Talking Tails - 6/11/19

We discovered that some researchers attribute this type of behavior to our extraordinary sense of smell. The canine nose is more fully developed than the human nose, having hundreds of millions more receptor cells. Some of these receptors are of a type that do not even exist in the human nose. Additionally, we have large olfactory lobes, a portion of the brain that receives nerve impulses related to the sense of smell. We, therefore, use our olfactory sense to understand the world, much like humans use their visual sense.

Odors change over time, which is picked up by our keen sense of smell. The strength of a human scent in the air can indicate how long ago they were in a particular location. Consequently, when you leave for work each day, your scent decreases with each hour you are out of the house. We have the ability to pick-up on this differential in your scent. Researchers believe we have learned that when the smell has weakened to a specific degree, it is time for you to return.

For dogs, “time” smells differently throughout the day. We are able to predict the return of our human by analyzing scent levels. This may explain our ability to anticipate predictable events accurately, which is why Champ went to the back door just before grandma came home.

Talk to you soon!
Buster and Joey