#180 Sniff 1st - Listen Later

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Ever wonder why your perfectly trained dog suddenly "forgets" all commands when you enter a new environment? The answer lies in understanding how differently dogs experience the world compared to humans.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the 5-Minute Dog, the mini-podcast
that delivers practical trainingadvice in less than 5 minutes.
When we walk into a new place,like a building, a friend's home
, a park, we use our eyesight tocheck the place out who's here,

(00:25):
what's going on?
Where do I go?
This place is nice, it'sautomatic.
It helps us get our bearingsand feel comfortable, and dogs
do the exact same thing.
They just use their nose.
Sniffing is how dogs process theworld.

(00:46):
When they enter a newenvironment, they need a moment
to gather information.
What's been here?
Who's nearby?
Is this place safe?
Instead of giving them thatmoment, we launch right into
commands Wait, leave it, stayclose, don't sniff.

(01:15):
That.
We expect them to focus and payattention to us before they've
had a chance to get comfortablein the environment, and you know
some dogs will go along with it.
They'll stay by your side,follow your lead, but quietly
feel overwhelmed.
Others might pull snifffrantically whenever they get
the chance or just seem to actdistracted, and it's not because

(01:37):
they're being bad, but becausethey're trying to catch up.
They're not comfortable in theenvironment yet.
So here's the fix when you gosomewhere new, just pause for a
second, go slow, give your dogat least 30 seconds to sniff
when you enter a new environment.

(01:59):
If possible, take their leashoff and let them explore.
If you're in a big box store ornew outdoor park, maybe go
light on the leash, allowing formore sniffing and exploration
during your first visit.
That tiny window of time canmake a huge difference, helping

(02:20):
your dog feel more confident,comfortable and ready to listen.
Sniffing is the canine versionof looking around the room, so
the next time you head somewherenew, take a breath, let them
sniff.
They're not ignoring you.
They're getting comfortable.
Give them that moment.

(02:42):
It builds confidence, it makesfuture outings go smoother and
it honors the way they naturallyexperience the world.