Why searching is such a wonderful activity for dogs

The human-dog relationship is deeply rooted in the biology of both species, the significance of which we are only just beginning to appreciate. 

Let's consider how dogs used to spend their lives. Only a few decades ago, dogs were let out the door in the morning and often didn't return until evening.  What did they do all day?  No doubt scavenging and lots of sniffing, meeting and greeting other dogs.  I am not advocating we return to this situation! Far from it, but we need to consider how our dogs spend their day and what opportunities they have for sensory stimulation.

Many animals, including dogs, exhibit a general curiosity about the environment and need sensory stimulation.

^Lindsay says "There may exist a physiological requirement for a certain amount of daily sensory and somatic stimulation that the animal needs in order to feel sufficiently content to abstain from exploratory activity. Sensory and social deprivation may result in the display of exaggerated compensatory reactions designed to satisfy an intensified need for stimulation and social attention." 

According to the *Coppingers, "a dog is a kind of canid that has evolved to co-exist with humans — as a pet, a worker or a scavenger (or, in some cases, a combination of all three)".

These days, most dogs are kept indoors and some may be lucky enough to have a slow, exploratory walk.  Many dogs experience a fairly fast-paced walk around the block with few opportunities to sniff. Others are offered exciting, fast-paced ball play in an attempt to wear them out. Dogs need to sniff, dogs need to be curious and be allowed to explore.

Animal Welfare laws demand that zoos and similar organisations must offer enrichment to the captive animals. What about our dogs?

Mealtimes offer a really simple way to add enrichment. Ditch the bowl, scatter feed, use interactive food dispensers, use some for training opportunities, use some for making walks more interesting.

Walks should be slow, at the dog's pace, allowing for plenty of sniff opportunities. After all, dogs have around 250 million scent receptors in the nose. Humans have only five million. A large proportion of a dog’s brain is devoted to scent. and the nose is the fastest route information can get to the brain.

^Lindsay, S. (2000) Handbook of Applied Dog Behaviour and Training Volume One, Iowa, Blackwell Publishing.

*Coppinger, R & L. (2001) A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behaviour and Evolution, NewYork, Scribner.