A
dog's strongest sense is the sense of smell. It is the primary way dogs
explore the world and is a way to gather information. Sniffing can also
be used to relieve stress, to send calming signals to another dog, or
to locate someone.
It
can be hard for us to imagine how a dog uses his sense of smell. We
tend to focus on specific visual information, while smells get lumped
together. For example, imagine walking past a full dumpster. You might
smell one single, foul odor that you associate with trash. But a dog
will walk by and be able to sort through individual smells, such as
rotting banana peels, tissues, cat litter, grass clippings, and on and
on. You would have to visually distinguish each individual item.
So
when a dog sniffs the grass, he might be gathering information about
various animals that have passed through the environment: squirrels,
raccoons, bugs, etc. When he checks where other dogs have "busied", he
is gathering information on age, sex, and hormonal status. He can tell
if a familiar person walks by in the distance (if the wind is right),
and can also smell chemical changes in people (emotional and physical).
When
greeting another dog, a pup's preference is to "say hello" by sniffing
rear ends, rather than greeting face-to-face. They gather information
about each other this way, and also do not end up in a staring contest.
Head-on meetings can be perceived as a challenge, so in order to diffuse
a situation and break eye contact, a dog might begin sniffing the
ground. In that case, sniffing becomes a "calming signal", rather than
indicating that something smells supremely interesting. You may observe
sudden sniffing behavior when play has gotten too rough between two
dogs; if there is a scuffle and someone's feelings get hurt, the dogs
may separate and become intensely interested in smelling the ground.
This allows them to de-stress and resume playing once tensions have been
resolved.
These
are just a few examples of the complex world of the dog sense of smell.
You can apply it to dog training in several ways; my favorite is to use
scenting opportunities as a reward.
If
we are on a fun walk and we pass a field that my puppy is eagerly air
scenting, I might pause to give a command, then allow the puppy to "take
a break" and enjoy smell nirvana. After a few minutes, we resume our
fun walk (whether the dog is ready or not). By putting sniffing "on
command", it becomes a reward that I can control, and the dog will make
the effort to earn the reward. It also makes it clearer that there will
be times when sniffing will not be allowed, such as when the dog is in
coat or performing a command. Sniffing as a reward should always be
out-of-coat (unless the puppy is having fears or anxiety issues; talk to
your AC if you think that is the case). If you want to allow a
sniff-fest, make it a point to take off the coat first. This again helps
to define the "rules of sniffing".
If
your pup tends to have its nose to the ground while on outings, but it
is still following your directions and is maintaining a straight line of
travel, it is not a major concern. Some pups are "trackers", and the
habit often is broken when they come in for training and we throw
obstacles in front of them. It is more important that the pup be
confident and work in a straight line rather than nit-picking. However,
if that nose to the ground is leading to trouble, in the form of
scavenging, weaving, or starting/stopping behavior, then it is a
behavior that should be corrected. Work on leash management skills by
becoming more unpredictable: change directions suddenly, make sharp
turns, and work by the same "smelly spots" over and over again until the
pup is focused on you. Cheer the pup on when he is in the correct
position, correct when he begins to fall out of position. Try a treat
recall in distracting areas until you have regained attention. Work on
"stays" around distracting smells.
Scent
can be a tough distraction to overcome, but understanding how it
motivates dogs and using it as a reward can help you better communicate
with and instruct the puppy. You don't want to eliminate it entirely;
rather, see it as a tool which you can use both as a teachable
distraction and a fun break.
