Tori Mistick [00:01:50]:
There is so much that we can learn about this topic. Scent really is your dog’s most powerful sense of, and we should really encourage our dogs to tap into their sense of smell as much as we can. Bert actually is an amazing scent dog. He loves using his sense of smell and he has an extremely powerful nose. When he’s sniffing, you can actually hear like the ventricles of his nose opening and closing. You can actually hear him sniffing stuff because he is that enthusiastic about it. So I’m always inspired by him to, to get into more scent based stuff and to give him more outlets for that. And I hope that this episode will inspire you to give your pup more outlets for scent based enrichment.

Tori Mistick [00:02:37]:
So in today’s episode, we are going to try to cover as much as we can, but to keep it brief because again, we could talk about this topic for like years, but today we’re gonna Talk about three main different studies that we’re gonna touch on. One is talking about the science of scent and how you, your scent is actually the key to your dog feeling love and connection and trust. We’ll also talk about how nose work games can lead dogs to be more optimistic and see the world as having the glass half full. So that’s kind of cool. And then we will talk a little bit about the let them sniff movement and some of the people that are behind that movement. And of course, I’ll be sharing with you practical activities that you can do with your dog in your own life. And as always, the enrichment activities that I share are easy. They’re affordable, they’re not gonna take a ton of time.

Tori Mistick [00:03:33]:
Anyone can do them. Any dog can try these things. So I hope you’re really inspired to try out what I’m gonna share with you today and also to share this episode with anyone that you know that has a dog. This is a new podcast and it is a limited series, so I’m releasing 10 episodes and when the 10 episodes are out, I’m gonna keep sharing it with everyone because it’s just going to be this amazing series that you could really kind of binge list, learn a ton about dog enrichment. So there’s no expiration date on this. Now, before I get into these studies, we are going to have a quick listener Q and A about a hyperactive golden doodle. So that should be relatable for a lot of people. And then I will share with you some of my favorite scent based products as well.

Tori Mistick [00:04:20]:
So let’s get into it. Our first study that I want to share with you is one that was done in 2015. Researchers at Emory University trained 12 dogs to lay still in an MRI machine without any sedation. And this was really key and this was really kind of groundbreaking because you could do MRIs of a dog’s brain when they’re sedated, but it’s not going to show the same activity. Right. As if they are perfectly awake. So these researchers, I imagine, spend a lot of time training these 12 dogs to lay still in the MRI machine. And they presented the dogs with five different scent samples.

Tori Mistick [00:05:02]:
They gave them a scent of their familiar human, their person. So like for your dog, that would be you. They gave them the scent of an unfamiliar human. So like a stranger, they gave them the scent of a familiar dog. So maybe that’s like their dog friend or even a dog in the same household. They gave them the scent of an unfamiliar dog. So like a dog, stranger. And Then finally, their own scent.

Tori Mistick [00:05:28]:
And what was really cool about this study is that when dogs smelled the scent of their person, of their owner, the part of the brain associated with reward and positive emotion and love and trust and all this great stuff, it lit up significantly more than any other area of the brain and with any other scent. So when dogs were smelling their own person, their brain was just feeling love and trust and happiness and joy and all the things more so than any other scent, more so than their own scent, than another dog, or than another random human. So this shows us that your dog really does value you, and it goes deeper than just unconditional love. My friend Maggie Martin, she has a book out called for the Love of Dog, and she referenced this study, which is kind of how I found out about it. So thanks, Maggie. And she talked about it isn’t just unconditional love as we sort of think of it. When it comes to dogs and this study and what they found, it’s really about trust and joy that is rooted in security. So your dog just feels safe, and they associate that with love and joy and trust.

Tori Mistick [00:06:43]:
And so that’s really just so cool. And as a matter of fact, there are some people out there that I’ve talked to that are taking advantage of this or leaning into this fact. In this study, there’s a really cool woman that I interviewed on my other podcast. So I’ve been podcasting for eight years. I have another show called Wear Wag, Repeat, where I interview women entrepreneurs in the pet industry. And I interviewed someone who created this product called Canine Comfort Spray. And I have a bottle of it here, and it was developed based on this exact premise of this study. So actually, when you order the Canine Comfort Spray, they send you a package with some cotton pads, just like cotton pads you would use to remove your eye makeup or something.

