Sniffari - a scent-based exploration for your dog

A 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶 is a scent-based exploration walk where you allow your dog to take their time, sniff where they choose and learn about the world around them.

The word '𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶' is a combination of 'sniff' and 'safari' and the idea is that rather than walking quickly and constantly calling your dog to catch up and go where you want to go, you allow your dog to choose the pace and ideally where to go (as long as it's safe). A 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶 is usually slower paced and involves a lot of sniffing by your dog. It's best done in places where there are plenty of smells such as other dogs, animals, birds, events etc. They can be done at any time, but after it's been raining is a great time as the rain releases interesting scents!

Sniffing a scent on the ground or on a tree or lamp post etc, is your dog’s equivalent of us humans watching a favourite movie or reading a good book.

It tells your dog a lot about the environment they are in such as who or what might have been in that area before them. A really effective 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶 is where we give our dogs time to collect the information and process it. Through sniffing, they may also be able to detect who and what may be around now by catching their scents on the wind.

We can be so set on 'I have to exercise the dog' that we forget that doesn't necessarily mean a quick paced walk. Letting your dog go on a 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶 will use up both physical AND mental energy ... sniffing can be tiring (in a good way) and it's also very calming.

This is Darwin, one of our SuperPup Graduates. He won his SUPERPUP MISSION OF THE WEEK for this video submission of a 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶.  This video really shows you how much our dogs LOVE sniffing and actually how much longer they would spend doing it if we let them, instead of walking off and calling them all the time.  Imagine if you were reading a really good book but then you were asked to turn each page before you'd got to the bottom!  This is a brilliant video and so lovely to watch his mum just allow Darwin to sniff.  It also resulted in another fun exercise for him which he probably doesn't get to do at home: digging!!

So why don't you take your dog on some 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶’s and let them experience the world in a way they would choose to.