Sniffing while on a walk

[JBCB]

Do dogs consider sniffing while on a walk "fun"? Both Kaeleigh and Hannah want to spend most of their time on our walks with their heads near the ground, looking for those particularily niffty smells, scent marking the important ones. I was wondering if this might be considered enjoyable to them? Our problem is that we both work, and often don't get home before 5:30-6pm, not leaving enough time for a play before dinner. So when there isn't time for "play" a walk is their exercise. Problem is when they sniff every other blade of grass, walks take a lot longer and are less energetic!

I do make them walk, and try to keep sniffing to only a portion of the walk, but by doing this am I taking away some of their fun while out on the walk? I know the importance of exercise, but I also know the importance of fun, and want them to get both when a play isn't possible (ie. too soon after eating).

BTW, when/how do those who work exercise thier dogs? If it's no play 1 hour before and 2 after eating, when do you give your dogs a good run? That's a big problem for us, except on weekends.

[Stubby]

Who's walking who??

Don't let "pee mail" take the fun out of the walk.

However, allowing the dog to dictate the pace of the walk means you are letting him / her tell YOU how the walk will be conducted. Correct the dog, make him / her conform to YOUR routine. After all, you're the one paying the heat and hydro.

Play time is when YOU want it to be. If you take them somewhere and let them sniff to their hearts content, and that's what you want, then fine, but don't let them stop at every hydrant or blade of grass along the way..

[spidey]

I have a "five second rule" for sniffing most things, and my dog learned pretty quickly to go as far ahead as he can without pulling (he's not in formal heeling on walks, just loose lead walking) and get in a good sniff before I've gone past him and he has to move along. I'll occasionally stop and let him sniff for a good long while, but walks have to be enjoyable for BOTH of us, so I don't let him decide when it's time to stop and sniff for extended periods. I think you have to compromise - as long as your dogs know and obey "leave it", then I see no harm in allowing them a good sniff here and there (equally, I see no harm in "business walks", where the sniffing is kept to a minimum, as long as there are more leisurely walks as well). Dogs do explore a vast part of their world with their noses, and the more you let them use their noses, they better at it they get (it's been my experience, having owned gun dogs in the past, that the more you let them sniff early in life, the less time they seem to spend sniffing as they get older - their noses seem to become more "educated" and they can tell what they're sniffing much faster if you give them a chance to educate their noses early on - I see no reason why this shouldn't be true for older dogs either).

[nikki15236]

My male does the same thing. He insists on stopping to smell everything and to mark (what seems to me) EVERY blade of grass, telephone pole, stop sign, you name it. I think he does it to let every dog in the neighborhood know that he is in town and he is the king of the street. Even when he has nothing left (urine) he still lifts his leg. It is kind of hysterical. However I know what you mean about being limited on time with work and all. It does become more of a hassle to walk him when he acts like this. So I correct him by shouting a quick "forget it", "let's go", a pop of his leash and on we go. After he does his round of peeing and his #2, by the 2nd - 3rd pee stop I have had enough. I quickly correct him and move him away from the grassy area so he doesn't have the urge to stop every few seconds to mark. I don't even give him the opportunity. This way he gets his exercise, enjoys his walk and I have a good time in the process. Everyone is happy in the end!!

Good luck with yours.

Nicole

[Rott'n'lab Dad]

I was wondering in general, how typical is that nose-to-the-ground behavior for Rotties?

Our Bella is probably a rott/lab mix (with maybe something else mixed in too) and we're always curious to try and figure out which behaviors might be attributed to which of her component breeds. Although she lacks any obvious hound appearance, our agility trainer thinks she has some hound in her the way it can take significant effort to get her focus off of the floor (it seems like she is mostly interested in finding bits of treats). On our walks she definitely does her share of sniffing.

So do many Rotties tend to have much of a tracking instinct?

Thanks.

[Patty1231]

I don't know about all rotties - I'll leave that question up to the more knowledgeable in this forum to answer - but I definately have a sniff-every-blade-of-grass rottie (he's a purebred). It can get exasperating on our morning walks when time is extremely limited before work (I try to get in at least a mile). I try to keep him moving in the morning and allow exploration during our evening walk.

[MontanaRott]

It was our boys inability to keep his nose off the ground that got us involved in tracking and he is doing so well we are thinking of trying for a TD sometime next year. Rottweilers like many other breeds can do very well in tracking.

[SABELLESMOM]

To simplify things, there's time for walks and other times there's time for sniffing too. If you make the "walk with you" the reward, you'll be getting somewhere, in more ways than one.

Are you serious about wanting there to be a difference? Or are you just asking whether Rotties like to sniff out the "pee-mail"? Either way, read on if you're serious.

First, get your training collar and leash. Hold the leash very closely in your left hand (dog on left). The far end of the leash can be in your right if you like.

Allow only enough slack for the dog to hold his/her head up. Say whatever word you feel comfortable with (Walk, heel, etc) and step forward.

If the dog pulls, tugs or otherwise tries to snif...STOP the walk. Do this each time. If the dog walks nicely for a few steps, praise lavishly. You might not get down the driveway the first time.

The thing is they soon discover that walking nicely on a leash "with you" is preferable to the boredom of simply standing there unable to snif things or pull. Mine got the message in a couple of tries.

Your first couple of "walks" may be quite short. End the session on a good note with lots of praise. Try again later.

