Spring into Sniffing with your dog! By The Sniffer Shop

Spring into Sniffing with your dog! By The Sniffer Shop

The clocks have sprung forward, the evenings are stretching out, and somewhere in your garden the dog is already nose-deep in something (probably) unspeakable. Spring has arrived, and with it, the perfect excuse to lean into one of the most underrated activities you can do with your dog: scentwork

We know what you're thinking. "Scentwork? That sounds like hard work." It really isn't. At its heart, scentwork is simply giving your dog permission to do what their nose was built for, and watching them absolutely light up because of it.

Here's the thing about those longer evenings: you don't need more time, you need better time. Even a 20-minute sniff-focused walk can leave most dogs feeling more grounded and content than an hour of lead-pulling chaos. The dog who has truly used their nose comes home settled, satisfied - the canine equivalent of a long walk in good company rather than a sprint to the finish.

On your next walk, resist the urge to march from A to B. Slow down, lengthen the lead, and let your dog stop to read the pee-mail. Every sniff is a conversation - who's been past, the local canine gossip, the labrador across the road and his questionable habits. Think of it as their version of catching up with friends over a good gossip - and spring brings a whole new round of news to catch up on. Give them the time to enjoy it. And honestly? Slowing down is good for us too.

Easy game to try today - The Scatter Search: Grab a small handful of kibble or favourite treats and find a patch of long, tussocky grass. The longer the better - the idea is to let the nose do the work rather than the eyes. Scatter the treats widely and let your dog watch you do it. Say "find it!" and step back. Watch what happens to that nose.

Once they're sniffing happily through the grass it's time to level up. While your dog isn't looking, tuck a few treats into the grass rather than on top. Give your cue - just the once - then stand back and stay quiet. Trust the nose. They'll find every single one!

Spring is the season of new beginnings. Make this one the year your dog's nose gets the spotlight it loves!

Kate Hart - The Sniffer Shop
www.thesniffershop.co.uk