at them, they won’t be so patient when your older, larger, muddier dog does the same thing! 

It’s much easier to begin creating good habits from the start than it is to stop bad ones later. When you take your pup out, every time you see a person approaching, let your puppy see you’ve got a tasty treat in your hand and toss it a little bit away from them so they follow the food (perhaps introduce the cue ‘find it’). Your puppy will continue to think new people approaching is a good thing, even if they don’t actually come into contact with them.

Stop jumping up at visitors

Does your dog get over-excited when visitors arrive? Of course, you want your dog to be welcoming and happy to see them – but not leaping all over them. Give your dog an outlet for all that enthusiasm. Teach your dog that the doorbell ringing is a cue for a game of ‘find it’. 

When the bell goes, toss a few treats away from the door. If the treats are rolling along the floor, your dog’s nose will be down as they hunt for them. They can’t have their nose on the ground and jump up! Have a family member or friend help you practice this by going outside and ringing the bell. And make sure you always have treats available near the front door, so you’re not caught out by an unexpected visitor. 

Walking nicely on lead

You can use your dog’s desire to sniff as a reward for walking nicely on lead. As you get close to a spot you think your dog would like to investigate, introduce a new cue such as ‘go sniff’, stand still and relax your hold on the lead (without letting go) so they can bend their head to sniff. If you wait patiently, after sniffing for a while, your dog is likely to stop focusing on that patch and lift their nose off the ground. As they do, give them your ‘let’s go’ cue to begin walking again. Of course, to begin with your dog won’t know what ‘go sniff’ means but if you repeat this little exercise frequently, while giving them the opportunity to explore with their nose, they’ll soon understand and be happier to walk calmly alongside you, knowing the reward of a good sniff is a likely result.

Relax on a Sniffari

Let your dog take you for a walk. With a slack lead or using a long line, allow your dog to choose where to go and when to stop and sniff. This is very different from taking your dog for a walk for exercise. On a sniffari you’re giving them the opportunity to follow their nose which is very empowering for the dog and helps anxious dogs build confidence, especially as sniffing is what dogs do naturally to familiarise themselves with the environment. 

Dogs who don’t have the opportunity to employ such a natural behaviour can become frustrated, which in turn can lead to unwanted behaviours, such as grabbing at their lead, barking or humping. A sniffari or ‘sniffy walk’ is a very simple way to just let your dog be a dog, come home relaxed and content and very likely sleep better too.

Why Sniffing Reduces Anxiety and Stress

There is growing scientific evidence that sniffing actively lowers a dog's stress levels. Studies show that engaging a dog's nose activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest and digest” branch — which lowers heart rate and promotes a state of calm. This is why anxious, reactive, or over-aroused dogs often benefit enormously from scent-based activities rather than simply being walked harder.

If your dog is reactive on lead or struggles with hyper-arousal, starting a walk with five to ten minutes of dedicated sniffing can take the edge off before you encounter other dogs or distractions. It's not a replacement for behaviour modification work, but it is a powerful tool. Even on high-stress days — fireworks, vet visits, a house full of guests — offering your dog a scatter-feed of kibble in the garden to sniff out can help them decompress.

Simple Nose Work Games to Try at Home

You don't need specialist equipment to get started with nose work. Here are three easy games any dog owner in the UK can try:

• Muffin tin game: Place treats under some of the cups of an upturned muffin tin (or use tennis balls as lids). Let your dog sniff out which cups have treats. Gradually make it harder by covering more cups.
• Which hand? Hold a small treat in one closed fist and present both fists to your dog. Let them sniff and indicate — when they nudge or paw the correct hand, open it and reward. This builds focus and nose accuracy.
• Hide and seek treats: While your dog waits in another room, hide small treats around a room — behind table legs, under a cushion edge, near a bookshelf. Release your dog with a “find it” cue. Start easy and increase difficulty as they improve.

These games tire dogs out mentally as much as physical exercise — ideal for days when you can't get out, or for dogs recovering from injury who still need stimulation.

A new hobby for you and your dog?

There are plenty of more advanced forms of scent work to discover, whether just for fun or competitively. While your pet dog is unlikely to be starting a career as a bomb, drugs, search and rescue or medical detection dog, do look for local trainers or online courses to discover new ways to give your dog a hobby they’ll love.

For more training advice, please visit our dog coach Vicky Carne's website.