Despite how much we love ’em, any dog owner will be able to attest to the fact that those pups are a smelly bunch. If you’ve ever wondered why, this video is a must-watch.
The American Chemical Society has a really neat channel called Reactions where they break down the various scientific properties of various aspects of our everyday lives — research about “important stuff” like tequila, sports fanaticism, and dirty towels. This week they brought delivered a new video about what makes our dogs so darn stinky when they’re wet (and other important factoids). And I’ve got to admit that while I’m no mad scientist, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from this video. Here are some of the video’s fun facts for all of you dog lovers:
- There are usually about 220 million (yes, million!) olfactory receptors in a dog’s nose, says the video. Humans, by comparison, only possess around 5 million of these receptors.
- Dogs have been used in medical trials to detect disease; in one trial, they were able to locate prostate cancer with nearly 98-percent accuracy.
- Dogs secrete sweat through their nose and paw pads rather than through their skin (hence the panting), like humans.
So what about the stinky wet fur thing? ACS explains that’s because a dog’s fur naturally contains yeast and bacteria that when wet, are released from the dog’s fur and become more pungent. If you’re already grossed out, you’re not alone — but we love our pups regardless.
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