▲ American Eskimo Dog (Source = Wikipedia) |
A nose work is a dog collecting information by taking the smell from all over the place. The dog looks at the world with his nose just as we see the world with his eyes. Therefore, if you are raising a dog, you must create an environment in which the dog can nose walk.
Nose work products for dogs
There are about 300 million olfactory receptors in the nose. This is 10,000 times more than the olfactory receptor in the human nose. In other words, trying to smell a crab is a very natural instinct and desire. It is important for a dog to throw a ball, play and play, but it is also important to smell it.
▲ dog nose (source = Wikimedia Commons) |
Advantages of dog nose work
By creating an environment that allows puppies to have a basic nose-walk, puppies will be able to cultivate their natural talents while at the same time being able to play mental and physically fun and exciting. If you are a dog owner, you may have seen a dog bored. At that time, you should exercise together or let the dog do the nose work and activate the puppy's body and brain.
▲ Dog waiting for a snack (Source: Baccusdail Air Force Base) |
Nose work training
The first step in nose work training is to make the dog feel the hunting desire. Positive reinforcement training stimulates the dog's hunting instinct. For example, you can hide snacks in paper cups or futons.
▲ Dog smelling grass (source = Wikimedia Commons) |
Over time, finding more and more hides snacks in complex places. Later, it will increase the training level by making it look for items that are not snacks but specific odors, such as the owner's clothes or puppy's toys.
This training can be done on a routine basis, but if you want to get your dog trained, you should seek professional help.
Making nose blankets
Koh blanket, also called sniffing mat, is a tool that can hide snacks from dogs by attaching various pockets, strings and cloths to mats made of cloth or artificial turf. Then the dog finds out snacks only by smell.
▲ Dog smells toys (source = Flickr) |
Making sniffing balls for nose work
Snuffballs, similar to Koh blanks, are toys that hide a snack with a variety of pockets in a ball similar to a plush doll. Then the dog smells and takes out the snack.
▲ Dogs in training for bomb detection (Source: Peterson Air Force Base) |
Nose work game
You can play a simple nose-walk game. For example, after hiding a small snack in the hand, the dog smells of the owner's right or left hand to find a snack. Or you can hid snacks in the corner of your house and let the puppy find you.
▲ Dog smells of trees (Source: Pixar Bay) |