All protocols
Calm & care
Decompression Sniff Walks
A short, handler-controlled walk where your dog can sniff safe things and choose between safe directions.
What it is
A short, handler-controlled walk where your dog can sniff safe things and choose between safe directions.
Why we created it
Choice and exploration can make a walk more enriching than distance or pace.
Goal
Relaxed exploration on a walk you control.
Before you begin
You’ll need
- A secure lead or controlled long line.
- A familiar, quiet route with an easy way out.
What you’ll do
Your first session
- Let your dog pause and investigate safe scents.
- Offer a choice between safe directions.
- Keep the ability to create distance or end the walk.
- Keep novelty, length and frequency steady rather than increasing them together.
Things to notice
- Pace of sniffing and exploration.
- Signs of distress.
- Your control of the situation.
When to stop or get help
- End or simplify for distress or loss of control.
- No off-lead requirement and no forced approaches to dogs, people or scents.
- Aggression or clinical concerns need professional help.
About this guide
Sniffing isn’t automatically calming.
Low-intensity guide suitable for most healthy dogs.
Adapted into plain language from Nara’s prepared protocol material. It is general information, not a diagnosis or veterinary prescription, and it doesn’t report trial results.