For more leisurely walks, use a different collar and leash. Even driving to another location, like a park or lakeside or farm helps, but it's not necessary. Dogs are situational learners and he/she should be able to tell the difference by the equipment and your attitude.

One is your "work" leash/collar, another is for "play." GOOD LUCK! ;)

[damp]

There are times for sniffing (just being a dog), potty, training and exercise.

Training (except tracking of course) and exercise is NOT sniffing time.

You must teach the dogs (give them clear and different commands) to make plain, why they are outside and what you expect. If you are not in a hurry, you will have time to make both exercise and training fun!!!

Besides the owners responsibility to take care of the dogs in all fields, I find it “a dog’s RIGHT” to be JUST a dog and also have time to sniff. You decide when and where.


P.S Dogs have no feelings of time and they don’t care if you have supper after 10 PM ;)

[Jaegergirl]

when walking the dog and pushing a stroller at the same time, it was very annoying when maverick would stop every 2 seconds to smell something. so i started correcting him and telling him "no sniff." only took a couple walks for him to figure it out. we go for walks and he never sniffs anything.

[JBCB]

Lots of great replies! Thanks! It's good to know that others have "sniffy" dogs too! Ok, everything that was said is true. I will also qualify that I only let the girls sniff when I want them to, but that doesn't stop them from wanting to. Sabellesmom, thanks for the "lesson". I seem to remember that from somewhere and will "instruct" them on future walks. Spidey, when they are allowed to sniff and I want them to move I also do the 5-second rule, then a pop on the leash and a "let's go". So I'm not letting them walk me.

I guess the point of my post (and that has yet to be answered such that I understand) is whether a walk with sniffing is more "enjoyable" for a dog than a simple "exercise" walk. If I want the girls to enjoy themselves on a walk (with some exercise but not as the main reason for the walk) is letting them sniff making them happy? (for lack of a better word). Put another way, when Kaeleigh had her meniscus surgery and could only go for short walks, and could NOT play, would letting her sniff have been more enjoyable of a way FOR HER to spend our limited time outside, than not letting her and keeping her moving? If playtime is limited, for whatever reason, I want to know if a walk with sniffing would "entertain" them more than one without.

[damp]

Originally posted by JBCB

I guess the point of my post (and that has yet to be answered such that I understand) is whether a walk with sniffing is more "enjoyable" for a dog than a simple "exercise" walk. If I want the girls to enjoy themselves on a walk (with some exercise but not as the main reason for the walk) is letting them sniff making them happy? (for lack of a better word). Put another way, when Kaeleigh had her meniscus surgery and could only go for short walks, and could NOT play, would letting her sniff have been more enjoyable of a way FOR HER to spend our limited time outside, than not letting her and keeping her moving? If playtime is limited, for whatever reason, I want to know if a walk with sniffing would "entertain" them more than one without.

Of course you ALWAYS have to take a dog’s health into consideration regarding exercises. In the case you mentioned above, you must follow your vet’s advices.

Again: Training and exercises can be/MUST BE FUN.

You make your dogs happy (and yourself too) when you are the leader of the pack, when you teach them, when you clearly tell them what you expect.

“Entertainment”? (I noticed inverted commas) Dogs don’t want entertainment… they want to have clear rules, clear commands and time with “the pack” (you)

I don’t buy LIMIT time. Sorry I don’t want to be harsh… (I may be wrong, because of my insufficient English language) but what I read between your lines is: It’s all about time (or lack of time)

[rotts and roses]

Just a side note.. If you walk your dogs after dark sometimes what they are sniffing is stuff you can't see, My dogs have a tendency to like to dine on other dogs " left overs" So I do not allow them to stop and stiff anything when we are on night walks. During the day when I can see what they are sniffing, I allow them to briefly, then give a pop and leave it.
I wish people would pick up after their dogs,. What is sad is, here, those people that don't pick up after their dogs are usually the same people that don't take there dogs to the vet for shots.
I am terrified of my dogs getting parvo, so I limit the sniffing period.

[macho rottie]

I think dogs do think the sniffing is fun. I think they get more out of sniffing and checking things out than the walk itself. I walk in the forest a lot so my dogs get to sniff coyote, deer, bear, skunk, rabbit, possum and other scents. In the winter or when it's muddy, you can see the footprints I would tell my dogs what they were. Oh...is that a deer? Those are deer...do you smell them? Is that coyote? Those bad coyote...don't you chase them.... Is that the bunny, you be nice, leave the bunny alone.

On the street dogs walks...well, we live in a small 1/2 acre subdivision and know all the dogs that are being walked. Was that Harley ?Nicki ? who peed there? lol..they know almost all the dogs in the subdivision by name and smell. Sometimes I am in a bit of a hurry and I only let them smell a couple of times but most of the time I let them smell away...that's their enjoyment.

[SABELLESMOM]

Guess I needed a reminder on the other original question...

And to that, yes sniffing is fun. But so is a walk. So is training. So is just being with you. Agility, flyball...frisbee toss or just plain ole fetch as interesting as wrestling an old tree stump out of the ground.

Dogs can be content with a number of activities and my personal feeling is the more variations the better. Are they happier with one over the other, maybe. But I don't think they're disappointed to do something else. Variety sort of opens up their world, so to speak. (hey, a pun crept in on me!)

Enjoy your dogs!:D