Tori Mistick [00:07:28]:
And they tell you to wear them around, like in your sports bra or in your socks or like under a hat, if you’re going to be wearing a hat all day. To get your unique scent, you can put it in your armpit if you can get it to stay there, I guess. And they want you to collect your unique scent, and then somehow, through the magic of science, they condense that down and concentrate that down into an oil that they then put into a spray, and it’s just like a room spray. And I went through the process, and I did this because Bert really does struggle with separation anxiety. So I thought this would be cool if he could smell my smell and just feel safer and happier and more Comfortable. How great would that be? So I did go ahead and do this. It’s kind of cool. We are more than halfway through this bottle.

Tori Mistick [00:08:17]:
So I really have tested it out and tried it out. Now, I have not trained Bert to lie still in an MRI machine, so I have not been able to test his brain to see if this really is effective as a replacement for, like, me actually being there or, like, a good stand in. But I just think it’s a really cool idea, and it goes to show that there’s people out there thinking of all kinds of cool ideas to help you and your dog live the best life ever. So moving on. This was another study. This was done in 2019, and I read about it in Applied Animal Behavior Science Journal. And in this study, researchers split pet dogs into two different groups. And what I think is cool about this, that I just want to point out to you is a lot of these studies that I read when I’m researching this podcast.

Tori Mistick [00:09:05]:
They use dogs in shelters or they use, like, professional trained dogs. So with this study, these are pet dogs. So it’s really relatable to you and me and our own pet dogs that we have at home. So anyhow, in this study, they took two groups of pet dogs. One group practice nose work games for two weeks, and the other group practiced healing and traditional obedience training for two weeks. Now, an example of nose work games would be you can hide scents in a cardboard box and then put out, like, four cardboard boxes, and one box has the scent in it. And obviously you don’t want your dog to see which one you’re putting it in and where you’re hiding it. But then you would give your dog the opportunity to search and find the box that has the scent in it.

Tori Mistick [00:09:52]:
And there’s other, lots of other ways that you can play this and lots of great products out there that I’ll share with you. But that’s an example of what, like, a nose work or a scent work game would be. So for two weeks, half of these dogs did games like that, and the other half of dogs had to walk in a heel or do, like, sit, stay down, basic obedience kind of stuff. And at the end of this study, they ran what is called a judgment bias test. Okay. So the dogs, all the dogs were taught that one bowl always contained food and that another identical bowl never contained food. Then the researchers placed a bowl halfway between the two spots to see how the dogs would respond and which one they would go for. So the nose work dogs ran to check the middle bowl more eagerly.

Tori Mistick [00:10:43]:
And more quickly than the dogs who did all the obedience training. So what this suggested to the researchers is that the nose work dogs were more optimistic and confident. They literally saw the glass half full, so they were told, this bowl never has food in it. And they were always like, well, maybe it does today, maybe it does this time. They were just like, optimistic and thought that the world was full of opportunity and great tasty stuff for them. And why does this matter to you and your dog? It’s because so many dogs I hear from people saying that their dog has anxiety, Bert certainly does. Or that their dog lacks confidence and needs a confidence boost. So this study shows us that doing nose work games and doing scent games actually can boost your dog’s confidence, make them more optimistic, make them less shy, and just help them be happier and healthier pups.

Tori Mistick [00:11:41]:
As you share your life together, I can also attest that it’s really fun to do these things with your dog. So while you are extending, experiencing this and living in the moment and being present with your dog and helping them find stuff, you’re gonna be so proud of the progress they’ve made and what they’re learning and what you’re doing together. So it’s also going to make you feel more optimistic and more joyful. So in real life, you can get these kits, these scent work kits, but you could also do like a scatter feeding where you’re scattering your dog’s food around the floor. Or, or you could do a scavenger hunt. The trick is to really kind of start small if your dog has not had a lot of opportunities to really tap into their sense of smell, which is okay, you know, the best time to start doing this stuff is today. So nobody is behind. But if your dog needs a little bit of encouragement, start small and start slow and help them.

