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How a Dog’s Nose Shapes Their World
Imagine if we knew what dogs know
This article was originally published in Katrina’s free newsletter, Curious Adventure, and has been republished on Medium with her permission.
I, like you, know dogs have an incredible sense of smell. I’ve watched my dog, Albert, sniff and retrace my brother’s steps minutes after he’d walked them. Albert also alerts me when to a forgotten bone pushed under the couch. During our walks, sometimes Albert will become so entranced smelling a rock/tree/pole/bush that he’ll resist my commands so he can sniff a moment longer.
Over the years, I’ve made up different stories about his experiences, wondering which smells are deemed essential and why. What information is he receiving that captures his attention so fully to the point of being completely oblivious of his surroundings?
Perhaps he and the other dogs have a communication system going. You know, marking this tree means “mission is a go,” but if it’s on that bush it means, “abort.” I don’t know, but I dug around (pun intended) and found some pretty remarkable things about canine sniffing talents.
Dog Noses are Amazing
The superiority of a dog’s sense of smell is super cool and well researched. Dogs can sniff out cancers, weapons, and…
