Your dog’s nose is a powerhouse of senses. Fido has 300 million olfactory receptors within their nose which is six million more than a human. In addition, the part of the brain that analyzes smells is 40 times greater than a human brain. Dogs are even attracted to new and exciting odors.
A Dog’s Sensitivity of Smell
Research has shown that a dog can detect a single drop of a substance in 20 Olympic sized swimming pools. Dogs are widely used to sniff out drugs, bombs, dead bodies, and certain diseases such as cancer, malaria, diabetes, COVID19 and tuberculosis.
Your Dog Can Identify Your Scent
Even if you shower on a daily basis, use deodorant, soap, and perfume, your dog can still smell your signature scent. Your dog uses your particular scent to recognize you over all other people. Every object you touch leaves behind your scent that your dog can use to identify where you have been and what you have touched.
Urine and Dogs
Your dog can tell a lot about other dogs in the neighborhood simply by sniffing their urine. Your pooch can instantly take stock of which canines live in the area, how old they are and if they are male/female simply by sniffing their urine. Chance is good your dog will also want to urinate close to the same spot as the other dog to leave their own information behind.
The Nose of a Bloodhound
All dogs have a remarkable ability to smell, but the bloodhound stands out from the rest as the leader in scent detection. The breed has 300 million scent receptors which give the Bloodhound the edge it needs when it comes to discerning particular smells. Other dog breeds with exceptional small include the German Shepherd, Bluetick Coonhound, Labrador Retriever.
Breathing Abilities of the Dog
Unlike humans, your dog has the ability to breathe in and out with ease. However, the dog can also move air in and out simultaneously - unlike a human who must breathe in or out but not perform the same task at the same moment.
A Dog’s Nostrils
A dog can smell out of each nostril separately. This provides the dog with a three-dimensional view of the world. The animal’s brain can quickly categorize things to figure out location, object size, and more.
The Dog’s Nose Multi-Tasks
A dog’s nose can multi-task. It is not just an organ used for breathing but for discerning smells and for the animal’s very survival. The animal’s sense of smell is every bit as important to the creature as sight and sound.
As a pet owner, you should always think about your dog’s hyper-sensitive smelling abilities when lighting candles, using perform, air fresheners, or other substances that you believe smell good but which the dog might find repugnant and overpowering. Always watch for sensitivity to smell with your dog such as sneezing, rubbing the nose, nasal discharge, or other indications that Fidos nose is being overwhelmed with odors.