Why you should let your dog stop and sniff on a walk, according to a vet psychiatrist

My partner and I recently had a debate about how to walk our dog. Let me explain: Every morning, I take AJ for a walk on the same one-mile route for about 25–35 minutes. One day, my boyfriend took him on the same route and came back after around 15 minutes. My dog seemed restless after that, barking more at passing neighbors and nudging me to play as I worked from home. I figured my partner had taken a shortcut, and AJ just needed a longer walk to tire him out. A few days later, when we walked the pup together, it hit me — my fast-walker boyfriend wasn't letting him stop and sniff. On the other hand, I'd been letting him pause and poke at almost anything he wanted to. I, too, am someone who "walks with purpose," but I figured the purpose was to let AJ enjoy his time outside, not necessarily clock steps for the day. So, what's more important: How far your dog walks? Or how much time it spends sniffing and exploring while doing so?

Should you let your dog stop and sniff on a walk?

I decided to get some advice from experts. First, I reached out to Dr. Andrea Y. Tu, DVM, chief of veterinary behavior services at the Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group in New York City. She's a behavior veterinarian, aka a veterinary psychiatrist, who treats animals based on signs like anxiety and reactiveness.

To answer this question, we should consider how dogs perceive the world, she notes. Humans mainly take in our world through vision, but for dogs it's smell. Yu likened a dog's walk to a teenager and social media. Picture this: Your teen looks at TikTok while you stand over them and tell them when to scroll, what to like, how to comment and so on. No one's having fun, right? While you probably have rules about how your teen behaves online, for the most part, they get to control how they spend that time.

When it comes to your dog's walks, let them "scroll" the ground with their nose, exploring new scents and doing other dog-like things. "Your walk is not for you, it's for your dog," Tu says. "Let them take their time. They should be the one that's choosing what they're doing. It's not a time to just force them to sit next to you and be a little controlled robot, because that's not fun, and honestly, it's also really not a good life."

We often suppress our pets' natural behaviors — like stopping to sniff on a walk — because we find it to be inappropriate, inconvenient or we just want to show them that we're in charge, she says (the latter, she stresses, is especially "stupid and silly"). "Their lives tend to be small as a result of being our companion animals, so we really should provide them with as much enrichment and as much fun as we can. And a really easy way to do that is to let them take their time on walks."

Trainer Daniel Neale, MSc, of Shelby Semel Dog Training wholeheartedly agrees. "Sniffing isn’t optional — it’s a need," he says. "From a training and behavior standpoint, sniffing is a powerful form of mental enrichment. It’s calming, it lowers stress and it helps fulfill a biological need, especially for dogs who might not have a backyard to explore. I often say sniffing is like a combination of yoga, Sudoku, and checking your DMs all rolled into one. Research shows that dogs who are allowed to sniff more on walks tend to be more relaxed and less likely to show behavioral issues at home."

But what if you don't have all the time to let your dog saunter and snuffle? Or, like me, you live in a city and can't just open the back door to a gated yard? Just how much sniffing time is necessary?

"It doesn’t have to be the whole walk, but giving your dog dedicated sniffing time, especially at the start and end, can go a long way. Even a few minutes makes a difference," Neale says. "If you're in a rush or navigating a busy street, build in a short detour to a quieter block or patch of grass where your dog can decompress and do their thing."

Should you let your dog walk in front of you?

Here's another classic dog-walking question that many pet owners are unsure about. I let AJ walk (but not pull) ahead of me and even prefer it. I can keep a better eye on him and any other pups coming our way than if he were walking behind or beside me. You've probably heard, and might still believe, that your dog should not be allowed to walk in front of you because it shows dominance. I asked Tu about this.

She shared that the dominance theory comes from a nearly 80-year-old study done with wolves and the findings were disproven over 50 years ago. There is no scientific evidence that letting your pup walk in front of you allows him to show dominance, an assertion that the Association of Professional Dog Trainers has reiterated.

"Dogs and cats and our domesticated animals are not dumb enough to think that we are also dogs," Tu explains. "There is a hierarchy system in animals, absolutely, but they do not consider us part of that system. Having a person come in and say, 'I am going to be dominant' — you're actually being a bully. It's neither based on science nor is it fair or kind."

So go ahead, let your dog explore without restraint. You can even try a long leash if it's safe for both of you and those around you — and don't forget the treats!

Changing how you walk your dog

After talking to the experts, our pup now gets at least 20–30 minutes to sniff outside in the morning, no matter who's walking him. We don't aim for distance — we focus on time and how much AJ gets to explore. If either of us is in a hurry, we let him sniff all around the block rather than forcing a longer walk through the park. The result is a tired but happy and relaxed pooch.

I like how Neale put it: "The next time your dog pauses at the same lamppost for the fourth time? Take a breath, give them a moment, and remind yourself: They’re not stalling, they’re downloading the neighborhood."

Need pet insurance for your beloved furry friend? Check out the offers below: