The Power of Nose Work: Transforming Anxious Dogs into Calm Companions

Discover the secret to transforming a hyperactive or anxious dog into a calm and content companion through the power of nose work. Join me, Will Bangura, as we delve into how engaging a dog's remarkable sense of smell can be more invigorating than a sprint or an agility course. This episode uncovers the fascinating science behind this unique form of canine enrichment, highlighting how it taps into their natural instincts and offers them a sense of purpose. Learn how this activity not only reduces stress and unwanted behaviors but also lowers heart rates and cortisol levels, ensuring a balanced and happy life for your furry friend.

Explore how nose work can deepen the bond between you and your pet, promoting confidence and reducing anxiety by turning a simple sniffing session into a fulfilling adventure. We'll share practical insights to get you started on this rewarding journey, reminding you that patience and consistency will lead to a more relaxed and joyful dog. Whether your pup is a bundle of nerves or an energy powerhouse, discover why a tired nose is the key to a peaceful home. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enrich your dog's life and strengthen your connection. Be sure to subscribe, share, and leave a review to spread the joy of nose work with fellow pet lovers!

Chapters

• 0:00 Nose Work for Anxious Dogs
• 16:33 Scent Work for Canine Enrichment

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Do you have an anxious dog? Or maybe you've got a dog that has a lot of energy and maybe you like to play with your dog. Run with your dog, try to run out that energy. Maybe you take your dog to doggy daycare to get that energy out, okay, or run an agility course. Well, there's a much better way to provide the best kind of mental enrichment for your dog, whether it's anxious or just high energy or just a dog. The best way to stimulate their brains and the best way to tire them out is to teach them how to do nose work, scent detection and it's incredibly easy and it's incredibly fun and effective.

Speaker 2: 1:01

All that and more. Fur babies thrive. Live in studio with Will Bangura answering your pet behavior and training questions. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your host and favorite pet behavior expert, will Bangura.

Speaker 1: 1:18

Would you like to go on? Okay, y'all ready for this.

Speaker 1: 1:31

Good Saturday morning everybody. I'm Will Van Gora. Hey, thanks for joining me for another episode of Dog Training today. Hey, if you love what we do, do me a favor, make sure that you subscribe. Hit that like button, leave us a review. We love it when you do that. Anyway, today we're going to explore everything that you need to know to help your dogs live their happiest, most balanced and fulfilled lives. I'm your host, will Bangura.

Speaker 1: 2:01

I'm a certified dog behavior consultant. I'm a certified canine behaviorist, certified professional dog trainer, and I'm also fear-free certified, and I specialize in some of the most difficult behaviors. I use nothing but positive reinforcement. Those that have listened to the show know that corrections and punishment are absolutely unnecessary. You can train a dog to do anything using just positive reinforcement, and you can modify and change unwanted behaviors just using positive reinforcement. And, hey, if you can do it without causing discomfort for your dog, why use punishment Right? Why use negative reinforcement? You can do everything with positive reinforcement. Don't take my word for it. Check the studies.

Speaker 1: 2:47

But anyway, today's episode is one that I'm particularly excited about because it's all about a tool that's powerful, accessible and incredibly effective for dogs with anxiety, nose work and scent detection. Training is incredible for dogs with anxiety. So if you've got a dog that struggles with anxiety whether it's fear of new environments, separation anxiety or even a dog that's reactive Nose work could be the key to giving them a calmer, more confident outlook on life. But here's the kicker Nose work isn't just for anxious dogs. It's one of the best ways to stimulate and enrich any dog's life, any dog. And here's a little known fact that might surprise you Engaging your dog's sense of smell for, just say, 15 minutes can be more mentally and physically tiring than an hour long run or an agility session. Let me explain why and how you can start using this powerful technique with your dogs today.

Speaker 1: 4:21

Now let's start with an exercise. Imagine walking into your kitchen. You see a loaf of freshly baked bread on the counter. You notice the golden crust, the steam rising. It smells incredible. Right Now, imagine your dog walks into the same room. They don't just smell the bread, they smell the individual ingredients. Yeah, they smell the yeast, they smell the flour, they smell the sugar Heck, they even smell the butter that you use to grease the pan that you use to grease the pan.

Speaker 1: 5:05

That's the difference between a human nose and a dog's nose. While we have about, I think there's 6 million olfactory receptors that people have. Well, those are the receptors for smelling. Well, dogs you know we've got about 6 million Dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors used for smelling. And where humans dedicate about 5% of our brain to smell, dogs dedicate a whopping 40% or more. You need to hear that again. Where humans dedicate about 5% of our brains to smell, dogs dedicate 40% or more of their brain to smelling. So if you really want to tire out your dog, if you really want to stimulate your dog and give it something to do, that's going to be super effective. Do nose work, do scent work.

Speaker 1: 6:12

Now, when we talk about the power of the dog's nose, what does that mean? Well, it means your dog's experiencing the world primarily through their nose. Their sense of smell is their primary tool for gathering information, much like our vision is for us. Anxiety often stems from uncertainty, a lack of understanding about what's happening around them. Nose work helps to bridge that gap. When you engage your dog's sense of smell, you're giving them a way to interpret their environment, process information and feel more in control.

Speaker 1: 7:02

Now let's talk specifically about anxiety. Anxiety in dogs can look like pacing, whining, destructive behavior or, in some cases even aggression. Oftentimes this anxiety is rooted in overstimulation or, paradoxically, understimulation. Now, when you understand dogs, you understand that they are incredibly intelligent social creatures. They need both mental and physical enrichment to thrive. And here's the truth enrichment to thrive. And here's the truth.

