A dog’s sense of smell is their most essential sensory tool, necessary for navigating their world. Though dogs use their sense of sight a lot as well, they get the majority of their information about their surroundings from their nose. Just how powerful and sensitive is your dog’s nose? Let’s sniff out the truth!
Dogs’ brains are wired to rely on smell. Scientists have found that the olfactory bulb–the part of the brain that processes smell–is about 40 times larger in a dog’s brain than in the human brain, relative to total brain size. Their noses themselves also are more sensitive to scent molecules. Inside a dog’s nose are about 100 million sensory receptors to pick up on smells and send that information to the brain. In comparison, human noses only have about 6 million sensory receptors. Finally, dogs also have an organ called Jacobsen’s organ that humans don’t have. This organ leads directly to the brain and allows them to process scent particles more extensively than the olfactory bulb can on its own. These factors work together to extract significantly more information from a scent than we can. Though it is difficult to estimate, researchers believe that dogs smell at least 1,000 times better than humans can – some say that number is actually closer to 10,000 times as much!
What are we missing out on?
The extent of the information that dogs can interpret from a single sniff is genuinely incredible. The body (be it human, canine, or something else) produces different chemical compounds that change based on our age, mood, sex, health, and more. Our noses can’t detect these compounds in most cases–research hasn’t found any reliable reactions from humans to other people’s pheromones. Dogs, however, are capable of understanding an incredible amount of information from these chemical compounds.
By sniffing another dog, our furry friends can tell how old they are, whether they are male or female, what emotions they are experiencing at that moment, and whether the dog is hurt or healthy. Dogs can distinguish a lot of this same information by sniffing people as well, which is why they are such invaluable companions to have as service dogs for people. Dogs can smell increases in anxiety, changes in blood sugar, and other triggers before we even notice them in ourselves. This early detection gives their owners the time they need to react and make sure they are safe.
Their Noses Sense Direction
Many people don’t realize that dogs can move their nostrils independently, angling them slightly in one direction or another. This ability allows them to accurately determine which direction a smell is coming from, so they can hone in quickly on the scent’s source. It is similar to how many animals can rotate their ears to pinpoint where a sound is coming from.
Work Your Dog’s Nose!
Because using their noses stimulates such a large part of their brain, giving your dog tasks that require sniffing is a great way to exercise them. Let them stop and sniff while out on a walk, drop treats in a meandering trail through your backyard, and encourage them to follow it. You can even feed them their dinner by just scattering their kibbles in an area of the yard and letting them sniff the pieces out. These practices not only work their brain, but they also help tire your pup out and make them more relaxed.
Dogs are incredible creatures, and we just love them! At Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training, our professionals are dedicated to teaching your dog to live life to its fullest, safely and in control. If you are a dog owner in Sarasota or Bradenton, we’d love to work with you.
