Walkies

A dog lead, ready for the most exciting part of the day. Or the third most exciting, depending on how many walks you've already had.

Walkies is part of my Art for Dogs series — art made with a canine audience in mind. This piece got me thinking about something dogs rely on far more than we do: their sense of smell.

Nerd notes

For humans, a walk is mostly a visual experience. We look at the scenery, notice what's happening around us and perhaps admire a nice garden.

For dogs, it's also a world of smells. A lamppost, patch of grass or interesting bit of pavement can carry information about other animals that have passed through, including clues about their identity and reproductive status.

Dogs have a vastly more developed sense of smell than we do, with many more scent receptors and a much larger proportion of their brain devoted to processing odours.

Which might explain why your dog can spend five minutes investigating a single blade of grass while you're standing there holding a plastic bag of poo.

Details

Handmade, one-of-a-kind artwork

UnframedA4 — 21 × 29.7 cm (8.3 × 11.7 in)

Watercolour and colour pencil on mixed media paper