Tori Mistick [00:12:35]:
You can point out where things are and then as you get more advanced, you can hide food and treats and scents in more challenging places and encourage your dog to really look for those scents around your home or your yard or wherever. Now that brings us to the Let Them Sniff movement. And I think the two brands that I think of that are kind of behind this movement are Hightail Hikes and Woof Culture. Hightail Hikes is an awesome woman owned brand in San Francisco that makes long line leashes. And they also started as a dog walking company, so they really encourage dogs to sniff. And if you follow them on Instagram, you’ll find lots and lots of resources about how you can use a long line leash. So that’s usually a leash that’s longer than 10ft to let your dog have a little bit more space to sniff, have a little sniffari walk. And then Wolf Culture is also a cool brand.

Tori Mistick [00:13:35]:
You might have seen their T shirts around social media. They make science based, positive reinforcement training dog T shirts for people. I mean, for dog people. T shirts for dog people. Okay. You get what I’m saying? But Wolf Culture has a lot of really cool stuff. And these two brands really spread the message that sniffing is not wasting time, it is mental exercise, and it is decompression for your dogs. So we know that when dogs are allowed to sniff freely on longer leashes or make choices about which direction they’re going to sniff in and go at their own pace, that they display more relaxed body language, they have lower heart rates, and they have less leash frustration.

Tori Mistick [00:14:23]:
Some ideas that you can do here are, of course, a Snafari walk. And I know I’ve said that already a few times. Basically that means letting your dog go on a sniff safari walk. So you are letting them guide which direction, which street you go down, how long you stop and sniff, one blade of grass, which might seem like an exceedingly long time. I’m looking at you, Bert, but you let your dog make all of the decisions and let their nose kind of guide your walk. And you are there to keep your dog safe. So never let them guide you into an unsafe situation. You can also explore new areas with novel scents.

Tori Mistick [00:15:02]:
So that might just mean going down a street or a block that you’ve never walked down with your dog, or it might be going on an adventure to a new place, like a new park or a new beach or something like that. And another tip I wanted to share because I find myself when I am walking, Bert, sometimes I get really distracted and tempted to look at my phone. Maybe someone sends me a message or I think, oh man, I should have said, sent that email to so and so. And I get my phone out and then I get really immersed in it and I’m not really present and in the moment with him on our walk. And I always think that, you know, the walk that you take your dog on, that’s like their special time of the day. You get to go do all kinds of things. You can drive somewhere, you can meet friends for lunch, your dog, the walk that you take them on each day is kind of like their special time with you. And since we heard this amazing study about how important you and your scent is is to your dog, it’s kind of unfair to Be distracted while you’re walking them.

Tori Mistick [00:16:05]:
So here’s my little tip for you. Narrate your walk. So keep your phone in your pocket, don’t look at it, and just. You don’t have to talk super loud. You don’t need everyone to hear you, but you can just narrate to your dog like, oh, you’re sniffing that beautiful tree. Is that an elm tree or a maple tree? And look at the bark. And, oh, if I look up high there, I think I see a woodpecker up in the tree. And now we’re walking along the path and I see you’re starting to sniff that puddle.

Tori Mistick [00:16:33]:
What does that puddle smell like? Are you smelling all the dogs that walked in it before? Or was there maybe a frog that jumped through this puddle? You got the picture. So you can just narrate the whole walk. You can do it in your head if you want to, but I think your dog would probably even like hearing the sound of your voice. And it could be another form of enrichment to narrate your walk with your dog. So that’s kind of a silly idea, but I think it’s so important to just kind of be present and be in the moment when we’re walking our dogs. As a matter of fact, I read an article many years ago, 15 or 20 years ago, and it said someone submitted a question saying, what is the best time of day to walk your dog? And this was in some kind of, like, women’s magazine. And the answer said, the best time of day to walk your dog is the evening, not the morning. Because in the morning you’re gonna rush because you gotta get to work, you gotta take the kids somewhere, you gotta do all your errands, you gotta go grocery shopping, yada, yada, yada.

