The Artwork of Scent
Hello, and welcome.
Can you imagine a world where you use your nose to ‘see’ everything around you? To experience daily life primarily through scent instead of language or sight?
Our dogs’ noses are incredible. Not only do they possess around 300 million olfactory receptors but they also act as a way to identify themselves as an individual dog. They are as unique as a human fingerprint, with no two dog noses being the same.
Imagine that we’re looking at the same painting as our dog. If that painting had been created with smells instead of paint - we might be seeing a two colour pixel drawing but our dogs would be seeing a Picasso or Pollock.
That artwork of smells will change every day for our dogs.
Each time they step outside the front door - with you, their walking companion - they are in for a completely new experience.
We can boost our dog’s sniffing experiences - and all the wonderful happy hormones those create - by taking them to new environments. To explore woods, fields, beaches, and cityscapes. Or head out early, when dew is on the grass or it’s recently been raining. Wet ground allows more scent particles to be collected - creating an even more vibrant picture.
When your dog stops to sniff, take the time to try and explore the world through scent yourself. Close your eyes and cover your ears, focus in on your own nose to try and grasp just a fragment of what your dog is experiencing - the incredible, rewarding world of scent.
Until next week, happy dog walking!
Caroline