The Power of the Nose, a Dog's Nose

Every dog has a bigger nose than the average human. Oh, I suppose those little ankle biters have smallish noses but they still probably work fairly well. Then again, maybe not. I don't think they were bred for smelling or much else for that matter. They just hang.

Well, real dogs have big noses. In fact, when observed closely they really have big noses, like most of their faces are noses, huge things that stick way out. Obviously, they were made to aid them in the hunt just like their teeth were made to kill and chew the dead animals. Rather like humans having real big brains so they could think really well---even though there is some indications we don't really think as well as we think, so to speak. Yes, there are some bad indications on that issue, but today, I am admiring dog noses.

Now Buddy here is a bit of a loaf-about-the-fort but the monster of a nose is a thing of wonder. I have seen him run off in the woods only to return soon, but in doing so never once lifts his head from the ground to just look for us. Instead, he runs through the woods until he hits our trail and then zig-zags across it a few times until he is on it. Then he simply runs to us. The entire time we were completely visible but he never bothers with his eyes. Had we walked in circles, he would have run the circles to us.

One day I thought I would test him, thinking that a trail of a number of people was easy, after all we are smelly. I was about to go bow hunting and had before departure done all the real special scent killing things commonly done, including washing my cloths in a special scentless soap, bathed in a scentless shower and really worked hard at not smelling like a human dude.

I slapped on my camo and drifted carefully into the forest for a few hundred yards trying to not touch things, nor scuff my feet. I selected a very hidden spot and stood motionless and scentless. After being there for a few minutes Buddy was let out of the house to do a walk. I knew he was coming in my direction with his master/associate.

Like always, I could see he had dropped his nose to the ground as he headed for the woods and into my general direction. It was not possible to see if he had picked me up because he may have found a mole more interesting. Soon he headed in my more immediate direction but I lost sight of him. I thought he had headed off for other olfactory pleasures but as I turned and looked down, there he was looking up at me wanting a little attention.

We have to be talking molecules of scent. That is all it took. It is then that one realizes that as this dog moves through the forest he must have an entire picture in front of him all of it based on smell and nothing else. A highly detailed picture, there in front of his brain. We will never know.

Here is a group of dogs having an exchange of personal history, or maybe a discussion on the day's activities. Family gossip? "Oh, you should not have eaten that!"