Why Does My Dog Love to Sniff Things? 

Humans use vision as our main sense for understanding what is around us. Dogs use their noses. The way something smells gives dogs more information than the way something feels, sounds, looks, or tastes. Have you ever noticed how dogs greet each other? Information is transmitted through noses rather than barks or paw shakes. Dogs can obtain more detailed information from scent than we can even imagine.

You may be wondering what makes a dog’s sense of smell so effective? Depending on the breed, dogs have up to 100 million or more scent receptors in their noses. Humans have only 5-6 million. That is quite the difference! Dogs can detect some smells in parts per trillion. Scent receptors also allow dogs to detect certain odors that humans can’t. There is also a special scent organ called the vomeronasal organ which is located between the roof of the mouth and the bottom of the nasal passage. This organ is special because it has receptors which focus on detecting pheromones.

Hopefully you already have a better understanding why our dogs love to sniff! With all these scent signals traveling from the nose, it is no wonder why dog’s brains have a larger olfactory cortex compared to humans. Another fun fact is that the smelling section of a dog’s brain is 40 times larger than ours. Many researchers say that a dog’s sense of smell may be even more powerful than a human’s sense of sight.

Sniffing is not a bad thing! Preventing your dog from sniffing would be like putting a blindfold on a human. The chance to smell provides your dog with important information which yields essential mental stimulation. How can you meet your dog’s needs to stiff? The next time you are approaching a fire hydrant or a tree, do not rush past it. They are important sources of information for your dog. The key thing to remember is that sniffing is one of the most important things to a pup and is part of what keeps them happy. Let them sniff and enjoy life to the fullest!