Unexpected Things Researchers Suspect Dogs Can Smell That Humans Can't

Our canine pals have lots of gifts and talents, one of them being their incredible noses. Even if you think your sense of smell is pretty good, in comparison to humans, dogs' noses are about 100,000 times more sensitive than ours. The part of the brain that processes scent is also much bigger in our furry friends, as it's seven times bigger in dogs than in us people. Additionally, humans only have about six million scent receptors, whereas dogs have approximately 300 million.

These staggering statistics prove that a human's sense of smell simply cannot compare to our canine companions. Because of their profound sense of smell, researchers suspect that there are certain scents dogs can pick up on that we humans can't. Certain health conditions, emotions, weather events, and even pregnancy are just a few of the scents our pups might be able to sniff out.

It is believed that dogs may have the ability to smell certain types of cancers in humans. They are able to do this due to the specific scent cancer cells can produce on a person's body that human aren't able to smell. Trained dogs are able to pick up on these cancerous smells through substances called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on a person's skin and breath, as well as through bodily functions such as urine and sweat. Some types of cancers dogs have been proven to sniff out include lung, breast, ovarian, prostate, and some skin cancers, amongst others.

Aside from cancer, there are also other health conditions dogs are able to identify. Diabetic alert dogs are pups who are trained to help their diabetic owners monitor their blood sugar. Both high and low blood sugars emit unique smelling chemicals that diabetic alert dogs are able to detect and thus can alert their owner when there's a change in their blood sugar. Researchers have also found that some dogs may be able to smell when someone is about to have a seizure through chemicals emitted through a person's sweat, breath, and urine that they are able to pick up on.

Life would probably be a lot easier if people were able to tell how someone was feeling just based on the way they smelled. While it isn't possible for us to pick up on someone's emotions via scent, scientists think dogs can smell when you're stressed out. One research study published in the PLOS One scientific journal found that stress can chemically alter a person's breath and sweat, and canines may be able to pick up on this scent change.

Similarly to stress, some people believe that dogs may also be able to smell fear due to chemical differences in the sweat emitted that pups can decipher. However, not enough research has been done to truly come to a conclusion on whether dogs can smell fear. Along with humans, dogs may also be able to pick up on how a fellow canine is feeling just by sniffing them.

Dogs are able to differentiate between a bunch of aromas, and your dog might even know you're pregnant. Due to the hormonal changes that happen when you're pregnant, researchers believe dog's might be able to pick up on the scent changes, but they probably don't know the exact reason behind why these changes are occurring. While there's evidence that might suggest dogs can pick up on pregnancy, there hasn't been enough research to conclude how accurate this theory is.

Along with the potential to smell hormonal changes, some owners claim that their dog even acts differently when they are pregnant. Veterinarian Dr. Rachel Barrack told the American Kennel Club that "your dog is smart enough to pick up on these changes during pregnancy, both in a physical way — which is how your body will be changing, your stomach, your smell — and in an emotional way, such as your feelings and your mood." Some people believe that dogs can also pick up on a change in scent when you are about to go into labor, although there's no research that proves this to be completely true.

Not only can dogs smell many things that people can't, but they are also able to smell humans in general. Thanks to their amazing sense of smell, search-and-rescue dogs are able to find missing people solely using their noses. One type of search-and-rescue dog, called trailing dogs, can use their incredible sense of smell to follow a person's scent just by smelling it on one of their belongings. From this, they are able to focus on just this one person's smell and are able to seperate it from the scents of other humans.

Not only can dogs be trained to search and find living people, but they can also be taught to smell out human remains. Dogs who are trained to find these remains are called cadaver dogs. Due to their strong sense of smell, cadaver dogs are able to find bodies that are underwater or buried. One of the ways cadaver dogs are trained is by being exposed to the chemicals decomposing bodies emit, helping them to know what scents to look out for when it's time to go out and search.

If you've ever noticed your pup acting odd shortly before a storm breaks out, there's a chance they could have sensed it coming. When a storm happens, there's a change in barometric pressure, which dogs are able to feel as well as smell. They also might be able to smell when rain is on the way.

Dogs who are afraid of storms may start showing signs of anxiety before it even starts, thanks to this ability to detect them. The reason dogs are able to smell a storm approaching is because when barometric pressure drops, scent moves lower, eventually stopping at ground level where dogs can pick up on the change. It's also believed that pups can detect the change in electrostatic charge that accompanies a storm, which can even cause static electricity in their fur, potentially shocking them when they move. Next time it's about to storm, look out for cues if and when your pup starts acting strangely.