WEBVTT - BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Dogs’ Noses Wet?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Lauren vogel bomb here with a classic episode of

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast. In this one, we get back into the

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<v Speaker 1>delightful science of dogs, and specifically today, why their noses

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<v Speaker 1>are sometimes wet and sometimes dry. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren

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<v Speaker 1>vocal bomb here. If you've ever shared a home with

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<v Speaker 1>a dog, you've probably had the startling experience of, while

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<v Speaker 1>minding your own business, having a cold, wet nose thrust

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<v Speaker 1>into your skin like a friendly ice cube. It's your

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<v Speaker 1>pup's way of getting your attention, and it's an old

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<v Speaker 1>wives tale that's such a wet nose is a good

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<v Speaker 1>thing because it supposedly means your dog is in good health.

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<v Speaker 1>But this idea has no basis. In fact, whether a

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<v Speaker 1>dog has a wet nose is not a signal one

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<v Speaker 1>way or another of health. But why are dogs noses

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes dry and sometimes wet. The short answer is that

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<v Speaker 1>dogs sometimes lick their noses, But the catch is that

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<v Speaker 1>no one knows for sure why they do that. One

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<v Speaker 1>theory suggests that because dogs are always licking their noses,

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<v Speaker 1>their saliva helps paint their schnas with the mucus produced

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<v Speaker 1>in the nostrils. As a result, all that mucus licking

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<v Speaker 1>improves a dog's ability to smell things. Oh, let's break

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<v Speaker 1>down how that works. When dogs sniff the air, and

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<v Speaker 1>they are always sniffing the air, they inhale tiny suspended particles.

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<v Speaker 1>These particles get trapped in their nasal mucus, which helps

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<v Speaker 1>the dog figure out what they're smelling. As a dog

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<v Speaker 1>licks its nose, it picks up some of these scent

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<v Speaker 1>latin goop. The tongue then brushes against an olfactory gland

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<v Speaker 1>on the roof of the mouth, which helps our four

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<v Speaker 1>legged companions figure out exactly what they're smelling. Another reason

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<v Speaker 1>some have suggested could be that a wet nose helps

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<v Speaker 1>keep a dog cool in warm weather. When we human sweat,

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<v Speaker 1>the perspiration our sweat glands produce evaporates off of our skin,

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<v Speaker 1>cooling us down. Dogs, however, do not sweat. That's because

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<v Speaker 1>they have no sweat glands except for on the bottom

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<v Speaker 1>of their pop heads. Instead, they pant to cool off. However,

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<v Speaker 1>a dog's nose, unlike the rest of its body, is

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<v Speaker 1>not covered in fur. It also brims with blood vessels.

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<v Speaker 1>When a dog licks its nose. The theory suggests it's

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<v Speaker 1>cooling itself down as its saliva, like human sweat, evaporates.

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<v Speaker 1>That leaves the surface area of the nose cool along

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<v Speaker 1>with the blood circulating in and around Fido's snout. Consequently,

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<v Speaker 1>cooler blood flows the dog's head and body, keeping our

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<v Speaker 1>best friends a little bit cooler. But then, why are

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<v Speaker 1>dog's noses often dry? A few factors can lead to

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<v Speaker 1>less licking. Touch your dog's nose in the morning, chances

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<v Speaker 1>are it'll be dry as the sahara. That's because as

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<v Speaker 1>a dog sleeps, it rarely licks its nose, and certain

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<v Speaker 1>breeds like bulldogs and pugs, have noses that are mostly dry.

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<v Speaker 1>Age also tends to make a dog nose drier. The

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<v Speaker 1>bottom line is that if your dog has a dry nose,

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<v Speaker 1>chill out. The dog isn't sick. Wait a few hours

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<v Speaker 1>and it will be wet again. Oh and a bonus

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<v Speaker 1>pup nose fact. Have you noticed that your dog has

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<v Speaker 1>slits on the sides of its nose. There's a reason

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<v Speaker 1>when dogs exhale, they do so out of those slits.

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<v Speaker 1>That so that the exhaled air does not mix with

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<v Speaker 1>the scented inhaled air which flows into the nostrils. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>episode is based on the article why do Dogs have

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<v Speaker 1>Wet Noses? On how stuffworks dot Com written by John Parretano.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with

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<v Speaker 1>how stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang.

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<v Speaker 1>Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

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