Three facts about your dog’s nose
Dog nose prints are unique like human finger prints!
But unlike human fingerprints, dog nose prints aren’t really used for dog identification as much as the microchip or the dog tag.
Still that hasn’t stopped pet lovers from trying their hand on DIY projects that help them capture this unique part of their fur buddy. There are some webpages that suggest dog nose print projects that can be fun for kids and the dog lover.
But our dog here would likely not take it kindly to have food colouring or china ink painted over her nose and then have a piece of paper pushed into her face to make a unique nose print project.
Nope, those tensed up pinned back ears and that tilt in the head to avoid the human and her camera says it all. You’re being a pain, human!
But even without that wet ink to make a nose print, my dog’s nose is typically wet and cold.
Why do dogs have wet noses and what use do they have?
Because they have wet tongues that lick their noses! Hahaha. Common sense, huh?
Although sometimes, when a dog is not feeling well, he/she may not lick the nose as much so it becomes dry. However, in this Q&A with a Monterey vet, the vet also makes it clear that a dry nose may sometimes be a symptom of illness but that is not always the case.
Brachycephalic breeds with short, high noses like the Pug and the Boston Terrier are also more likely to have dry noses since their noses are set too high and their tongues couldn’t reach them! This also means that such dogs have a higher tendency to suffer from noses that are cracked and dry on top.
Eat your hearts out, snorties! *Now that is just rude, Donna!*
But back to the wet nose, it actually helps the dog to (1) cool down (rather than overheat) and (2) to smell better. No, I don’t mean it makes Donna sweet smelling. (Wouldn’t mind if that were the case.) The wet stuff on the nose is mucus that collects chemicals present in the environment which the dog can lick to aid her in her mission to sniff and process all the different smells she is exposed to on walks, etc.
So yah, high five to the wet nose! *thumbs up*
The nose is to the dog, what eyes are to the human
(but sighthounds need not apply, I think :P)
Speaking of sniffing, there’s no looking down on Brachycephalic breeds even if they have to suffer from their funny faces and shorter noses due to humans breeding them to look cute. According to this dummies article, even flat nose dogs smell better ‘detect scents far better than humans’!
It’s kind of debatable if it’s the human’s loss or gain, I mean, considering I am picking up dog poo everyday… maybe not having such superhuman sense of smell is not a bad thing. :P
So stop with that sticking your nose high in the air, Donna!
And yes, I’ll get out of your face now, poor thing. (She’s persisting sitting there looking grumpy rather than walking away because she wants to eat the forbidden ice cream waffle.)
with 2 Brown Dawgs
and Heart Like a Dog.
References
The Nose Command
