Why Do Dogs like to Sniff Everything?

Dogs are born to sniff. The part of the dog brain that is dedicated to analyzing scent is 40 times better than that of the human and dogs can identify smells at least 1,000 times better than we can. Although dogs also have the propensity to dig and roll on something that seems to have died months ago and made the owner give the dog a good bath.

When you see your dog sniffing the grass, the plants, sniffing the food, sniffing each other behind, sniffing you and other people, did you ever wonder why they do? The dog's nose is considered to be their most excellent "equipment". The nose is one of the reasons why primitive dog survived in the wilds. Apart from scenting the prey, the excellent sense of smell enables to the dog to avoid danger.

Dogs sniff a lot as by doing so they can understand other dogs well. Have you noticed a dog sniffing other dogs backside? This is done to identify the dog. The dog has a personal and unique smell. This is the counterpart of the human's fingerprints. Through sniffing the dog identifies if the other dog is friendly, one he can play with or a threat that he should be wary of.

The dog is said to be man’s best friend. They are loyal and would give their lives to protect the master. But aside from this, dogs can empathize with the emotional state of the human. The outstanding olfactory capability enables the dog to tell the difference between tears of joy and tears of pain and sadness. Notice how your dog would lean on you, would snuggle at you when you are sad. The dog is offering comfort. Dog sniff other people to identify if they are not a threat. When you let a visitor enter your home, the dog would immediately sniff the stranger.

A dog can tell if a pooch is pregnant by sniffing but did you know that our furry friends can also tell if you are not well? This ability is not due to a sixth sense. This is possible because the dog has a sense of smell that is several million times better than human. Merely by sniffing, a dog can tell if a woman is pregnant. Studies conducted have verified the ability of the dog to tell if a person has a certain kind of cancer. This is also true with some other kinds of ailments.

Sniffing dogs have become excellent partners of the police force. Because of the excellent smelling ability, the dog has become an invaluable helper in search and rescue operations as the dog can find people buried in rubble and in the snow. Dogs have excelled in narcotics and bomb detection because of their excellent scenting abilities.