A study by researchers at Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine has shown that diet can have a major effect a dog’s sense of smell.
Everyone thinks that their dog is the ‘best boy’ around, but scientific research has time and time again revealed that all our pooches are born with finely tuned senses, which are best activated when they’ve been fed the right fuel.
Using only the power of their noses, dogs around the world are able to tell if you’ve been meeting up with other pooches, what time of the day it is, and can even detect COVID-19.
Camille Ashforth, Senior Brand Manager at Webbox Naturals, comments on the research: “The study found that certain diets can actually improve a dog’s sense of smell – it’s all down to body temperature!
“Certain foods can cause a dog’s temperature to increase which then makes them pant more. This then has a huge impact, making it harder for the dog to smell as well.”
When trained and fed properly, dogs can sense some remarkable things…
Camille outlines some of the amazing things our dogs can sniff out…
Covid-19
“Most recently, it has been found that dogs have the ability to sniff out Coronavirus. Studies have shown people with conditions like Parkinson’s, diabetes, cancer and, of course, COVID-19, give off a particular scent which dogs can pick up on. Dogs can be trained to pick out those displaying the warning scents of COVID in less than a second, and there are plans to roll out these super-sensory dogs to airports.
“To help train pups to pick out those with COVID, programmes at Durham University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have used delicious treats to reward successful matches. During trials, every time a dog successfully chooses the sample in the group which signifies a COVID-positive patient, dogs are given a delicious treat to reward their sharp-nosed senses. This is but just another example of food playing a major factor in a dog’s sense of smell!”
Time of the day
“‘Being a Dog’, a book by Alexandra Horowitz, suggests dogs are even able to sniff out the time of day! According to Horowitz, the smell inside your home changes as the day goes on due to the rise of hot air. These subtle changes are easily picked up by your pooch who can tell whether it’s time for his breakfast or his dinner.
“Additional studies have also shown that neurons in an animal’s brain, proposedly the same area as where time memory is kept, are activated when they are in ‘waiting mode’. So not only can dogs judge the time of day, they’ll be sure to be found waiting and wagging their tail at the front door if they recognise that it’s time for walkies. “
Who you’ve been with
“If you’re lucky enough to be in a tier that allows indoor socialising, avoid visiting residences with pets. Pet scientists state that your own pooch will be able to sense if you’ve been hanging with other dogs behind your pet’s back by sniffing out pheromones from the other pooch’s urine, skin, and fur. To make matters worse, the messages left in these pheromones contain explicit additional details, meaning your dog won’t just know that you’ve been cheating on them, but also know about your dog on the side’s breed, size, and health!”
For more information, please visit: https://www.webbox.co.uk/naturals
