Fun Dog Information for Kids: Dogs Taste Smells[/caption]

Did you know that dogs can taste smells? The area in their brains and noses that manages smells is 1,000 times larger than those areas in humans, according to Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, an animal behavior consultant and dog trainer at The Dogue Shop. With all that space dedicated to smells, dogs can do really special things with their noses.

Dogs have something called a vomeronasal organ—otherwise known as a Jacobson Organ—that is directly connected to the brain. It allows them to taste a smell.

Here’s how dogs are different than humans, in the smells department, explains Dufresne-Cyr. If humans walk into the kitchen, they will smell spaghetti sauce. If dogs smell the same sauce, they will identify each ingredient individually. Not only will they know which ingredients went into the sauce, they’ll know how much of each ingredient is in the sauce. That’s amazing, in our opinion…Great dog information for kids!

Pictured here is Michael’s puppy, Hudson, whose nose jumps to attention around other dogs, animals, and especially if he smells food. In fact, as we were writing this blog, Hudson sniffed out Michael’s pancakes and scarfed them down before we could stop him. Not only is Hudson an amazing smeller, he’s super quick on his feet when his nose leads him to a tasty treat.

Oh, the wonder of dogs!

If you want to learn more about one particularly amazing dog, be sure to check out our dog picture book, “Bash And Lucy Fetch Confidence,” in which a wise, mischievous and sporty Golden Retriever teaches a boys’ soccer team about what’s really important in sports—and life! Visit the home page to learn more. And you can check out a video trailer for the book here: