Seeing Smells

Next time you buy a toy, do your dog a favor and get blue or yellow!
They can see color, two shades, blue and yellow. Bright orange toys look grey in the (grey!) grass and the dog is probably using his ultra-powerful nose to locate it. Dogs have decent vision but really “see” with their noses more than their eyes.

It is hard to imagine “seeing” odor or scents because they are invisible. We can understand our dogs better when we can envision life the way they see it. Special matches that produce smoke are used to help dog trainers and handlers learn the behavior of odor, that is, the way odor flows and where it goes. I believe that this is a powerful way for all dog owners to better understand their dogs.

Dog’s noses are so powerful they can detect a single bed bug!
Human Remains Detection dogs, also known as cadaver dogs, have been known to locate a single drop of human blood. Search and Rescue dogs (SAR) save lost hikers and missing children by locating their scent. 

Understanding how powerful odor is to your dog can help you to resolve behavior problems. If a trained dog can smell a single drop of blood, can you imagine what a full trash bin smells like? Thankfully most of us do not have a keen sense of smell! But for your dog this smell drifts and fills the room, calling him to come and get it. This clearly developed as a survival mechanism to help the dog locate food sources.

A dog who gets in the trash bin is not a bad dog, he is simply a DOG!
The dog is born to detect and locate odors to survive. If you don’t want your dog to get in the trash, store the bin in a closed closet or under the kitchen sink. Punishing a dog for getting into the trash is the equivalent of punishing him for eating. If you come home to find trash on the floor and then punish your dog you will be teaching him to fear you and is absolutely inappropriate.

Go for an “Odor Search Walk”
Get your leash and take your dog outside. Rather than walk him, follow behind him as he is led by his powerful nose.

​Where did your “Odor Search Walk” lead you? Tell us!