Here’s some excellent insight from animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. on the potential for sensory deprivation and stress in dogswho aren’t allowed adequate sniffing opportunities:

“Being smell-blind can be aversive to dogs. My recommendation is to let dogs sniff; let’s not hijack one of their vital connections to the world. Let them sniff to their nose’s content when they’re tethered on a leash, or when they’re walking and hanging out with friends and others and running freely.

As mentioned, not allowing dogs to exercise their nose and other senses could be a form of sensory deprivation that robs them of information they need to figure out what’s happening in their world. Being smell-blind can indeed be stressful to dogs because they need odors and other information to assess what’s happening around them.”³

Now, not every walk you take with your dog has to be a leisurely sniff-fest. But at least once a day, let your canine BFF sniff to his heart’s content and feel good that you’re letting your dog be a dog! Evaluating the emotional environment of your home is also a good idea. I have a hunch future research will validate what we very much suspect is true — that pets in happy homes tend to be healthier and more balanced than pets who live in stressed or sick homes.