Sniffing Service Dogs

 

Is it important for service dogs to learn when and where sniffing is appropriate?

Obviously we can’t stop a dog from inhaling smells! What we are referring to by “sniffing” is putting the nose to the ground, a tree or other object with the intent to smell it strongly. Most dogs will also “air scent” or smell nearby objects from a distance. The end goal would be to put getting close to objects on a verbal or environmental cue. So that service dogs are not sniffing items in stores and other public places, while also making sure that their doggie needs to sniff objects are met in appropriate outdoor spaces. 

Sniffing to process the environment

As a child, my father made one thing clear, the dog wasn’t to sniff for more than a second or two when finding a potty spot when leashed, and never on a walk. My views are very different. I’ve learned that allowing sniffing allows the dog to better interpret their surroundings. 

Scent can easily overwhelm all dogs, especially service dogs that go into new environments frequently. The mall, the hospital, the garden store, Macy’s, the feed store, the amusement park, they all have many sights, sounds, smells and atmosphere. As a human, I can easily be overwhelmed, knowing what I’ll likely encounter. I can only imagine the overload a dog experiences. 

What can we, as handlers do to help our dogs? A lot, actually.  I have a routine before we enter a new working environment. Generally, I’ll let Nick sniff around a bit and find an area where I can allow him to relieve himself. This gives him a chance to investigate who and what he may encounter in the near future, and makes sure his tanks are empty before entering a new environment. 

I’ve put sniff on cue. This allows me to use sniffing as a reward, and better communication with Nick about when and where sniffing is appropriate. By having sniffing on cue, and under stimulus control, I can simply offer a cue for another behavior that’s rewarding to stop the sniffing. 

Since Nick is currently undergoing training for a scent based medical alert, I’m using his need to sniff as a task. He will respond to the scent of a medical episode with a specific behavior so I will know to treat the issue. He also locates my lost phone by scent. Practicing these tasks will help refine his sniffing behaviors, are another way to utilize his scent skills and help meet his need to sniff for prey drive needs. 

Allowing sniffing when we’re on walks is another way to help meet this need and prevent inappropriate sniffing. 

–  Crazy2Calm Canine Coach Cindy

How sniffing can help us

My SD is a poodle who loves scents and spent the 6 pm 8 am the two weeks overnight with me caregiving in a hospital. Heading out on his walks in the scents drive him nuts.  Nose to the ground, rear high, hind legs pushing. We moved to a new wing. I got lost. Not Pippin, give him his head!  He was almost dancing and then settled having work to do with his nose. Having your  keenest most developed sense fed the finest things, to us the wines, the perfumes, but to them the room traffic and packages or the great outdoors may override their thinking brain.  

They may need to slowly work up to doing public access in such heady distracting environments. We were fortunate. It was 9 pm and the employee who saw us said this IS the only way out now the other is locked. Give him his head!  It worked in our favor this time.

–  Crazy2Calm Canine Coach Robin

Some dogs may seem overly distracted by smells when they are young. Some handlers refuse to let their adolescents sniff to prevent the pulling that typically comes when overwhelmed. We opt for helping our dogs learn to control themselves, learning cues for non-sniff time and free sniff time. Only then can we give them the lead and let them show us the way without being dragged behind. 

Another great example is my dogs sniff going into a building, stop once inside, and get released to sniff going out. They quickly learn to find the exit and find the car. Azul did this in Chicago International Airport! We were not allowed out the exit we had come in & the exit we went out was nowhere near the car. But sure enough, Azul led us in the most direct path straight to the car. And this was a crowded new environment that he's only been in that one time!

–  Crazy2Calm Canine Coach Penny