Andrew Bigwood

YouTube video by Andrew Bigwood Watch these results from successful truffle scent training 1

youtu.be/2Bpc3jhRzng?...

🐩 Does a dog wonder about their ball; 🐩

🐶 how differently it moves in water
and on solid ground? 🐶

📈 Or is that just a human overthinking
simple enjoyment of the moment? 📉

Video on LinkedIn #SniffStuff

The Journey of Training a Truffle Dog

Some things simply take longer than the brief attention span often associated with TikTok.

It's crucial to focus on the experience of the journey rather than fixating solely on the outcome.

Creating a product/service that someone would want should be secondary.
Creating a product/service that I would want is the priority.

A mentor said to me when I asked what standard was required,
"Finish everything the way you would want it for yourself".

If you can make something better, do it.

🐩 Understanding Your Dog's Day Through Smell 🐩

Reflect on daily interactions with your dog, from the moment you wake up til bed...

Now, try to envision these experiences from your dog's perspective, focusing on how they perceive the world primarily through their sense of smell.

#SniffStuff

How do you know that a dog has enjoyed their walk?
A dog that lingers behind and hesitates to return to the car is a sign of a pup who truly loves their walks.
I've started Reuben on some basic scent training. It's very early days, but so far so positive.
#SniffStuff #Olfaction #ScentWork #Nosework

This is the beginning of a journey.
A journey within a journey.
These are truffles I've bought to scent train Reuben, the Labradoodle.
Training may take some time, for Reuben and I.
I look forward to the next few months.
I'll try to record the progress as we go.
#SniffStuff #TruffleDog #ScentTrain

The Science of Sniffing
When a dog is actively sniffing, it does so at a remarkable speed. Dogs can take in 5 to 10 sniffs per second, allowing them to rapidly gather and process scent information. Each sniff brings in fresh molecules that are analyzed by their olfactory receptors.
#SniffStuff

Is there a universal context in which a claim like this can be made?

The pre-poop sniffing appears to be scanning for other animal scent,
left on the tips of dead bracken adorning the edges of trails we walk.

Reuben can learn so much from this scent,
about the animal who left it,
and why he is compelled to leave his mark there also.

#SniffStuff #Olfaction

Based on the premise that a dog should have its primary needs fulfilled, when its primary sense is its nose, is sniffing not a primary need?
#SniffStuff

A personality begins to emerge...

Today’s walk provided valuable insight into Reuben’s behaviour and preferences, and I’m eager to see how he enjoys a more natural setting.
#personality #connection #sniffstuff #dog

"Olfactory information goes straight to the forebrain missing out the stopover point, the thalamus, where all other sensory systems arrive when entering the brain." @alexandrahorowitz.bsky.social

I cannot recommend this book enough, if you have a dog.

I'm relentlessly mind-blown, and I'm 1/3 in!

We associate certain colours with certain tastes:

"Cherry juice made to look green tastes to us like lime. Color a white wine red, and even enology study students taste it as red." Alexandra Horowitz.

The question is,
Are humans relying too much on vision alone?
#olfaction #SniffStuff #senses

A dog wags it's tail to provide visual information to other dogs about how it feels.

A dog also wags it's tail to waft it's own scent around it's vicinity, providing more information to other dogs.

Thanks to @alexandrahorowitz.bsky.social

#SniffStuff #Olfaction #DogBodyLanguage

I assumed all social media sites were scraped on a daily basis, by all the usual suspects.

#SniffStuff

Just reading about sniffing in stereo....

Rather than seeing our dog's sniffing as a distraction, we should recognise it as a meaningful behaviour.

Sniffing scent isn't just instinct - it's a sign of sophisticated cognition processing millions of receptors.

Neglecting this denies a dog's fulfilment of their natural talents.

#SniffStuff

3 million dogs in Morocco are at risk of being killed ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The massacre has already started. Take action today to stop this mindless slaughter. Sign the petition now: iawpc.org #stopkillingdogsinmorocco #FIFAWorldCup #YallaVamos2030

Dogs live in a world defined by scents in a way we can scarcely imagine.
Their nose is their primary tool for communicating, exploring environments, locating food and identifying other animals.
It's how they experience joy in discovering new aromatic adventures each day.
#SniffStuff #dog #olfact

Image taken at The Wolf Conservation Centre, Reading, UK, circa 2010.
#wolf #sniffstuff #olfaction

I prefer Denzel to Edward Woodward... Then again, vastly different times.

Yes! 🐺🐺🐺

Super excited to start reading this book by @alexandrahorowitz.bsky.social later today, as I've heard such good things about it.
I'm finishing 'Unleashing Your Dog' right now, by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce, which has also been a real pleasure to read.
#SniffersKeepOnSniffing

I wholeheartedly put my name to a firework ban, for the sake of our dogs and other affected animals.
What strikes me is that the two corgis I grew up with in the 70s, didn't appear to be affected by fireworks.
I'm choosing my words carefully as I've no evidence to support how they actually felt.

#SniffStuff

#SniffStuff guides humans to encourage their dog's to sniff.
By recognising their amazing sniff power,
we can ensure their psychological and emotional needs,
are met with daily sniff activities.

Imagine the difference that might make...
not only to our dog's lives,
but to our lives too!
#dog

Both highly recommended - I'm still reading 'Unleashing Your Dog's, and it's filled with gems.
#SniffStuff

Empathy and Compassion: For Your Dog—and For Yourself

Whilst building a deeper connection with your dog, it’s also an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, embrace the present moment, and celebrate the small but meaningful progress you’re both making together.
#SniffStuff