If you are a dog owner, it is good to know this essential habit, recommended by a veterinarian, to adopt when you are out for a walk.
Like parents, dog owners often have contrary injunctions regarding the education, diet or health of their companion. If professionals have warned about the signs of depression in a dog or highlighted four things that cats hate and to avoid, it is an essential habit that would be good to adopt while walking. A veterinarian says so!
Since April 15, you must follow instructions with your four-legged animal, otherwise you risk being fined. Once you know this rule, you can set out on the paths around your home, in the city or in the countryside, knowing that you have to be patient when your dog starts to sniff the ground or a tree for a long time. And here’s precisely why.
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A veterinarian’s advice for walking your dog
In the HuffPosta veterinarian explains that sniffing is “a beneficial sensory experience for dogs by providing mental stimulation”. Dr. Whitney Miller, Petco’s chief veterinarian, says it tells them about their environment: by smelling odors, it collects data about other dogs and their animal neighbors. A social function therefore, but not only that.
The benefits of sniffing are numerous for the dog’s health : method of communication which helps to make sense of the world around us and to discover it but also mental enrichment and therefore general well-being. This is even more true (and more important) for older dogs, who no longer get as much stimulation from playing or running. The stimulation they no longer get from physical activity can be found in smells. In addition, the dog’s respiratory rate is increased by sniffing, which allows it to remain physically active. Dr. Miller adds that it can “stimulate hormonal and metabolic processes in the body”.
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An essential habit for your pet
Regarding the dog’s mental health, sniffing makes them more optimistic and reduces their levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone. This can therefore help to reduce your pet’s anxiety. So avoid stopping them from sniffing while walking, this will frustrate them not being able to stop. Just be careful that they don’t release smoke, dust or pollen, especially puppies.
Where does this need come from? This dates back to the ancestors of dogs, like the gray wolf, who communicate through howls and body language but especially through their sense of smell. This sense is still dominant in dogs, according to Dr. Danielle Bernal. They have more than 100 million sensory receptor sites in their noses, compared to 6 million in humans. Moreover, the part of their brain analyzing odors is approximately 40 times larger than that of humans. Depending on the breed, a dog’s sense of smell is therefore 10,000 to 100,000 times better than ours. Taking this into account, you can also stimulate them with smells inside your home through treat toys, puzzles, special mats, or simply hide treats in a room.
Editor for Aufeminin since 2022, Charlotte is passionate about cinema, French and international, and a fortune reader. Curious about everything, she talks as much about personalities as…