Dogs are AMAZING! Fact: Dogs can smell time

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell. Not only do they sniff out pizza crumbs and illness, but did you know that they also use their 300 million scent receptors to keep track of time? Imagine this:

You are walking your dog, and he has his nose buried in the grass. He is working as a detective every time he stops to get a good sniff. He's tracking where that rabbit has been, when the cat came through, and how much food the squirrel was carrying. Dogs do this by following where smells are weaker (older), or stronger (newer). If the breeze changes direction, your dog can even smell your neighbor, who is around the corner, as if your dog is smelling what the future of your walk will bring.

This strong scent sense of what’s going on doesn’t only happen on the walk. It also happens in your home.

Due to repetition, your dog knows what smells mean it's morning, noon, and night. Your dog knows when the mailman is due to come by, and around when their favorite human is due to wake up. When you go to work, your smell starts to fade in the house. They know when it’s faded by, for example, 40%, that you normally come back home. This explains how your dog knows when to nap or when to wait for you by the door.

Impressed? I am!

We are just beginning to grasp what amazing skills man’s best friend has, and how to

deepen our relationships with our dogs. While our society works on that and the cool scientific parts, I propose that the human aspect of the dog/human relationship makes a pact. We will allow our dogs to exercise their keen sense of smell in our homes and on our walks. Life’s too short to not stop and smell the roses.

Share your AMAZING dog story with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by tagging #MamaWalksDogs. Got ideas, suggestions, or wanna share your experience? Comment below!

With puppy and kitty love,

Lily the Dog Mama