The Sniff

What We Can Learn From Walking Our Dogs.

We used to treat dog walks like errands, getting the dogs out and our steps in, to finish the neighborhood loop, and get back to our inboxes. Then Mo, our nine-year-old Anatolian Shepherd, started slowing down. He doesn’t prance through the neighborhood anymore; he meanders like an old man. And, somewhere in that shift, the thing that has become most important to him, more than the walk, is The Sniff.

As Mo gets older, his walking distances have shortened, but the time we spend out on walks is almost the same, and sometimes even longer. We live in a suburban oasis where there is plenty of dog traffic, squirrels, and even the occasional fox or coyote. Mo’s nose reads all of these animals - the way you or I would read a good article. He stops at a patch of grass or a phone pole, and you can practically see his brain light up.

We used to feel impatient as he stopped dead in his tracks to sniff under a bush. Now just let him do his “work,” and he comes home just as satisfied as he did after a long walk, but less sore. We don’t drag him away from sniffing, and we don’t rush him. We give him the freedom to take the time to sniff for as long as he wants - and that is something we, as humans, could learn from.

Mo, taking the time to sniff the ocean

We know the importance of self-care, but some days we treat it like a task - scheduled between two other tasks to be checked off, with little to no enjoyment in the self-care action. I look at the days when I am the busiest, and I don’t feel connected to anything. Then I take a slow walk with Mo in the woods, where he sniffs and I breathe, and I feel more present than when I checked “meditate” off my list earlier in the day.

The Sniff has also made me appreciate our walks more as I get older. Lewie, our Labrador, at six, has plenty of juice; he’ll dip his nose for a quick sniff, but mostly he’s about the walking. Mo is the counterpoint, slow and deliberate, taking his time. It feels true for people too: when you’re younger, you want movement and a million things at once, and with age, you start to value the pause. Now I leave my phone at home or in the car (I have a smartwatch for emergencies) and I’m happy to meander. Mo reads the neighborhood, Lewie sets a friendly pace, and Ron and I look around, take a few breaths, and all return home calm and relaxed.

There are a lot of lessons we can learn from our dogs, but for me, taking the time to sniff is one of my favorites. Below is a recent video Ron made about the importance of letting your dog sniff during walks.

Enjoy and happy sniffing!

https://youtube.com/shorts/p42sWf5EV-U?si=7m9huXdU5YdRyvM4