We all love our dogs and want only the best for them.  We want to make sure they are on the best diet and plenty of exercise.  Did you know that dogs need mental stimulation as well?  Just like us dogs need to have mental stimulation such as puzzles.  We have crossword puzzles or candy crush to challenge us but what about your pup?  What can we do to help them?

Did you know that a 20 minute Sniff Walk can burn off as much energy as a regular walk?  We have bred dogs with certain skills to help us with tasks such as hunting.  Take the beagle for instance, they were bred as scent hounds.  When people had to rely on hunting for food, they developed a dog who would sniff out rabbits and hares.  They were bred small so hunters could follow on foot rather than on horseback, not every hunter could afford a horse.  Beagles were in a sense the poor man’s hunting dog.  The hunter would release them in a field and let the beagles sniff out the prey.  Once they catch a scent they have tunnel vision or tunnel sniff, they need to follow it and let you and the neighborhood know when they found it.  They don’t want to take a 5 mile hike in the woods although they may want to go to the woods for all the smells.  They want to put their noses to the ground and follow wherever that rabbit went.  That is when the beagles are in their happy place.

There is also a school of thought that you need to run or walk your dog for hours to get their energy out.  First puppies are still growing and walking them for a long time will cause problems later in life.  For puppies it is 5 minutes for each month for a walk.  For instance, a 3 month old puppy should only get a 15 minute walk, a 4 month old should only get a 20 minute walk, a 5 month old should only get a 25 minute walk and a 6 month old should only get a 30 minute walk.  Each breed has a good length of time for a walk.  For some dogs they would rather be in the back yard chasing a ball than walking.  Please talk with your vet about the amount of time you should walk your puppy or dog, to be safe.   

Some breeds want to walk and stop occasionally to sniff.  Some breeds want to go for long hikes and explore everything. Some breeds just want to run. Other breeds don’t want to walk at all but lay around all day in the sun.  Do a little research about the breed of dog you have or if you have a mixed breed do research on the breeds you know you have? It could be a lot of fun to figure out what your dog needs and being able to give it to them.  If you have kids you could have some fun having your kids do the research or research together.  

Another thought is if you have a dog that loves to sniff then consider a Sniff Class.  It will be a lot of fun for your dog and you to watch them do what they love to do.

It will strengthen your bond with your dog as you give them what they need and not fight them on what you think they need.  They will be so much happier and you will too.