Britt Jones
If you’ve been walking your dog lately and noticed they are acting differently, experts say it could be down to how you’re doing it.
Strolling along with your pooch is usually a relaxing experience, and a time where you can both enjoy nature and the fresh air.
But if your hound is suddenly pulling on the lead or finding it hard to turn away from every new smell on the route, Jo Hinds, a certified behaviorist and dynamic dog practitioner at Years, says this is indicative of a typical Springtime reaction in pups.
Like many of us, seasonal changes impact our health, wellbeing, and senses.
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This is also true for dogs.
She explained, per the Daily Mail: “In spring, the environment becomes much richer in scents from plants, wildlife and other animals. For dogs, this creates a huge amount of new information to explore.”
When it comes to the animals, they use their noses to explore their world, which means that they can do things like 'gather information about other animals, territory and their surroundings’.
So, they might take longer on their walks so they can sense all of those new smells.
Sure, it can be frustrating if you’ve got things to do, but Hinds says you can’t rush them for it, as it can stop them from gaining important ‘mental stimulation’ from sniffing.
Instead of pulling them back, rushing them home or punishing their sniffs, she says to allow the sniffing to happen as it comes.
But perhaps take to quieter locations so there’s less to distract your dog.
There, you can use rewards as part of your training. Like treats or praise in moments where they don’t pull on the lead.
According to Pet Honesty, a dog multivitamin brand, you first need to make sure your pooch can understand basic commands like, ‘leave it,’ ‘heel,’ or ‘no’.
The blog also says that teaching your dog to understand the command, ‘go sniff’, lets your ‘dog know that he’s free to explore, but that he’s doing so on your terms.’
As for training, this simple command could even replace the need for yummy food, as it notes: “Depending on how much your pup loves sniffing, ‘go sniff’ could sometimes even be used in lieu of a treat!”
While the company notes that all owners are responsible for their dogs when in public, they also shared a similar sentiment to Hind.
The blog said: “That said, it’s important that you never punish your dog for sniffing, no matter how annoying. Instead, reinforce positive behavior.”
Instead, you can let your pooch ‘know that there’s a time and a place for sniffing, and provide enough of a predictable routine that he can trust that you’ll let him sniff freely soon enough.’