All Dogs Should be able to Sniff!

This is one of the longest war cries, some dog trainers have been chanting for years.

Let the dogs sniff! Dogs should be able to sniff wherever they want and whenever they want. That’s how dogs see the world. This war cry has been a long standing argument directed towards e-collar trainers ever since the e-collar became more popular within the dog training industry.

Most of the everyday dog owners would be shocked! Yes shocked! To find out that e-collar trainers, also believe that dogs should be able to use their nose and sniff too.

Truth be told. The dog trainers chanting that already know this. They just need something to hold onto because they feel less as a dog trainer in a world surrounded by some really amazing dog trainers slaying it in their same treat training field of discipline. E-collar trainers also agree, dogs should sniff!

The caveat…

E-collar trainers do believe that. But!

They believe in facts. Dogs don’t see with their nose. They see with their eyes. And yes, they should be able to enjoy their nose and sniff! But in controlled areas and on controlled breaks.

Let’s be honest. No person enjoys having a dog come up to them from behind to sniff their butt.

Or worse, coming in from the front! Unless you’ve been alone for a pretty long time. Also, moms don’t want a strange dog coming up to sniff their little child. They don’t know the first thing about your dog. A mom only wants to keep their kid safe. And can you imagine the ramifications if a dog went up to sniff an elderly person and they got so afraid that they fell back and broke a hip?

You are responsible for hurting that old person, scaring that child, or letting your dog intrude into a person’s personal space because you chose to pursue an old training standard that doesn’t have any way of holding your dog accountable. Training your dog is a serious issue for the safety of everyone else around you.

Let your dog sniff! Let them sniff within the boundaries you allow after they have been properly trained. And always remember… Your dog sees the world with their eyes. They just enjoy more of the world with their nose! And like all the regular people of this world, we don’t go up and touch every person we are attracted too because it feels good for us. We have basic etiquette that helps us live cohesively with one another.

If you’re a dog trainer that hasn’t learned that a dog can still use their nose without it being glued to the floor, you may want to re-evaluate your future as a dog trainer.

A dog never stops using their nose to breath or smell. E-collar trainers simply expect better behavior from our furry friends when we step out of the house.