09/11/2025
Sniffing for your dog and why we encourage scatter feeding especially with rescue dogs.
Scatter feeding is a calming, enrichment-based activity that encourages natural foraging behaviour, which has been shown to lower a dog’s heart rate and reduce cortisol (the stress hormone). It’s particularly beneficial for dogs who are hyper-vigilant, anxious, or prone to scanning, as it redirects their focus to something positive and self-soothing.
Importantly, dogs don’t “switch off their ears” when they sniff, olfactory work simply shifts their attention in a way that helps regulate the nervous system. This is supported by research showing that sniffing activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest) response, promoting relaxation and focus.
It is also important to build up sniffing and scatter feeding for each individual dog. For some dogs it can be overwhelming, it can build frustration or they simply may not understand what they’re meant to do. It’s up to us to help, guide and work with them to be able to understand. We need to understand when to switch things up and when to change things to suit the dog not us.
When working with dogs, managing the environment and assessing risk for each individual dog is essential. You don’t help a dog feel safe by putting them in situations where they aren’t safe or by using equipment or methods that hurt them physically or emotionally. Safety and trust always come first. That is how we build true confidence and stability.
