How do you know that a dog has enjoyed their walk?
A dog that lingers behind and hesitates to return to the car is a sign of a pup who truly loves their walks.
I've started Reuben on some basic scent training. It's very early days, but so far so positive.
#SniffStuff #Olfaction #ScentWork #Nosework

This is the beginning of a journey.
A journey within a journey.
These are truffles I've bought to scent train Reuben, the Labradoodle.
Training may take some time, for Reuben and I.
I look forward to the next few months.
I'll try to record the progress as we go.
#SniffStuff #TruffleDog #ScentTrain

The Science of Sniffing
When a dog is actively sniffing, it does so at a remarkable speed. Dogs can take in 5 to 10 sniffs per second, allowing them to rapidly gather and process scent information. Each sniff brings in fresh molecules that are analyzed by their olfactory receptors.
#SniffStuff

"Olfactory information goes straight to the forebrain missing out the stopover point, the thalamus, where all other sensory systems arrive when entering the brain." @alexandrahorowitz.bsky.social

I cannot recommend this book enough, if you have a dog.

I'm relentlessly mind-blown, and I'm 1/3 in!

A dog wags it's tail to provide visual information to other dogs about how it feels.

A dog also wags it's tail to waft it's own scent around it's vicinity, providing more information to other dogs.

Thanks to @alexandrahorowitz.bsky.social

#SniffStuff #Olfaction #DogBodyLanguage

#SniffStuff

Rather than seeing our dog's sniffing as a distraction, we should recognise it as a meaningful behaviour.

Sniffing scent isn't just instinct - it's a sign of sophisticated cognition processing millions of receptors.

Neglecting this denies a dog's fulfilment of their natural talents.

#SniffStuff

Image taken at The Wolf Conservation Centre, Reading, UK, circa 2010.
#wolf #sniffstuff #olfaction

Super excited to start reading this book by @alexandrahorowitz.bsky.social later today, as I've heard such good things about it.
I'm finishing 'Unleashing Your Dog' right now, by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce, which has also been a real pleasure to read.
#SniffersKeepOnSniffing

#SniffStuff

Both highly recommended - I'm still reading 'Unleashing Your Dog's, and it's filled with gems.
#SniffStuff