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Unleashing Canine CounterStories Part 8: The Nose Knows. What's in a Sniff?

Unleashing Canine CounterStories Part 8: The Nose Knows. What's in a Sniff?

May 06, 2026 - 6 minute read
Welcome to 'Unleashing Canine CounterStories: Exploring Humane Education with Dr. Lori'. I am your guide for this blog series where we navigate the fascinating world of human/canine relationships. To put it bluntly, it's complicated. But I'm here to help hash it all out! In this series, we'll examine our interactions with our canine companions and discover ways to build stronger, more empathic connections by considering your dog's perspective along with your own. This is known as Canine CounterStories - taking a broader look into how something that has 'always been' may actually have had another angle to look at all along. Today, we'll examine that canine superpower that shapes so much of what they do and who they are…your pup's extraordinary sense of smell, channeled through their ever-sniffing snout! As humans, we tend to rely heavily on our sense of sight, while dogs see in scent. To appreciate just how powerful our dog's super-sense of smell really is, let's use our sense of sight to observe. Watch your dog in motion…nose and nostrils twitching this way and that, sometimes even before they wake up. We dream in color, and I often wonder if dogs dream in scent. Once you start to pay attention, it becomes clear that a dog's nose isn't just another body part, it's their main player - a full-blown information center, constantly sorting and decoding invisible cues to the world around them. These furry friends definitely navigate life nose-first! While we humans 'see' the world, the dogs among us quite literally smell it. To put this in perspective, humans tend to think in terms of good smell, bad smell, or familiar smell. Pretty much three categories that we have acquired from our 350 smell receptors. Meanwhile, our canine companions are working with approximately ONE BILLION olfactory receptor types. That's a whole lotta knowledge about the world that we know absolutely nothing about!  Cue the 'We're not worthy!!' Wayne's World bow... Have you ever been on a walk together and suddenly your dog has a hard stop? Or should I say a hard sniff? They aren't just being stubborn; they are reading off the local canine community bulletin board. Sniffing can provide your dog with so much information that it's almost beyond our comprehension. These snifferoos can figure out who passed by and how long ago. That's right, their noses can even track time! Let's take a look at some everyday scenarios where things look simple, but the canine counterstory involves gathering intel like a supercomputer: Sniffing the air: equivalent to waking up and reading the daily newspaper, written in scent. i.e. What's been going on around me while I was resting? Sniffing the ground/grass: message center: who's been here before me? Were they happy, stressed, and/or looking for a date?  Sniffing the tree: also known as the other type of 'bark'. Layers of yellow post-it notes from others urinating on the same path *yellow/urinating, see what I did there?  Sniffing another dog: nose to butt - the ever-popular dog greet. 'Oh hey, it's you! A fellow fido!'     *Can also tell if Friend or Foe. and of course, Sniffing the food bowl: these guys can smell a good time a mile away. So when it comes to their bellies, they aren't fooling around...full food critic mode...activate! How about those times dogs' noses have literally changed the world? Bomb detection: significantly enhancing global safety and security. This prevents explosion disasters and ultimately saves lives. Weather detection: dogs can detect drops in barometric pressure and other atmospheric changes. Their noses can even detect ozone produced by lightning before we see it. Paying attention to their cues may help with early storm prep during natural disasters. Search and rescue: each human comes with their own individual scent, and dogs can tell the difference. A dog's ability to detect scents at low concentrations and follow trails of odors makes them an invaluable asset when it comes to locating missing persons. Health alerts: picking up on subtle changes in someone's body chemistry can provide valuable information on impending health challenges. This can include seizures, panic attacks, blood sugar crashes, heart attacks, even early signs of cancer. Good for you, good for them: Emotional support: dogs can smell your emotions such as fear, anxiety, and tension. They can also help you through it via a cuddle and just being a warm, loyal presence. They are masters of holding space, a.k.a. being non-judgmentally present. Boosts dog mood: Happy Dog, Happy Life.  That's the saying, isn't it?  (I'm sure all the wives won't mind sharing the spotlight) Using their noses contributes to their welfare. So now that you are aware of what kind of massive amazing snoot patrol you are living with, and how important odor is to a dog's world, it's time to turn it up a notch and let them do what they do best.   Introducing, the Sniffari: A slow meandor where your dog chooses the pace. To put it simply, 'Let 'em Sniff!' That's your pup's version of scrolling news feeds. But what about inclement weather? Introducing, Scent Games: I have an entire separate blog entry regarding scent games. But the Readers Digest condensed version is that you can create little Sniffy Mini-Adventures throughout your home. A snuffle mat is a great way to hide a few treats in a small contained square space just about anywhere. For advanced fun, try the doggy version of the Three Card Monty/shell game:  place plastic Solo Type cups upside down throughout your indoor living space. Some have treats underneath, some do not. Let your dog use their nose to find and figure it out for fun times when it's dreary out. At the end of the day, honoring a dog's nose is really about honoring their true nature. When we give them space to explore the world in the way they were built for, we're enriching their lives and honoring their gifts, which also will strengthen your relationship with each other.  At the heart of Canine CounterStories is seeing the world through their eyes (and noses), not just our own. So the next time your pup pauses for a long, thoughtful sniff, observe and appreciate what's really happening. You are witnessing one of nature's most remarkable sensory tools at work. You are in the presence of awe-inspiring greatness by way of something as simple (and as complex) as a single sniff. Honoring that honors their true self, and your dog will appreciate the nod to their superpower.  Afterall, their nose truly knows.
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