Should I Allow My Dog to Sniff on a Walk?

To sniff? Or not to sniff?

I get asked this question a lot. Here's my answer:

It depends.

If you are working through any behavioral issues that include, barking at dogs or people, lunging at dogs or people, chasing after fast moving objects, or even just excessive leash pulling, then I don't advocate for constant sniffing on walks. If you're trying to combat any of those problems, I personally find it best to have your dog on a short leash close to your side, participating in structured walking with rules. This is better for both physical control as well as training efficiency- not to mention the dogs do have to use their brain, too. It's much easier to get your dog's attention off of a trigger when they are next to you versus six feet away at the other end of the

leash. In public places and neighborhoods, this is also a safety practice. Those kind of walks are for training and working. So instead of allowing sniffing on the whole walk, I'll designate certain areas on the walk that are open and visible to give the dog a break but also to make sure that

no one can sneak up behind you around a corner.

And if your dog really enjoys sniffing, I will also use it as a reward specifically for disengaging with a trigger. We can use the desire to sniff to our advantage in behavior modification. I will even put this on cue with, "Go sniff,” after a reward marker for a desired behavior.

Now, if you have a dog who ignores people, dogs, fast moving objects, and doesn't pull on the leash, then I say let your dog sniff all he or she wants on the walk. If they like to do it, and they are already well behaved, then let them do what they enjoy!

So what if you do have a dog who is working through some behavioral issues on leash through the neighborhood, but they do really like to sniff and you want to give them that important enrichment?

Designate specific walks and places for sniffing!

Go to an open park with lots of visibility, or go to a trail that has little to no foot traffic and walk at your dog's pace. We are always in such a rush in our daily lives, so take advantage of moving slowly and appreciate having some down time

where your dog gets to just be a dog.

But how will the dog know when sniffing is allowed and when sniffing is not?

Dogs can learn very easily that different walking tools mean different activities. For my dogs, I will clip the leash to the back of a harness when we go on a leisure walk to sniff. To them, this means they have more freedom to walk and sniff where they choose. Walking on a back clip harness is a lot different than walking on a front clip harness, a head collar, a slip lead, a martingale, etc. and the dogs can certainly differentiate between them.

Using clear tactile, environmental, and verbal cues to teach your dog when it's a sniffing free for all and when it's not, will make the relationship and communication with your dog even better.