Speaker 1: 7:53

Most pet parents focus heavily on the physical side of things walks, playtime, maybe even running through an agility course but what's often overlooked is the mental stimulation, and that's where nose work comes in. Nose work gives dogs a sense of purpose. It taps into their natural instincts to search, sniff and solve problems. And for dogs with anxiety, hey, that can be a lifeline. Here's an analogy. Think about how you feel when you're anxious. Your mind races right Now. Imagine someone gives you a challenging but enjoyable puzzle to solve. Suddenly, your focus shifts, doesn't it? You're no longer consumed by your anxious thoughts, you're immersed in the task at hand. That's what nose work does for dogs.

Speaker 1: 9:01

Now here's something fascinating. Researchers have studied the effects of sniffing on dogs on their emotional states. One study found that allowing dogs to sniff freely on walks significantly lowered their heart rates and cortisol levels, both indicators of stress. Like teaching dogs to identify specific smells, that boosts their confidence and it also lowers their overall stress levels. Now why does this happen? It's because sniffing activates a part of the brain associated with reward and pleasure. When dogs sniff, their brains release dopamine. That's the feel-good chemical. It's like a natural anti-anxiety medication, but without any side effects.

Speaker 1: 10:05

Now here's the kicker Sniffing is more tiring than running. When a dog sniffs, their brain works overtime to process the information that they're gathering. This mental effort is far more exhausting and satisfying than any kind of physical exercise alone. Now I want you to physically exercise your dogs, but I just want you to know how powerful nose work is. Now let's address some common questions about it.

Speaker 1: 10:42

If nose work is so great, how does it compare to agility? If nose work is so great, how does it compare to agility? Because a lot of people are like hey, I got to get my dog active. The more physically active my dog is, the better. Well, hey, agility is a fantastic activity for certain dogs. It's high energy, it builds physical fitness and it strengthens the bond between the pet parent and the dog.

Speaker 1: 11:14

But for anxious dogs, agility can sometimes backfire. Think about it Agility courses are fast-paced and often noisy. They require the dog to navigate here's the one unfamiliar equipment that's scary and follow rapid fire cues. For a confident outgoing dog, that might be a thrill, but for an anxious dog, that could be incredibly overwhelming. Now, nose work, on the other hand, it's calming. It allows the dog to work at their own pace in a low-pressure environment. There's no right or wrong way to sniff, no loud noises, no intimidating equipment. It's just the dog, their nose and the task at hand. And here's the best part you don't need a big backyard or specialized equipment to do nose work. You can start in your own living room with nothing more than, say, a few treats or toys.

Speaker 1: 12:20

So how do we get started with this? Well, the great thing about nose work is it's easy to learn and dogs love it right away. So let's talk about how to start. Start with a favorite treat or toy. Choose something that your dog loves. If it's food, go for a treat with strong smell, like cheese or chicken, or a little piece of hot dog. If your dog prefers toys, pick the toy that they're most excited about. All right.

Speaker 1: 12:53

And then next, what we want to do is create a very to begin with, a very simple search game. First, let your dog sniff the treat or the toy so that they know what they're looking for. Then hide that in an easy to find spot, like, say, under a towel or behind a chair leg. Now, with your dog, say something like find it, search, find it. To encourage your dog to start searching. Now, in the beginning you may have to walk towards the object, kind of help them out a little bit. Don't help them out too much, because again, we want them to use their nose. This is their time to explore. Okay, now, when your dog does find the treat or toy, make a huge deal out of it, praise them enthusiastically and let them enjoy the reward.

Speaker 1: 13:55

Now, as your dog gets the hang of it, start hiding the treat in more challenging places. You could even use small boxes or cups, you know, to kind of create a show game. All right, you can also. I mean, once your dog's confidently doing this, this can be really fun. You can introduce essential oils like birch anise or clove. Place a few drops on a cotton ball, hide it and reward your dog for finding it. Again, you're going to let your dog smell it first, then you're going to go hide it, ask the dog find it, search and maybe walk around back and forth, don't just go straight to it. Maybe your dog will, maybe it won't. The game is the same whether it's food or whether it's smelling an herb. Now you can also, if you want to take things to the next level, you might consider joining a class, nosework class, scent work class. These classes teach you how to train your dog to identify specific scents and even if you want to compete in scent detection trials.

Speaker 1: 15:11

Yeah, I've seen countless dogs transformed through nose work. One of my clients had a border collie mixed name, max, who was terrified of new environments. Max would shake, whine, pant and refuse to engage whenever his pet parent took him somewhere unfamiliar. We introduced nose work, starting with simple games at home. Within weeks seriously within weeks Max was sniffing out hidden treats with excitement and confidence, and over time, max's anxiety in new places decreased because he started seeing the world as an opportunity for exploration, not something to fear. As an opportunity for exploration, not something to fear. Another success story is Bella, a rescue dog with severe separation anxiety. Her pet parents started incorporating 10 minutes of nose work before leaving the house. The result Bella was calmer and more relaxed during the pet parent's absence.

Speaker 1: 16:29

Now nose work isn't just an activity.

Speaker 1: 16:33

It's a way to connect with your dog on a deeper level. Yeah, it is a way to tap into their natural instincts and provide mental enrichment, and it gives them the confidence to navigate the world with less fear and anxiety. Or, if you just want to give them some fun fulfilling activities, nose work is absolutely worth exploring. Start small, be patient and watch as your dog's confidence grows. And if you've got a dog with lots of energy, that's really excitable. Start doing this scent work and watch how it tires them out more than going for a long walk, more than running them throwing the ball. It's absolutely amazing. Well, folks, that music means we're just about out of time. That's it for today's episode of Dog Training Today, hey, if you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe and leave a review, hit that like button and share it with a fellow pet parent and, as always, feel free to reach out with your questions or suggestions for future episodes. And until next time, remember a tired nose is a happy, calm dog. I'm out of here, take care everybody. Bye.