A blog post by Clutch “The Nose” Yorkie
Did you know Yorkies have an incredible sense of smell? We were bred for it. We need lots of opportunities to pick up on all the smells around us. It’s great for our well-being. I love to sniff!
A Grand, Scent-Filled Adventure
Recently, I got to hang out with my teenage friend and pet sitter who lives in my neighborhood. While Miss Janet visited with his mom, my friend and I got to roam through the woods. It was awesome!
You would be amazed at how many things I smelled on our trip through the woods. It’s not my usual turf, so a whole new world opened through my nose. There was one point where we got near my puppyhood farm, and I could sense the familiar smells. But otherwise, every smell was new.
I smelled chickens and another dog. We have those smells at home too, but these were a different variety. I could sense every creature that had traipsed through the woods. Above ground, under ground, through the air, on tree branches, I could smell it all! What a grand adventure.
After we walked a while, we got to sit by the river. I loved watching the fish swim by. The river has so many smells, like fresh water bubbling with minerals (I can pick out each one), moss, rocks, river plants, riverbank mud, and of course the fish, bugs, and birds that hang out there. My nose took it all in. What a wonderful experience! It was such an exciting evening, and I’m grateful to my friend for spending time with me.
Taking Time to Smell Everything
A new adventure awaited me at home too. It’s spring, so I smell lots of flying things and the flowers they land on. I think spring must be the most fragrant time of year. So many scents in every direction. Walks become more exciting. So much to explore.
Miss Janet knows Yorkies were bred for catching rats, so she knows how important my nose is for my well-being. Since the temperature is really nice, she lets me putter around on the front deck to see what I can smell. It’s a great exercise for me and so fun.
My favorite thing is to smell for lizards. Occasionally I’ll chase one, but they’re too quick for me. They slip between the wooden boards. Miss Janet wouldn’t let me eat one anyway. She’s so obsessed with my digestive health. But it’s fun to smell those lizards and even more fun to chase them.
Why do I spend so much time sniffing everything? Well, like I said, it’s part of my heritage. As a Yorkie, I come from a long line of pups that were bred to sniff for rodents. My nose is truly amazing. I’m proud of being able to track so many smells. It opens up a whole interesting world every day.
Why Sniffing Is Good for Yorkies
Sniffing has great benefits for my well-being:
It helps with my mental fitness. Tracking and identifying all those scents is a really good exercise for my brain. It keeps me engaged and focused.
Sniffing helps calm me. It releases feel-good hormones and boosts my mood. It distracts me from any stressors. It helps regulate my nervous system, so it optimizes my health and well-being. Sniffing also helps me acclimate to my surroundings, making me feel more secure.
Sniffing is also a helpful physical exercise, especially for a senior dog like me. If you watch as we Yorkies zero in on a scent, you’ll be surprised at how many subtle movements our noses make. All that movement takes a concerted effort, and it’s also good for my breathing. That means sniffing is a nice low-impact exercise ideal for senior pups.
Sniffing can wear me out in a good way, so I’ll sleep better. You should have seen how well I slept after walking and sniffing my way through the woods with my teenage friend! I even let Miss Janet sleep in the next morning. I felt so comfy and cozy.
Create Opportunities for Your Yorkie to Sniff
There are lots of good reasons for giving your Yorkie many opportunities to sniff. Let him take some extra time on walks to slow down and smell what’s around him. (It’s good for you to slow down too!) And give him a fun place just to sniff, like I do with my front deck, on a regular basis.
Treats provide a great opportunity to sniff too, but you might lose a finger if you don’t do it the right way. Try putting a small variety of treats (a blueberry, piece of shredded carrot, other small pup-friendly treat) into a Kong, and let your pup have the chance to smell and explore while extracting the treats. Be sure to choose the right size Kong for your pup. You don’t want that thing to get stuck in his mouth.
Sniffing is part of a well-rounded care routine for a Yorkie. Be sure to incorporate sniffing into your Yorkie’s daily activities. Your amazing-nosed Yorkie will love you for it!
From my nose to your nose,
Clutch
The Inquisitive Yorkie 