Tori Mistick [00:17:31]:
And so the evening is better because you’re not as rushed. Now, that doesn’t necessarily ring true for everyone, but the moral of the story is, the best time of day to walk your dog is when you have time to let them sniff. And you can be present and be in the moment and really share that walk with them. So I thought that was really great advice. Now let’s just kind of recap what we have talked about here with Scent Based Enrichment. I know this was sort of a whirlwind tour through, through Scent Based Enrichment. And there’s so much more we could think about, but I tried to hit, like, the high notes and the most important thing. So, first of all, we learned that your scent to your dog equals love and comfort and trust.

Tori Mistick [00:18:12]:
And there is the science to back it up. We also learned that nose work leads to optimism. So encouraging your dog to do more scent games or playing some nose work, some scavenging kind of games with them can actually make your dog feel more confident and more optimistic about their surroundings. And then finally, we also talked about how sniffing is not wasting time. We should always let them sniff. And that brings us to the listener question portion of today’s episode. If you ever want to submit a question for a future episode, you can go to Torinose Dogs. Scroll to the bottom there and you will see a form to submit your question.

Tori Mistick [00:18:57]:
You can also find a free enrichment guide that I have there. It’s a 16 page PDF with all of my best enrichment advice including a self assessment that you can do to come up with a custom plan for your dog and your lifestyle. You’ll also find all the show notes for every episode. There again, it’s toriknows. Now today’s question comes from Tim. And Tim says, I have a seven month old golden doodle who is so hyper walks and running around doesn’t seem to calm her down. She also barks sometimes in the night because she’s wound up and wants to go outside. What kind of mental stimulation can I do to help asking for a very tired dog, dad? Well, Tim, I’m sorry that you are so tired and that your dog is driving you a little bit crazy.

Tori Mistick [00:19:51]:
That will happen with puppies, especially I think with goldendoodle puppies. They can be a little high energy. So we have talked in this episode a lot about how scent games are a great outlet for your dog. So I want to add on that and share with you that sniffing actually is naturally calming to your dog. So I would encourage you. I don’t remember what your dog’s name is, maybe you didn’t share it. But I am going to call your dog Cleo because I happen to know a mini goldendoodle named Cleo and I know that she’s pretty hyperactive too. So what I would recommend for you and your pup is to do more scent work and more scent games.

Tori Mistick [00:20:32]:
And so a really simple way to do this is to do a scavenger hunt dinner so you can hide your dog’s food in different little piles around your home and encourage her to go search and find. And she’s gonna have to sniff all over and find that and that’s gonna slow down her eating. It’s gonna give her a little bit more physical exercise, mental exercise of having to search around and find these things and she’s really gonna use her sense of smell and it’s gonna be great olfactory enrichment. It’s gonna boost her confidence, boost her optimism, and it’s also going to naturally help her feel calmer. Now another thing that you can do after those really high energy walks and runs that you’re going on, sometimes dogs have a really hard time settling down after those, like really high energy activities. So I want to encourage you to do some sort of calming scent game, maybe a snuffle mat. Do a small snuffle mat and just sprinkle a little bit of kibble or a few treats onto a snuffle mat and let your dog, who I’m calling Cleo, sniff around that snuffle mat. And again that, that action of sniffing and snuffling and scavenging around, it’s going to help her feel more calm and more grounded and a little bit less anxious.

Tori Mistick [00:21:48]:
So that should help her kind of wind down a little bit. And then I also want to recommend that you go back and listen to episode five. So the previous episode of this podcast was all about sound based enrichment and you can play some calming music before you and Cleo go to bed and help. Hopefully that will settle her down for the night. Calming music actually calms your dog down at a physiological level. It’s not just mental or surface level. It really is scientifically calming them down at a cellular level in their body. So hopefully playing some nice calming music before bedtime will also help.

Tori Mistick [00:22:25]:
Thanks again for submitting your question. We are going to move on to the product spotlight of this episode and it is all about scent based products. The first thing that I want to share with you, I don’t have it here with me, but I was looking online for some ideas and I thought it looked so cool. And I have the next best thing which is this. Huggle Hounds. Little Fleece man. Hugglehounds is one of my favorite toy brands. I actually interviewed the founder on my other podcast.

