# Stopping to sniff frequently



## Jeffro (Mar 25, 2013)

We have a 6 year old Golden and walks are usually not an issue (he still pulls sometimes, especially if he sees a child or another dog that is excited), but on smaller, narrow trails he is obsessed with sniffing what I will assume is every place where another dog has gone pee.

It is very frustrating, especially if we are jogging, because he will just stop to sniff as I keep going. He ignores commands, treats, and we end up having to wait, or the leash is pulled because I'm still walking or jogging. Today we were jogging and he stopped, my hand jerked back and the dog bag holder emptied all the bags along the trail. 

Do you have any suggestions on what we can do about this? On the narrow trail by our home he will want to stop every 5-10 feet to sniff sometimes. Maybe he has some hound dog in him...lol

I am considering a training collar, but I'd rather not. We already use a front pulling harness.

Thanks!


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Keeping in mind that stopping and sniffing is normal dog behavior, they are interested, curious about who or what has passed through the path or route they are travelling, and perhaps whether that passer by is safe (familiar, other dogs) or unfamiliar such as wildlife. However, walks should included something of value and enjoyable to both dog and owner - so frequent stops can be a bit of a nuisance. Consider stopping and giving him time to sniff, consider working a little harder at keeping his attention, paying more attention to him, to keeping him moving with you, and rewarding him with an opportunity to 'be a dog' at random intervals. If my dog gets too interested in sniffing on our walks, I will give the 'leave it' cue, and encourage him to keep moving with a 'Let's go!' or 'This way!' - and work to stay connected with him. 

Dogs by nature do not travel in a straight line, neither do they often have the goal of getting from point A to point B, their natural instinct is to assess and consider the environment they are living in, determine whether they are safe, or need to be cautious - it is survival instinct. When I walk my dogs, I do have a end goal in mind, but I also keep in mind that is their walk too, and they deserve the opportunity to do what dogs do, as well as to keep me company on our travels.


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## FosterGolden (Mar 10, 2014)

Well, your dog is six. That is a long time for a behavior to occur before tying to change it. And, what he is doing is normal dog behavior, to boot! It's one of those things, if you didn't want it to occur, you should have managed it when he was younger (too late now, just saying, it's really hard to change once a habit is cemented). When a dog is allowed to self-reward, they will learn to understand that the behavior (pulling, for example) will lead to the behavior he wants.


Here are some suggestions:


Put sniffing on a cue. This is what I do, but I start my dogs very young. I walk for a bit and then every 15 minutes, give or take, I take a stance and say, "OK, go sniff/pee/whatever". I give them some time, a minute or two, then say, "Let's go." At this point they know how to loose leash walk and they know "leave it". I did this less for the sniffing and more for the peeing. They are both boys and I didn't want them marking every two seconds or peeing on the wrong things. I was proactive, so no habits were established, but nature is hard to fight so it wasn't super fast or super easy. I just stayed consistent. 


You can try retraining your leash walking, starting in the house and working your way outside. It is key that you absolutely stop allowing him to self-reward by pulling, whether it's sniffing, going through a door, peeing, visiting, getting to the car, etc. Good things cannot happen when the dog pulls. In fact, nothing at all happens. 


I find head collars do wonders for sniffing. You'd have to acclimate the dog first and train him to it. Many dogs don't find them punishing but your dog may be different. You can try it and find out.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Personally, I consider walks with my dogs to be their time. I'll dawdle as my workouts are separate from their walks. They know they can stop & sniff as they want, and then we move along  They really don't spend that much time sniffing since it's allowed and they can get most of the scents they want by air sniffing.

Good luck


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

Sounds like your dog hasn't been trained to walk on a loose leash. He's not listening outside or responding to treats because the outdoors are too distracting, and also, he hasn't had to. I'd stop running with him until you've trained him in a very good heel, because each time he stops you're both at risk for injury, especially if you're still running. If he knows how to heel, you can teach him the difference between 'walk/run time' and "sniff and be a dog time." And then you can start teaching him to run with you by starting with small distances and gradually increase. And when you start to teach him this, I'd start on a path that is very wild, or even in a field. 

Dogs sniff the ground for more reasons than just to sniff dog pee. Its part of how they navigate and don't get lost. They investigate whether passersby are safe (familiar).He might be tired or bored and have decided he needs a break. In the wild, dogs don't run continuously for long distances, they run, stop, run, stop etc. Running just might not be that fun for your dog. Some dogs love it, some dogs like it ok, and tolerate it because they love us. 

