The reason why a dog smells better than humans

Allowing your dog to sniff is important for their well-being. A dog is made to use their nose. Through their nose, they gather all kinds of information from their environment, such as the gender of another dog, whether this dog is healthy, and if they have been there before. Dogs have more than 125-300 million scent cells, which is 20 to 60 times more than humans have. This enables them to smell much better than us. How should you imagine this? We humans smell the apple pie, but the dog can dissect this apple pie and tell you exactly what it consists of. The dog smells, for example, the cinnamon, the raisins, the dough, and the apples separately.

The effect of sniffing

You can probably imagine that sniffing can be very important for a dog, as it is their way of exploring the world! You are utilizing your dog’s instinct. Dogs that are not allowed to use their nose often become frustrated and exhibit problem behavior. Sniffing lowers the heart rate, increases the sniffing frequency to 140-200 times per minute, and provides a mental challenge. Dopamine is produced in your dog’s body. Dopamine is also known as the happiness hormone. This creates a pleasant and rewarding feeling. It is often said that a dog that is allowed to sniff is a dog that sees the glass half full. Who doesn’t want to see their dog happy?

Ways of sniffing

There are different ways to let your dog sniff. Instead of giving your dog their food in a bowl, you can put their food in a sniffing mat or a puzzle ball. Take your dog on a sniffing walk or let them search for kibble in the grass or garden. There are enough possibilities to meet your dog’s sniffing needs. And did you know that your dog gets just as tired from 15 minutes of sniffing as from an hour of walking? Enough benefits, right?