Dogs see the world with their noses

Did you know that a dog’s eyesight is pretty limited? Yes, humans have much better eyesight than dogs, because we can spot a higher number of colors, can make a difference between different brightness levels, and enjoy a better image clarity. But, dogs have an incredible nose that compensates for the bad eyesight. The nose of a dog is much more sensitive and can detect even the finest scents and fragrances. This is why dogs are successful at finding well-hidden drugs, explosive, and tracking something or someone down.

In their world, dogs rely mostly on their sense of smell to collect the information they need. Humans do that with their eyesight, as it is more developed. So, it is possible to say that dogs “see” the world with their noses, instead of using their eyes. What do you do when you smell something? You check out to see where the scent is coming from, without trying to interpret the scent itself. Well, in the case of dogs, this happens the other way around. Smells give them a lot of clues about what is going on in the world, pretty much as images do for us.

• The nose is first, the eyes come second

For dogs, the nose is the most important organ when it comes to exploring the world. Yes, it is true that they will use their eyes to get close to something or someone. So, a dog will look at you as it will approach you. But, it will soon realize that its eyes are not offering all the information needed to determine who you are and what your intentions are. This is when the nose steps it and takes the lead.

A dog will use eyesight to take a preliminary set of information, but in order for it to determine whether it is you, it will use its sense of smell. In other words, your scent will tell the dog that it is actually you standing in front of him. This is why items with familiar scents will calm a dog down when in a new environment or under great levels of stress. Usually, a blanket, clothing item, or favorite toy that smells like home will comfort a dog when it is surrounded by unfamiliar smells and situations.

• An organ perfectly equipped to do its job right

The nose of a dog is very different from our nose. It is simply developed and equipped with everything required to sense smells with an incredible degree of accuracy. To have a clearer view of how sensitive a dog’s nose can be, it is worth mentioning that dogs can scent even those fine smells that are airborne. So, they can smell whatever the breeze is bringing their direction. Another very interesting detail is that each nostril of the dog’s nose can capture a different smell. Yes, it may sound funny, but a dog can smell in a stereo manner. This is just how effective their nose is, giving them the chance to carefully analyze every smell.

Even the mere fact of inhaling and exhaling helps a dog pick up scent molecules, as they go. Thus, a dog can immediately detect a scent, even if it just breathes. This is possible due to the fact that inhaling and exhaling take place through separate air ducts in the case of dogs. In humans, the air comes in and goes out on the same airway. Well, this is not happening when it comes to dogs. A dog will exhale the inhaled air through special slits located on the sides of the nose. Little air flow is generated this way, which enables the dog to sense if any smell exists in the air.

• Dogs can associate and remember smells

If you are a dog owner, you probably noticed that your dog prefers certain smells, while avoiding others. This is due to the fact that dogs can associate smells with various events or experiences. So, in the case of a stressful situation, the smell picked up by the dog at that point can turn into a stress factor later on. Also, smells are used to identify people, other dogs, and animals. In the world of dogs, each of us has a unique scent, so these details are remembered by a dog in a similar way we remember the names of people we meet.

This is why a dog sniffs everything out as soon as you take it out of the house. For a dog, this is the method that helps it to check what has happened in the neighborhood. It can determine if there were dogs in the area, for example, and whether the dogs are familiar or strangers. Believe it or not, your dog can also tell, based on scents, if the dogs that passed nearby are sick or healthy, if they managed to eat something or not, or what’s the gender of the new dog.

After finding out all this information, you should let a dog sniff you next time because now you know that this is how it collects information. You’re not a dog owner yet, but you have serious plans to become one? Then you may be interested in checking out these Morkie puppies. Premier Pups can offer more than just Morkie puppies, as this online platform is specialized in pairing dog enthusiasts with the dog breed that suits them the most. So, if you’re looking for a trustworthy provider for your pup, Premier Pups will certainly not let you down.