My dog just turned 2 and is now able to do things like run with me, and bone, growth plate and joint issues aside, she wouldn't have been ready to do it before now because loose leash walking wasn't down pat. 

Also--I'm not sure I would take a dog for runs in an easy walk harness because of the way it restricts the chest when a correction is issued. Your dog's legs are extended a lot more when running vs walking. I'd consider another type of harness -- Ruffwear makes some front clip harnesses that don't squeeze the chest and shoulders.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Sunrise said:


> Personally, I consider walks with my dogs to be their time. I'll dawdle as my workouts are separate from their walks. They know they can stop & sniff as they want, and then we move along  They really don't spend that much time sniffing since it's allowed and they can get most of the scents they want by air sniffing.
> 
> Good luck


This is my philosophy, too, for the most part. Sniffing is part of what they do, and love to do. I mix things up - we go play ball, we go train, we just go for an off-leash walk, or we do a longer leash walk - and some days, we just do slow, dawdly walks where she gets to sniff as much as she wants. But it's all about HER exercise time, and giving her the opportunity to be a dog.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

When I walk my boy, it's _*his*_ time to enjoy being out to get exercise, explore the surroundings and smell all the smells. I am just along for the walk. 

I try to change up his walks, sometimes we just walk around the neighborhood, sometimes I take him over the Main beach or we walk the trails at the National Forest.


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## Gleepers (Apr 20, 2016)

I haven’t had to many issues with my current dogs. Probably because my life and their walks are a little less structured than they used to be. 

With my old dogs though we had 2 types of walks. A business walk and leisure walks. 
Business walks were all about mileage. I might let them do a quick break now and then but overall it was all about moving forward and not stopping. 

Then I’d take them on leisure walks. Usually when I didn’t have time for a good one. These were shorter and they were free to sniff and dally all they wanted. 

I’d use a different leash depending on what we were doing. 6ft standard leash for business and a retractable for leisure. After awhile they figured out their expectations based on what leash I pulled out.


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## Jeffro (Mar 25, 2013)

I know dogs sniff, but obviously I just want to see if there are any suggestions for narrow trails so I'm not stuck with my dog sniffing every 5 feet...it makes me not want to walk , or especially not run with him on the trail near our home.

So, some advice was given, and I do appreciate all of the helpful feedback!  

He used to pull a lot and we did obedience training starting when he was a puppy. He is a leader, never wanting to walk behind us, but over the years I've gotten him to stay by our side and not pull. 

He walks on a loose leash now, except sometimes when he is excited about a dog or person, and the sniffing...

He also has learned new tricks (spin, play dead, roll over) in the last year that he just never would get when he was younger. I do think old dogs can be taught, otherwise I would not even bother asking for advice.

He hasn't done the excessive sniffing his whole life. It has been more recent, especially in the last year or so. It has gotten to the point where I wanted to ask for help, which is why I posted here.


So, what should I do when he stops to sniff? I'm not supposed to pull on his leash, but if he just ignores my "Leave it" or "Come" commands...what do I do? Do I turn around and go back home rather than trying to continue? At what point do I do this? I want him to be able to sniff, but how might I discourage so much sniffing?



I really like the idea of a sniff command! I had not thought of it before, and I think this is what I will start with! 

Another suggestion was a different leash for casual vs. 'business' walks. I like it! I have read more negative responses about the long leashes than positive, but I could see how a combination could work. He would know he could sniff and roam more on his time on the long leash (in theory). I may give this a try as well.

The other thought was a shock collar, not to shock with, but the vibrate mode. He knows commands, but just seems to ignore them when he wants to sniff. Maybe the vibrate would get him to stop, unless I give him the command to sniff.

I see plenty of dogs, including Goldens that walk without sniffing every 5 feet. I want to do something, not only so we can jog, but even walking on the trail without so much interruption.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

It sounds like you and your dog just need a lot more practice honing that skill. If leash walking was solid, you wouldn't need the easy walk harness. Its not the most fun thing to train in the world, but well worth the effort. 

With my dog, I always give her 10-15 minutes at the beginning of a walk to sniff and do her own thing. I'm working on developing a longer heel with her, and also training her to jog with me a little, so I feel it helps get that out of her system and then she's ready to "work." 

