How do I train my dog to quit stopping and smelling every 5 seconds while on a walk?

Why stop your dog from being a dog? Instead, get another kind of pet whose life isn’t intimately concerned with scents.

That’s what dogs do. They smell things. They bark. They lick things. They’re dogs.

ahh, @Facade, you said it better

a clap on the neck everytime he does it.
(that is what a researcher does to affirm his leadership position in the pack of wolves he studies)

@ragingloli That is pretty bad advice. Those so-called pack dynamics have been pretty well discredited. And again, I would ask, why would you want to train a dog not to be a dog? Just don’t get a dog in the first place. The alternative is cruel.

Just walk farther out to the street.

Stick a clothespin on his nose.

Give her a quick tug on the leash and say “Come on”. You need to be short and loud with your words like her mother would be with a bark. Eventually she’ll get it.

Haha, actually, I have this problem too. One time, I tried to take my dog out for a run, and he was just making it REALLY hard to run. I’ve seen some dogs not have to stop so often, and I wonder why theyre like that/ It could be that maybe, its been a long time since he/she has been out last, and the dog just wants to sniff everything, since there is so much to take in. I would prefer to walk my dog via walking, rather than stopping every few seconds when the dog just wants to sniff… sure, sniffing is what dogs do, but sometimes, they DO do it a bit too often.

What I do though, which is in agreement with @jonsblond, is I tug the leash, and I say “aye!” He sniffs quickly, but he still sniffs. At least he does it quickly though. But either way, just gently tug and give a slight shout. But honestly, I am not sure what else can stop a dog from doing that, since we cant ask them not to :P

my mom has a bassett hound that does the same thing. a friend of mine was recommending how i should not let the dog do that, i need to be in control, all that bullshit. i feel like the walk is to benefit the dog, not to benefit me. if the dog wants to sniff, if that’s how she enjoys herself, then she should be able to. if the dog does not have many pleasures in life, then let her have that.

I agree with the let the dog be a dog school of thought.

But…..there are times when I have my dog with me and want to get somewhere quickly or if you are showing in conformation or obedience etc. So I use a harness when it is their walk and their turn to have it their way, walking harness = sniffing time! Pulling harness means run and pull and choke chain means no sniffing, we are serious or in a rush!

@jonsblond – has it right, that is an excellent method.

It’s the dogs time!Let it do as it wishes!I would wager he does not stop you chanel hopping with the remote in your hand.

Ok thank you to the people who actually read the question and gave a good answer. Like I said in the question, I know dogs do that, but when I take her on walks she doesn’t really get exercise when she stops every 5 seconds. I usually let her do it a few times then I tug on her leash and say Come On. I am just worried she is not getting enough exercise.

@ASoprano thanks for all your help!

You will know if she is not getting enough exercise if she starts to put on weight. I don’t think you will stop her completely from sniffing, but pulling on the lead and telling ehr to come will start to sink in soon, especially as she gets used to the walk/circuit you do as the smells won’t seem as interesting any more!

I have a similar problem, my dog hasn’t had the snip yet and constantly cocks his leg, sometimes he doesn’t even do anything!! It does get frustrating but keep going!

Good luck and I hope all goes well xx

Damned dogs, always trying to act like dogs.

with my mom’s basset hound, if you walk briskly the dog will walk briskly with you with head held high and not stop (or not stop as much). but dogs will be dogs….

you are holding your dogs leash to loosely. a loose leash lets your dog stay distracted. a dog’s head should be forward, looking at what’s ahead. really the only time it should be down is when it’s sniffing to go to the bathroom. keep the collar high at the top of it’s head like they do on dog shows. keep the leash in a comfortable position that holds the position of the collar well. If the dog starts bending it’s head down to sniff keep the leash where it is and keep walking. the dog will probably continue to try to sniff because that’s what it’s used to doing on a walk but keep up with it. if you’re in control of the walk it makes them want to mark less.

