One of my favorite strange puppy behaviors is air sniffing. This one is actually quite a fun one because it doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong, and it is often breed-specific. There are many types of hunting breeds. Some of them are sighthounds, and others are scent hounds. Many times, these scent hounds display an air-sniffing behavior that can look quite funny if we do not smell what they are smelling. This behavior is often due to some scent hounds specializing in tracking prey above ground while others track on the ground. Still, many, even those who are specialized in one or the other, do both quite well. But there is more to it than that, as all breeds of dogs will air sniff from time to time. Let’s take a look at this strange behavior.
Scent particles
To understand why puppies and dogs sniff the air, you must understand how scent particles work. Scent particles move through the air and land on surfaces, sticking to them. Contrary to popular belief, they actually stick to wet surfaces quite well, which is one reason why your puppy needs a wet nose. Your puppy draws in air through its nose, causing the scent particles near its nose to get stuck in its sinuses and on the end of its nose. The puppy then uses its highly sensitive nose and amazing brain to identify which scent and where it originates from. They then follow concentrations of the scent particles to the source. Just like we must learn what different things smell like, puppies must learn the same thing. This need for knowledge means they might become interested in new smells, and if they catch one in the air, they may check it out. If there is a higher concentration of scent particles still in the air than on the ground or other surfaces, they will lift their nose and follow the scent through the air. For example, you may be cooking a chicken and spot your puppy stop playing and sniff the air. It may even stand up and wander into the kitchen, all while sniffing the air in the process until it comes to sit by the oven.
Why Strange?
This behavior becomes “strange” when puppies smell something we cannot. There are so many things that dogs can smell that are out of our own range of scent sensitivity. Because of how scent particles work, floating on the air currents, your puppy may encounter smells that come from miles away. On a walk, you may notice your puppy sniffing the breeze. It may even pull in the direction the breeze is coming from until it dives into a seemingly random bush to investigate the apparent source of the scent it caught on the wind. Other times, it may simply move on, not finding the scent worth investigating. Sometimes, puppies who deal with anxiety may air sniff a lot when other dogs are around or if something new enters their environment. If your puppy seems to air sniff while keeping a distance from something or air sniffs then hides, you may want to work on confidence-building behaviors with your puppy. Actually, it can be great to set up introductions to new and safe scents during your puppy’s initial socialization training.
Closing Thoughts
Imagine being able to smell how stressed your neighbor down the street is or smell that the pizza delivery guy just turned into your neighborhood. Though young puppies probably won’t be interested, male dogs can even smell a female in heat from miles away! In short, if your puppy begins air sniffing when you can’t smell anything, simply sit back and let it find what it is looking for. Maybe even follow along; you might learn something! Scent tracking is a great skill for puppies to develop and will happen quite often for scent-driven breeds such as hounds. If you have a scent-driven breed or a curious puppy, you may need to exercise caution, as your puppy may try to investigate things that are not safe (though this is true for all puppies), so be safe and help your puppy learn what is safe and what to avoid.
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