On the surface, your dog’s nose may look wet, wriggling, and cute. But your pup’s nose is actually a powerful device that guides him through his days in pretty impressive ways. Here are some interesting facts about your dog’s sense of smell that prove canines have superior sniffers.
1. Dog’s Nose Has Two Functions
One for smell and one for respiration. A canine’s nose has the ability to separate air.
A portion goes directly to the olfactory sensing area (which distinguishes scents), while the other portion is dedicated to breathing.
2. Take In And Breathe Out Air At The Same Time
When sniffing, dogs noses are designed so that air can move in and out at the same time.
This creates a continuous circulation of air, unlike humans who have to either breathe in or out only.
3. A Special Scent-Detecting Organ That Humans Don’t Have
This is called the vomeronasal organ and it helps canines detect pheromones, chemicals released by animals that affect other members of the same species.
This organ plays an important role in reproduction and other aspects of canine physiology and behavior.
4. Dogs Smell In 3-D
Dogs can smell separately with each nostril.
Just as our eyes compile two slightly different views of the world, and our brain combines them to form a 3-D picture, a dog’s brain uses the different odor profiles from each nostril to determine exactly where smelly objects are in the environment.
5. Smell Up To 100,000 Times Better Than Humans
A dog’s sense of smell is its most powerful sense.
It is so sensitive that dogs can detect the equivalent of a 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.