The human-dog relationship is deeply rooted in the biology of both species, the significance of which we are only just beginning to appreciate.
Let's consider how dogs used to spend their lives. Only a few decades ago, dogs were let out the door in the morning and often didn't return until evening. What did they do all day? No doubt scavenging and lots of sniffing, meeting and greeting other dogs. I am not advocating we return to this situation! Far from it, but we need to consider how our dogs spend their day and what opportunities they have for sensory stimulation.
Many animals, including dogs, exhibit a general curiosity about the environment and need sensory stimulation.
These days, most dogs are kept indoors and some may be lucky enough to have a slow, exploratory walk. Many dogs experience a fairly fast-paced walk around the block with few opportunities to sniff. Others are offered exciting, fast-paced ball play in an attempt to wear them out. Dogs need to sniff, dogs need to be curious and be allowed to explore.
Animal Welfare laws demand that zoos and similar organisations must offer enrichment to the captive animals. What about our dogs?
Walks should be slow, at the dog's pace, allowing for plenty of sniff opportunities. After all, dogs have around 250 million scent receptors in the nose. Humans have only five million. A large proportion of a dog’s brain is devoted to scent. and the nose is the fastest route information can get to the brain.
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