@dpworkin and others that say let dogs be dogs. Look there is a a dog being a dog and what this person was talking about. My dog like to pull and pee (mark) on everything that is higher than 1 inch off the ground. By the time we have went half a block he has marked 20 something objects even if someone has high grass he marks it. I understand an occasional bush or telephone pole but when it becomes a every 3 second thing its a problem. I got my dog only a year ago and he was already full grown he just creeped in the house while I had the door open to carry in groceries he was very hungry I could see his ribs a little too much and it was 8 degrees outside so he just kinda ended up staying. I did not have the chance to train him as a puppy. So now that I have started taking him for walks twice a day I am trying to break him of this habit because it takes 4 times as long to walk the distance I want because he must mark everything he passes. I think this is a legit question and issue if you really care about your dog and want to get him (and yourself) proper exercise. I am currently walking him with a leash in the backyard and keep treats with me and when he starts to wonder too far I say stop and come if he obeys and comes to sit by my side I give him a treat now he will walk by my side if we are in the yard but once the gate opens he changes but he is not starting to connect the two and is starting to behave a little better everyday. I think the key is making sure you practice with him or her everyday to build up the habit. Letting them go to the bathroom is fine just don’t let them start marking everything in the path it is a bad habit.

Also @dpworkin where did you hear that the pack dynamic has been discredited. You must be dominate (not abusive) over your dog. Little taps on the neck and a deep voice does a lot to get and keep a dog in good behavior. Dogs like to dig, chew, and mark their territory so if a dog chews through your couch and power cords, digs up your flowers, and urinates on your bed are you just going to say let the dog be a dog??

It’s very important to establish a difference between command time and free time, for your dog’s safety. Some dogs could be running out in the street and there is nothing the negligent owner can do about it because they have never communicated with the dog with any authority.
Train the dog to ‘heel’ using whatever method you wish, collar, neck tap whatever. Dog’s love to have a job to do, even if it’s just walking in a disciplined manner beside you, and they love getting feedback when they do it to your satisfaction.
Free time should be when you say so, you are the alpha dog. And you’re responsible for the dog too. And when you turn the dog loose to play it will be happy to do that for you too.

I had this problem too. Dogs need their sniffing time, but they can’t rule the whole walk.

These days I do three things to help her understand when she can sniff and when not to.

First, I trained her to pay attention and come to me on walks. I would say “Riki!” and if she looked at me she got a treat. Then I would say “Riki, lets go” and if she came to my hand she got a treat. I found that rewarding the behaviour you want is the quickest way to train them. After a few weeks of this, she came to me whenever I called.

Second, I would show her who is boss without being negative in any way. I kept the leash shorter and walked at my own pace – this is my “walking mode”. I do this for about ¾ of the walk (any more and she starts getting ideas). I also make sure to “start as I mean to go on” so I would always spend at least 10 minutes at the start of the walk in “walking mode”. If she started to lag behind I would call her over and treat her. If she wouldn’t come, I would continue walking insistently but gently, without tugging or yanking, until she got the message. At first, whenever she came to me, I would treat and praise. Eventually I’ll thin this out so she moves towards the behaviour I expect, and treat her only when she comes quickly or with little resistance.

Thirdly, I always give her at least 15 minutes to sniff and explore. I pay attention to her in “walking mode” so she can go toilet if she needs to, but other than that she gets her sniff time and that’s that. When she learns some more manners I might increase the sniff time, but she’s a VERY sassy, self-willed dog so I have to limit it at the moment!

Last of all – please pay attention to WHY your dog is sniffing. They could be nervous and using sniffing to show they’re not a threat. Check and see if your dog sniffs around anything in particular – for example, people approaching, a strange object, cars, buses, other dogs. You might notice that they’re nervous around something in particular, and that desensitising them to this can help with it. My dog Riki HATES the rain, and she is always extra “sassy” when the rain is out. She’s trying to tell me she doesn’t want to be out, she’s really sorry, look how harmless she is, she doesn’t want to be out can we go back now please. She’s also scared of walking with other people (like my mum or friends) so she sniffs extra then to show she’s not a threat.