Many dog owners have experienced this:If you ever pet another dog while out, even just briefly, your own dog will sniff you nonstop when you get home.One guy shared that his dog is super sensitive — if it detects the scent of another dog on him, it gets instantly angry.Dog’s thoughts: “Wait a minute… you were with another dog?!”Another owner said that normally her dog is enthusiastic and affectionate, but the moment it detects another dog’s scent on her, it suddenly becomes cold and distant.Dog’s thoughts: “I’m really upset! I’m telling you!”Many owners are baffled by this. Even after washing your hands, dogs can still detect other dogs’ scent. So how powerful is their sense of smell?The Science Behind a Dog’s Incredible NoseWe often jokingly say someone has a “dog’s nose” to describe strong sniffing abilities.But in reality, human olfaction is nowhere near a dog’s sense of smell — it’s literally worlds apart.If you search online for “how much better is a dog’s sense of smell than humans,” you’ll see all sorts of answers: 100x, 1,200x, 1,400x…However, scientific measurements show that a dog’s sense of smell is at least 1 million times stronger than a human’s.Humans have about 5 million olfactory receptor cells.Dogs have between 220 million to 300 million olfactory receptor cells, depending on the breed.Dogs can detect scents from over 500 meters away, and trained dogs can distinguish over 100,000 different odors — absolutely incredible!Even untrained dogs, however, can use their noses to save a human life.Don’t believe it? Keep reading.
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Blood Sugar Changes
Studies have confirmed that dogs can detect drops in blood glucose levels.They can identify these changes through subtle shifts in human sweat odor, a skill that is vital for patients with diabetes or blood sugar irregularities.
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Malignant Tumors
Malignant tumor cells are different from normal cells; damaged cells produce specific proteins, and dogs can smell them.So far, dogs have been trained to detect prostate cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, and more.In many countries, cancer-sniffing dogs are already in use in hospitals and research facilities.
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Identification
For dogs, each person’s scent is as unique as a fingerprint.Even if someone is wearing strong perfume, dogs can still recognize familiar people or locations.This ability is especially useful in search and rescue operations.Interestingly, dogs can even distinguish between identical twins based on scent alone.
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Epileptic Seizures
Scientists have proven that dogs can detect an epileptic seizure up to 45 minutes before it occurs.Once a dog senses that its owner is in danger, it will try to alert them by barking.If a seizure occurs and the person falls, the dog will stay nearby to protect and comfort them.
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Pregnancy
A dog’s nose can detect tiny changes in human body odor caused by hormonal shifts during pregnancy.Experts point out that dogs can recognize pregnancy even in the early stages, making them the first family members to “notice” the news.During this time, dogs may exhibit unusual behaviors, because you are suddenly a “new person” in their perception.
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Storms or Hurricanes
Animals are naturally sensitive to approaching natural disasters.Experts say that dogs’ noses can detect subtle changes in the air, and combined with their sensitivity to the Earth’s magnetic field, they can predict storms, hurricanes, or other disasters.
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Contact with Other Dogs
Dogs can detect if their owner has interacted with another dog because dogs communicate through urine, skin, fur, and feces, sending chemical “messages” to one another.Even if you haven’t touched another dog but just visited a friend who owns one, your dog will know immediately.By now, it’s hard not to be completely amazed by a dog’s abilities.Recently, scientists made another exciting discovery: dogs can detect malaria parasites in humans by scent.Malaria has a high mortality rate and often shows no early symptoms.If dogs can detect it, they could prevent infected individuals from entering a country via airports or ports, potentially saving countless lives.
Experts have praised dogs’ incredible abilities, saying:“A dog’s nose is more convenient than many detection devices, and it’s low-cost yet highly efficient — truly invaluable!”See? Even science now confirms that dogs really are our best friends.They don’t just keep us company and bring us joy, they can also protect us and alert us to health issues before they become serious.We must treat them with care and respect — don’t you agree?
