Stop & Smell the PeeMail: Everyday Sniffing as Slow Thinking, Social Problem-Solving & Healing from Trauma. Presented by Dr. Laura Donaldson

CEUs: PPAB 1.5, CCPDT 1.5, IAABC 1.5, KPA 1.5

This webinar will offer a deep dive into the everyday practice of canine sniffing—not organized nose or scent work, but the behavior dogs constantly engage in when left to their own devices out in the backyard or just walking down the block. Sniffing is critical to canine welfare because dogs navigate the world first and foremost through their noses. Smelling is dogs’ most ancient sense and they have evolved a remarkable olfactory anatomy to maximize this. We have all heard about the ability of dogs to sniff out explosives, drugs, human remains and even biological disease. But did you also know that sniffing functions as a central form of cognition for dogs not to mention an important mode of social problem-solving. It is even essential for dogs’ recovery from emotional trauma. I will guide viewers through the world of ordinary sniffing by looking at the most recent science as well as offering real-life case studies of sniffing’s transformative power. This will include a component on sniffing for horses because our equine partners love to sniff, too!

Learning Objectives:

• Increased understanding of dogs’ and horses’ normal sniffing behavior including its cognitive & emotional benefits.
• Increased understanding of sniffing’s centrality to the welfare of all dogs, not just those engaged in scent sports or who work in scent detection of any kind.
• Increased understanding of how to enable sniffing and scenting opportunities for the average household dog as well as horses and make it an important part of their daily lives.

About Your Presenter    

Dr. Laura Donaldson

Dr. Laura Donaldson is a Professor Emeritus from Cornell University located Ithaca, New York, United States. She is an award-winning writer on dog training and behavior who has worked as a canine behavior specialist for over 16 years. Laura is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), a Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP) and a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor (CCUI). She founded Four Paws, Four Directions Dog Training & Behavior Consulting LLC as well as the very popular Slow Thinking is Lifesaving for Dogs® program. Dr. Donaldson also offers a Thinkific-based webinar on Trauma and Aggression in Dogs. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, three dogs, three cats, an African Gray parrot named Obi and a small flock of Navajo Churro sheep. She can be reached through her website: https://fourpawsfourdirections.com or by email: fourpaws@twcny.rr.com.