Life can be boring for our pets. They are trapped inside the same four walls, day in and day out, with very little change to occupy their minds. Even when given access to the outdoors, the smells are usually the same boring scent of their own potty spot.
Providing enrichment can make a big difference in your chihuahua’s overall happiness. There are a number of ways to do this, but one of the best is to take your dog on a Sniffari.
What Are Sniffaris?
A Sniffari is a walk not aimed at exercise, but at letting your dog see the world through their powerful sense of smell. During a Sniffari, you take your dog for a walk but let them choose where to go. When they pause to sniff an interesting spot, you let them sniff as long as they want to.
This makes a boring walk for the humans, but it’s extremely interesting for dogs. They finally get to smell in detail what the neighbor dog’s health status is, track a rabbit across the grass, or investigate that dead earthworm.
If you want to be more involved in the sniffari, you can also set up boxes with interesting smelling items in them. This might be manure (gross, but fascinating for dogs), a bit of wool, perhaps your sweater with the smell of the strange dog you pet on it. Whatever you think would smell fascinating to your dog can go in the box.
Spread them out along your backyard or walk path, and then bring your dog for a leisurely walk between smell stations.
Although you can certainly do this, most dogs don’t need human made stations to feel engaged—they really just need a chance to sniff the world around them without being hurried along!
Tips for a Good Sniffari
Let’s face it—your neighbors probably won’t be too thrilled if your dog wants to sniff directly under their window. Since the goal of a Sniffari is to let your dog sniff as much as possible in the direction they want to go, walking around your neighborhood can be awkward.
You can make it easier to give your dog more freedom by taking them to a park, hiking trail, or dog-friendly beach instead. They’ll have lots of new smells to occupy them, and it’s safer to let your dog wander in any direction they want to go.
Chihuahuas are best off in a harness anyway, but even if you normally use a collar, you might consider switching to a harness for this. Once your dog figures out they get to go where they want and sniff as much as they want, they may pull quite hard in their excitement.
A harness will displace any pulling across their body, so that it doesn’t put pressure on their delicate throat.
How Sniffaris Benefit You
Dogs love Sniffaris, but while they may be enjoying their walk to the utmost, why fidget impatiently at the end of your leash while the dog sniffs the same spot for 5 minutes straight? What’s in it for you?
There’s actually a host of benefits for you as well. If you have a busy dog that tends to find things (destructive) to do when not entertained, sniffaris can tire your dog faster than an exercise specific walk.
The mental enrichment of these walks can also help with several mood related disorders in dogs, such as depression and anxiety. Your dog will return home feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to be that ‘good dog’ you were always hoping for.
How often?
Sniffaris will benefit your dog any time you do them. Some people give their dog a sniffari every day, but if you can’t do them that often, even once a week will greatly benefit your pet.
Chihuahuas tend to be weather sensitive—so if it’s snowing outside and you don’t want to go out, don’t make both you and your dog miserable in the name of enrichment. Instead, try an indoor activity to engage your dog, so they can still work their brains in comfort.
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This is such a brilliant idea! It’s amazing how much enrichment a little bit of scent exploration can bring to a dog’s life – really makes you think about their world.