The truth why Dogs love sniffing everything?
sniffs, air is taken in and passes through the
olfactory epithelium (nasal skin cells).
These calls are also found in a special organ
that dogs (and cats) possess, called the Jacobsen’s
or vomeronasal organ. This organ is thought to be
important in the detection of pheromones (body scents),
perhaps giving the dog its tremendous ability to identify
and recognise animals and people.
Did you know?
- The ability of the dog to detect scents varies between breeds, with long-nosed dogs able to distinguish scents better than the short-faced ones.
- Each dog nose is unique, with its own distinct nostril shape and pattern of ridges and dimples. A canine nose print is as unique as a human fingerprint.
- Dogs can distinguish the scent of individuals, both dogs and people. They can tell the difference between individual family members, even identical twins, purely by smell.
- Dogs can tell from sniffing a tree of lamppost when a dog has passed, who it is and what status they have male or female, top dog or not.
- Dogs do not appear to distinguish between the regions of the human body which they sniff. Your armpits, to your dog, smells almost the same as your feet!
- Aromas can affect dogs. Lavender for instance, calms them down and reduces barking whereas rosemary increases it.
Putting that nose to work
Dogs are used by humans to detect all sorts of things and, as we learn more about the extent of the canine sense of smell, we can guarantee that this canine detection list will expand:
- Police dogs follow tracks of criminals or of people trapped in rubble after buildings have collapsed, whether alive or dead (sometimes referred to as cadaver dogs).
- Quarantine dogs detect odours of prohibited substances entering the country, including fruit, live animals such as snakes, drugs and more.
- Explosive-detector dogs seek explosive devices in public places or in war zones.
- Medical alert dogs detect many physical conditions. They can detect low blood sugar levels in diabetes sufferers, for instance, due to the difference scent emitted.
- Similarly, dogs can be trained to detect cancer. For instance, dogs can detect prostate cancer from a urine sample and lung cancer from a breath sample.
- Bio-detection dogs detect microbial growth in buildings which, if left undiscovered may result in decay of building materials or cause respiratory distress in occupants.
- Bed bug detection dogs can detect very early infestations of these unwanted creatures, useful for hotels.
- Other diverse substances including termites, bees, CDs, mobile phones, truffles and more can all be detected by trained dogs.
Why do Dogs like to smell butts so much?
Researchers studying the anal secretions of dogs and wild coyotes discovered that, next to their poppers, canines have pouches called anal sacs, which house the glands that secrete chemicals they use to get to know each other. Amines and acids are the primary compounds involved, and genetics and the state of their immune system can influence the aroma as well.
*Dogs also have a secondary olfactory system in their nose called the Jacboson's organ, which is designed specifically for chemical communication. Its nerves lead right to the brain -- so the smell of poop doesn't overpower their sensitive senses.
Here's a video to better understand why dogs sniff each other's butts:
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