Using his nose, during a walk, this puppy found an old chicken leg bone that had been tossed up onto the bushes.
A client emailed me about his 5-month-old pup suddenly sniffing around the perimeter of the lower floor of the house. This particular breed was developed and employed to work as a retriever as well as to sniff out truffles. After the work was done, the Standard Poodle enjoyed being the elegant companion of his people.
Nowadays, this breed has found its place in our lives mostly as a cherished pet. But you will find with any dog, their sense of smell is something hard to imagine from the perspective of our lackluster scent organ. So if my dog were suddenly sniffing along the baseboards, I would be prepared to start the search for an unwelcome visitor. Dogs don’t get preoccupied with their noses unless there’s something of interest to take them there.
As a comparison, think about a time you’ve been riveted by an interesting TV show, article, or book. There is nothing that could pull you away from your fascination. The dog and his nose have a similar relationship, and when there’s a smell that creates intense interest, the dog is going to go back to it, follow it, and ultimately try to get to the root of that smell. And we’re the lucky benefactor of this unique talent in our dogs because their sudden preoccupation with tracking a scent could give us a head’s up there’s something to watch out for.
This is an excellent four-minute educational video on how dogs smell that gives us a clearer perspective of what our dogs are capable of doing with that highly evolved sniffing processor at the end of their muzzles.
Contact me if you need dog behavior advice and dog training in Broward county.
Helen Verte Schwarzmann
Certified in Training and Counseling
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-KA
Certified Trick Dog Instructor
Your Dog Trainer for Weston, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, and Hollywood in Broward county south Florida
By Helen Verte
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