Dogs are notorious for their sense of smell. Whether they are sniffing out the snacks stashed in the bedroom, or following the trail of the neighbor’s dog along the sidewalk – sniffing is their superpower. The question is, how strong really is a dog’s nose? The answer begins with a look at their anatomy.
Simply put, dogs have noses that are literally built to pick up scent better than ours. They possess more than two hundred million olfactory receptors, an impressive number compared to their human’s measly five million receptors. This would certainly explain why they can’t resist smelling everything in their path.
Super Sense of Smell
These receptors are contained in bony structures called turbinates. In humans, that amount of space taken up by the turbinates is about one square inch- slightly bigger than the size of a postage stamp. For dogs, that area becomes a whopping sixty square inches if you were to unfold them.
By taking in air through both nostrils, dogs essentially have a 3-D sniffer. They can pinpoint where a smell is originating from, in a way similar to how humans use both eyes to see depth. Dogs also have an entire organ in their noses that humans lack. The Jacobsen’s organ is used to detect chemicals called pheromones which other dogs release. This organ helps dogs know when it is time to breed and is used by puppies to find their mother.
Beyond their noses, the part of the brain controlling smell is forty times as big in dogs than it is in humans.
Sense of smell is your dog’s number one way of communicating with fellow canines. When dogs sniff each other, they can learn all sorts of things: where the other pup has been, what they have eaten that day, their gender, and even how they are feeling! This scent profile allows dogs to differentiate between individuals, and they can remember that scent for years. Dogs do not have to meet each other to exchange scents. Scents can be left on trees and grass, so when you take your dog for a walk, it is sort of like puppy social media.
Not all dog noses are equal, however. Scent hounds come by their name honestly, a group that includes bloodhounds, beagles, dachshunds, and more. These dogs have been bred so that they have world-class noses. They have long snouts, providing more space for olfactory receptors to fit, and extra folds of skin around their face which help to trap scents near the nose. Even those big floppy ears serve a purpose. When their ears drag on the ground, they can stir up scents that would otherwise go undetected. On the other hand, smush-faced dogs (think pugs and French bulldogs) have relatively poor sniffers. Having been bred to have almost no snout, they have very little room for olfactory receptors. But they’re still miles ahead of their owners.
Now that you know how powerful your puppy’s nose is, you can use scent to bond with him. An easy way to do that is to hold a treat in your hand and let him figure out where it is. You can also hide his kibble around the house and send him on a game of hide-and-seek. This provides great mental stimulation and keeps your pup sniffing away!
For more information on understanding your dog, read through our blog and information. And when it is time to set up obedience training classes, we hope you will choose Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training.Â
