As we have mentioned on other occasions, the sense of smell It is a dog's most privileged sense. Through it, they can discover objects and people buried under meters of rubble, detect diseases, and perceive the presence of some people without even looking at them. This extraordinary ability is surrounded by curiosities worth discovering. Understanding the olfactory umwelt of the dog (its world perceived through aromas) helps to respect its walking times and its need to smell: for them, Sniffing is information and well-being, not a whim.
Essential curiosities of the canine sense of smell
• The dog's nose has more than 200 million olfactory receptors, while the human being only has five millionThis difference explains why dogs access aromatic details that go unnoticed by us.
• His nose is up 10.000 times more powerful than that of humans. In some specialized breeds, it can be even superior due to their nasal morphology and training.
• El vomeronasal organ is the maximum responsible for the dog being able to interpret through the smell the hormones released by living beings. It is located in the vomer bone, between the nose and mouth, and allows it to decode pheromones and other social chemical signals.
• Olfactory ability largely depends on the raceFor example, Labradors and German Shepherds detect the presence of drugs more easily than other breeds, while brachycephalic (short-nosed) dogs tend to have a poorer olfactory performance.
• Dogs can pick up odors in a space of up to 200 cm², while humans only reach a distance of 3 cm². In addition, trained sniffer dogs can follow footprints days old and at a great distance.
• Thanks to its smell and its place of origin, the St. Bernard has a special ability to locate people lost in the snow.
• Dogs have two different routes right under their noses, which allows them to breathe and smell separately; this way they perceive the particles in the air in detail, recognizing them perfectly. They carry out this process continuously, since inhale and exhale five times per second.
• It is thanks to your sense of smell that feel anxious when going outside, as they perceive a large number of different aromas in just a few seconds. They become overstimulated by the universe that opens up before them; allowing pauses to sniff reduces stress.
• Through their most privileged sense, dogs can recognize different diseases, such as cancer or diabetes. In fact, studies show that they are capable of detecting a hypoglycemic attack even before it happens.
How Your Nose Works: Two Systems, One Super Machine
The canine nose separates the airflow for breathing and smellingWhen you inhale, some air goes to your lungs, while some enters the nasal labyrinth where it is "trapped" for analysis. When you exhale, the air exits through lateral slits, creating swirls that drag new smells towards the truffle without “sweeping away” the smell they are investigating.
In addition to the main olfactory system, the dog uses the vomeronasal organ to read volatile chemical signals (pheromones). When it sniffs another dog's perianal area, it interprets data about sex, reproductive status, diet, and temperamentThis dual approach explains his enormous social skills.
Your brain doesn't "mix" smells like ours: it does aroma separation, identifying individual components in a single trace. This is why they can distinguish a target odor from thousands and work in detection of explosives, drugs or people.
Even before birth, puppies begin their olfactory learning: It has been observed that they may prefer scents to which their mother was exposed during gestation, which shows how early this sense is activated.
Amazing skills and real-life applications
A dog can “read” the environment to estimate the time of day because the particles in the air change throughout the day and create patterns that your olfactory memory recognizes.
They can also anticipate storms: Changes in pressure and humidity alter the smells of the air and soil, something that many dogs associate with previous experiences, showing nervousness before we notice anything.
detect human emotions through variations in hormones and compounds in sweat and breath, so it is not strange that they approach when they perceive fear or anxiety.
Intense sniffing is mental exercise: A short search session (e.g., on a sniffing mat) can tire them out as much as a long walk, although both are necessary for their physical and cognitive balance.
How to stimulate and care for your dog's sense of smell
• Allows exploratory walks with time to sniff and vary routes to expand their scent library. Avoid pulling on the leash when investigating a trail, except for safety reasons.
• Introduces smell games: sniffing mat, hiding treats at home or in the garden, boxes with different substrates. Improves the concentration and reduces stress.
• Minimizes intense synthetic odors (bleach, ammonia, air fresheners) near the dog; they are annoying and can interfere with its perception.
• Take care of the truffle: in dogs with light truffleUse pet-specific sunscreen on days with high radiation. If your pet's nose is persistently dry or cracked, consult your veterinarian.
• Adapt expectations according to the morphology: Breeds such as Bloodhound, Labrador or German Shepherd excel at tracking, while brachycephalic breeds may tire more quickly. The sense of smell is usually the last meaning deteriorate with age, so continue to stimulate it in senior dogs.
Understanding and respecting the canine sense of smell changes coexistence: when we let them use their nose freely and with structure, improve their well-being, their behavior and their bond With us. Giving them “nose time” is a daily investment in physical and emotional health.