Tori Mistick [00:22:54]:
They just use really high quality fabrics that are unique to their brand and they have this really great dog bone stuffed toy that is made out of the same material as this, but it comes with a calming lavender spray. I’m gonna let Bert just hang out with this because it probably smells like Lucy and I think he’s enjoying it. Hucklehounds has a it’s a lavender colored bone and it comes with a lavender scented spray and it’s an all natural spray that contains lavender and other color calming essential oils like chamomile and pheromones. To help your dog feel calmer. Now, you could do something like this and place it next to your dog’s bed. With scent based enrichment, you never want to force your dog to experience a smell. Or really with any kind of enrichment, you want to give your dog the choice to opt out if they’re like not really into it. If you do get a toy like this and you spray it with a calming spray, I would actually say don’t put it in your dog’s crate and then close them in there.

Tori Mistick [00:23:55]:
You could put it in your dog’s crate as long as the door is open and they can leave and get out. Or you can put it in their bed area and hopefully it will make them feel calmer. And actually I found a study from 2005 where they did a study with shelter dogs and found that when they diffused lavender and chamomile, there was less barking and less pacing around in the shelter compared to when they diffused rosemary and peppermint. So peppermint was like an invigorating scent and it did not help the dogs calm down. But when they diffused lavender and chamomile, all the dogs were much quieter and more restful. So that’s definitely something worth checking out. Now, if you want another idea, I do have a product here with me. This is the hide and scent kit and it comes in this box and it has a lanyard inside on the back of this little pouch on the lanyard there’s a compartment and it has some see through holes in the kit.

Tori Mistick [00:24:55]:
It also comes with a little like, it’s like a ceramic disc that you would put inside the back here. And that way you can hang this lanyard on like a doorknob. You can drape it over a chair, you can tuck it behind a pillow, and you can encourage your dog to find this scent around your room. I love this kit because it’s also a woman founded brand. So I love to support women owned businesses. And it does come with a game guide inside of the box. There’s a kid version and there’s also the standard version of hide and scent. I’m going to link to this also in the description.

Tori Mistick [00:25:32]:
This is one that I have found to be really, really fun and I have played it with my dogs as old as 13 and a half. They still enjoy playing this game. So to wrap it up for this episode, I hope that you are inspired to do more scent games with your dogs. If you can just spend five more minutes this week doing some sort of scent game with your Dogs. Personally, I think that a really easy one to start with is doing a scavenger hunt for dinner. So hide your dog’s food around the room and let them go search for it. This can work with all different kinds of food. So obviously kibble is really easy, but if you are using a different kind of food, you can split it up into different bowls and hide those little bowls around the room.

Tori Mistick [00:26:14]:
So this can be adapted for any dog and any lifestyle. And you can also go on a sniffari walk. And I do find that advice of walking your dog when you are least rushed is a really great piece of advice. So this was our episode all about olfactory enrichment. Next week we will have a new episode about environmental enrichment. There’s also the previous episodes that I’ve released. There’s episode one, which is just kind of an introduction to enrichment in general. But we’ve also already talked about cognitive enrichment, AKA brain games.

Tori Mistick [00:26:47]:
We’ve talked about food based, visual and sound enrichment. So there is so much great stuff out there for you to learn about and to implement in your life to help your dog live their very best life again. I’m your host, Tori mystic, and for all the show notes and more, all the product links, everything that we’ve talked about here on this episode and in this entire series, you can go to toriknowsdogs.com podcast that will redirect you to my website, Wear, Wag, Repeat, where there’s a treasure trove of over 600 more blog posts to help you live the best life with your dog. This whole series is dedicated to my Labrador, Lucy, who passed away in June 2025. She was really, really great at scent work and we didn’t get into it until she was like 8 years old. So you can always teach an old dog new tricks and I think we can also teach old people new tricks too. So thank you so much for being open to these ideas and for being here. If you liked what you heard, leave a review for this show on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

Tori Mistick [00:27:54]:
You could also subscribe on on YouTube and doing any of those things would really help me out and help this show reach more people and more pets.