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The Nose Knows: Fido’s Cute Snoot
March 15, 2023

Did you know that your canine buddy has a unique nose print? Just like human fingers, dogs’ noses are all different. And yes, that means that the nose art Fido leaves on your windows are all one-of-a-kind masterpieces! A Washington Heights, TX vet discusses Man’s Best Friend’s snoot below.

No Cuter Snooter

Dogs’ noses are extremely sensitive. Your pooch can smell about 100000 times better than we can. To look at that from another perspective, it’s the equivalent of smelling half a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized pool. Fido has as many as 300 million olfactory receptors in his nose. In comparison, we have a mere 6 million. Also, a much larger percentage of dogs’ brains is dedicated to hearing than ours. In fact, that area is roughly about 40 times larger than ours, proportionately. 

Daily ‘Nose’ 

Fido has a special organ that is dedicated to scents: the vomeronasal organ. Its job is to identify pheromones, which are chemicals human and animal bodies release in response to various feelings, urges, or stimuli. Your four-legged friend can learn all sorts of things by sniffing that tree down the road. He’ll be able to suss out who was there and when, and can determine the age, sex, and even health of both people and other pups. That’s one reason walks are so important. Dogs really need the stimulation that sniffing things provides!

Breathe

Here’s another fun fact about Fido’s nose: Your furry friend can actually breathe in and out at the same time! Who knew?

Breed

Although all dogs can smell better than we can, breed does play a role here. The Bloodhound is likely the most renowned sniffer. German Shepherds and Labradors are also very astute smellers, which is why they’re often employed in search and rescue and scent detection.

Slits

Have you ever wondered about the slit in Fido’s nose? It actually separates the air your pooch inhales into air that he’s breathing and the air he is smelling.  When your furry buddy exhales, some scent molecules stay in that slit for a while before being released. Your canine companion also uses each nostril separately. This helps your pup hone in on the location of that delicious bacon smell!

Please feel free to contact us, your Washington Heights, TX pet hospital, with questions about your dog’s health or care. We’re here to help!