Know How Much I Smell You?

Technical Stuff

To gain more respect for my olfactory ability, compare it to a person's nose. We both have bony scroll-shaped plates, called turbinates, over which air passes. A microscopic view of this organ reveals a thick, spongy membrane that contains most of the scent-detecting cells, as well as the nerves that transport information to the brain. In humans, the area containing these odor analyzers is about one square inch, or the size of a postage stamp. If you could unfold this area in me, on the other hand, it may be as large as 60 square inches, or just under the size of a piece of typing paper. My outward appearance also adds to my smelling ability. The loose, wrinkled skin around my face helps trap scent particles and my long, drooping ears that drag on the ground collect odors and sweep them into the nostril area. My long neck and muscular shoulders, which slope into my strong back, allow me to track close to the ground for miles on end.

What does this all mean?

When I smell something I’m not just registering a smell, I get an entire story. I can tell if another dog or human is male or female, what they ate, where they have been, what they have touched, if they are ready to mate, if they have recently given birth, or had a false pregnancy and what mood they are in. Some dogs have even been known to smell cancer on people, alerting them to it and saving their lives. This means when I smell another person, a tree that another dog has peed on, a pant leg that another dog has rubbed up against, or a chair that someone has sat in, I’m actually reading a story, not just smelling an interesting scent. While a human will smell something like spaghetti sauce as one smell, I can smell eachTechnical Stuff
To gain more respect for my olfactory ability, compare it to a person's nose. We both have bony scroll-shaped plates, called turbinates, over which air passes. A microscopic view of this organ reveals a thick, spongy membrane that contains most of the scent-detecting cells, as well as the nerves that transport information to the brain. In humans, the area containing these odor analyzers is about one square inch, or the size of a postage stamp. If you could unfold this area in me, on the other hand, it may be as large as 60 square inches, or just under the size of a piece of typing paper. My outward appearance also adds to my smelling ability. The loose, wrinkled skin around my face helps trap scent particles and my long, drooping ears that drag on the ground collect odors and sweep them into the nostril area. My long neck and muscular shoulders, which slope into my strong back, allow me to track close to the ground for miles on end.
What does this all mean?
When I smell something I’m not just registering a smell, I get an entire story. I can tell if another dog or human is male or female, what they ate, where they have been, what they have touched, if they are ready to mate, if they have recently given birth, or had a false pregnancy and what mood they are in. Some dogs have even been known to smell cancer on people, alerting them to it and saving their lives. This means when I smell another person, a tree that another dog has peed on, a pant leg that another dog has rubbed up against, or a chair that someone has sat in, I’m actually reading a story, not just smelling an interesting scent. While a human will smell something like spaghetti sauce as one smell, I can smell each individual ingredient. I can also move my nostrils independently allowing them to know what direction a smell is coming from. So when I go for a walk, I really am reading the latest news!

Try this at home!

Get your human to make a "scent bag" by tying a few biscuits soaked in gravy in a piece of cloth and attach it to a piece of string so that they can pull it along the ground. While you are inside let your human take the scent bag outside and pull it along the ground in your backyard. Tell them not to pull it in a straight line, but make a winding trail going around trees and under foliage. Tell them to leave a surprise treat at the end of the trail for you.