Does your dog know how to heel? If so, I would work on really really developing a solid heel, and build in a release cue "free," "OK," etc. A dog on a heel should stay on a heel with you until released. If not, its easily taught. I would make it your best friend. If your dog is looking up and paying attention to you, he won't stop and sniff every 5 feet. And maybe you can even ditch the easy walk for good. 

Keep working on "leave it" a lot. A lot a lot a lot with a lot of different distractions. 

Carry something with you while you are training that can get your dog's attention (treats, balls etc). I'm currently training my dog to jog with me, and I carry a little squeaker ball. One squeak and her attention is back on me if she's ignored "heel" or "watch me." 

Start doing these things at home, on wide streets. Do it every multiple times a day in short sessions and build from there. 

Sometimes when dogs get older they will forget a bit of training, or just learn how to bend the rules to do things they want to do. Once you train your dog how to walk on a loose leash, its easy to forget that skills like that often need maintenance. I know that I'm not 100% consistent about my dog's behavior all the time, and when I'm not, she'll get a little "forgetful" about things. 

However, I'd also do some research about dog body language. He could be sniffing because he's just being independent and going at his own pace and doing things he wants, but I would watch for signs that he's anxious or uncomfortable in the trails area. He could suddenly be sniffing every 5 feet because something is going on with his vision and he's utilizing his sense of smell more to compensate. He could be sniffing because he's tired or sore and is trying to take a break, or because he doesn't like jogging and is displacing some frustration. 

E-Collars are tricky because you really have to know how to use them (even on vibration). You have to train your dog with one, and know exactly how, when, and why to issue corrections etc. If inconsistent, you can just confuse your dog because they don't know what the correction was for. And you can end up creating more problems than you started with if used incorrectly. It shouldn't be something thats incorporated without extensive training for you and your dog with a trainer.


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## Jeffro (Mar 25, 2013)

Believe me, we have spent time working on walking on a loose leash next to us. We don't use the command "heel", but "come" he understands and knows that he is supposed to walk by our side. Most of the time it is fine and he does great.

The harness is to prevent him from pulling hard enough to hurt himself or pull us around. He is a strong boy and if he sees something that distracts him, no command or treat seems to matter (especially if it is another golden).

He listens very well in other circumstances. He will leave food that falls on the floor if we use the "leave it" command, he will sit and wait for his food, watching us until we say "take it" (one time my wife forgot to say take it and he sat there for a good 20 minutes lol). I can use a "watch me" command and he will. He knows many commands and is usually eager to please, but if he wants to sniff (even on a walk)...he doesn't care what we do or say. 

I will try the squeaker suggestion though! We used a spray bottle at the home to get him to stop barking and calm down when someone new would come over and it worked well (I don't need to use the spray bottle anymore), but I don't want to carry a spray bottle on the trail.

He just has no interest in treats, praise, or commands if he wants to sniff or play. We use the command sit when we see he is excited about another dog, but we also hold his harness and can't let him play with dogs on the trail while on leash. I'll see if we can work on a release command, maybe it would help make it clear to him when it is okay to roam.

The thing is, we don't mind him being a dog, wandering around, stopping now and then, getting excited. We just want to prevent the excessive sniffing. He is not blind. I don't know if it is his way of showing he wants more time to roam, but we do give him that time as well.

I do take him without the harness sometimes when I run. It works well most of the time because I'm a big guy, but my wife and daughter need the harness. He rarely lunges anymore, but he does pull if he gets excited about another dog sometimes. 



I find it interesting that there are comments about a dog just being a dog (sniffing), yet if he wants to play with another dog or human and doesn't heel it isn't okay? :doh:


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

Jeffro said:


> I find it interesting that there are comments about a dog just being a dog (sniffing), yet if he wants to play with another dog or human and doesn't heel it isn't okay? :doh:


People have different philosophies when it comes to walking with their dogs and what they want their dogs to do while on a leash. Sniffing is very mentally stimulating for dogs. I can spend 30 minutes outside with her where she's just investigating stuff, and she finds that just as exciting and fun as playing fetch for 30 minutes. My dog is welcome on my bed, and also on furniture with me if she's invited. But only if she's invited to, and she respects my boundaries. Is it consistent? No. But it works for us. 

Generally speaking though, there are hazards that can come up when dogs run up to other dogs or people that don't necessarily come up when sniffing the ground. Dog fights, dog bites, people injuries, walking in heavy traffic areas. There are people out there in the world who don't like dogs, or are afraid of dogs, and having a dog straining to run up to them can be distressing. My dog sniffing the ground doesn't infringe on anyone else's personal space.


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