1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, Welcome to The Houndation's podcast. I'm your host, 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson, and this episode is all about understanding how 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: good our dogs noses really are and how they use them, 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,319 Speaker 1: and how we can make sure that once we understand that, 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: we can be better trainers and just better dog owners. 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: If you talk to I don't know literally any dog 7 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: owner anywhere, or at least bird dog owner, you'll probably 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: hear them talk about their dogs having a really good nose. 9 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: I used to think that was a thing, like, you know, 10 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: some dogs have a good nose and some dogs don't. 11 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: Now I think I was mostly wrong. I would bet 12 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: that the worst dog nose out there isn't too shabby, 13 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: and that the dogs we think have bad noses mostly 14 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 1: just don't know what they're doing or care about what 15 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: they are doing. Now, while it's cool to think about 16 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: how they view the world through their sniffers, understanding how 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: good they really are is important to training and just 18 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: general dog ownership. That's what I'm going to talk about 19 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: right now. My favorite writer to ever live is a 20 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: fellow named Cormac McCarthy. You've probably heard of him. You 21 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: know a lot of folks have read his stuff, and 22 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: if not. You've probably seen a movie or two based 23 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: on his books. The most popular of these is probably 24 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: No Country for Old Men, but he also wrote The 25 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: Road and All the Pretty Horses. The last book, which 26 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: is the first of a trilogy, is set in the 27 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: American Southwest and on down into Old Mexico, and it 28 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: follows a couple of young cowboys looking to hold on 29 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: to the only lifestyle they know or want to be 30 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: a part of, which is ranching now. In the second 31 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: book of the series, The Crossing, which is about as 32 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: haunting of a work of fiction as you're likely to 33 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: read if you're so inclined, The first one hundred pages 34 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: are so involved a boy trying to trap a wild wolf. 35 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: At one point, McCarthy switches perspectives to describe the wolf 36 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: crossing the landscape and then encountering a whole bunch of 37 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: different scents, one of which is another wolf that stops 38 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: at dead in his tracks. It's some of the best 39 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: writing out there, and the way that he describes how 40 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: the wolf perceives the world through its nose is just 41 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: so damn intuitive. Now, I don't want to say anything 42 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,839 Speaker 1: more than that, because if you're ever inclined to read 43 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: it or the whole Border trilogy. I'm honestly jealous of 44 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: you to get to experience it for the first time. Now. 45 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: The reason that that part of the Crossing stuck with 46 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: me so hard is because canines in their noses are 47 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: just fascinating to me, and I think it's one of 48 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: those things that we can't really even begin to understand. 49 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: We can try, though, or sometimes we just try to 50 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: kind of explain it away. One of my favorite things 51 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: to argue with people on the dog and the deer 52 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: hunting front is how much they key on breath as 53 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 1: a primary scent. Now, this works for dogs and deer 54 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: hunters talking about trying to beat a deer's nose, So 55 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: bear with me here. Now, I've talked to a lot 56 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: of deer hunters, and I've talked to a lot of 57 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: bird dog owners who swear that breath is the primary 58 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: source of scent. But I disagree. I've watched a hell 59 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: of a lot of deer in my life, and if 60 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: you touch a gait or a branch or a blade 61 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: of grass, they'll often walk up and sniff everywhere, including 62 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: both sides of a blade of grass. It's hard to 63 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 1: imagine that there would be a difference in their incent 64 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: but they must believe it to be possible, because you 65 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: can see that stuff happen a lot. I also think 66 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: that if you died in your tree standing, your respiratory 67 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: system wasn't working anymore. Every dear the walk down wind 68 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: if you would smell you anyway. Now, deer are not dogs, 69 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: and they use their noses for different things kinda. They 70 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: do have a similar amount of scent receptors, at least 71 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: close enough to really not matter to us a whole 72 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: lot about the difference. But in the case of your 73 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: lovable setter or pointer or golden doodle or whatever, they 74 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: are going to sport anywhere from about two hundred and 75 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: twenty to three hundred million cent receptors in their old schnazes. 76 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: To give that little context, humans have about five million. 77 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: What makes that even crazier is to try to understand 78 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: how the brain process is sent and how many resources 79 00:03:55,840 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: in an individual's anatomy devotes to old factory capabilities. In humans, 80 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: a long studied, in long debated issue is whether women 81 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: have a better sense of smell than men. This is 82 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: an interesting one where science meets social aspects, because the 83 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: science isn't super clear one way or the other, though, 84 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: a lot of research points to women having a little 85 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: bit better ability to smell stuff. On the social side, 86 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: I think you could pull one hundred married couples help 87 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,119 Speaker 1: maybe a million, and about ninety nine point seven percent 88 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: of them would say without a doubt women have a 89 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: more acute sense of smell. One study conducted down in 90 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: Brazil took a look at the brain structures of eighteen 91 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: men and women who were over the age of fifty 92 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: five and who were neurologically healthy when they died, and 93 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: who also had some kind of nose dependent job like 94 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 1: being a chef or a coffee taster. What they found 95 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: during that study is that women have on average forty 96 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: three percent more cells and fifty percent more neurons that 97 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: are dedicated specifically to old factor capabilities. So not only 98 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: is this sort of intuitive reality for a lot of us, 99 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: but it seems like women generally have a little bit 100 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: more brain real estate dedicated to sniffing things out compared 101 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: to men. And why would this be. While some of 102 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: the theories point to using their noses as being a 103 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: pretty big asset in pair bonding and mate selection, as 104 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: well as kin recognition, other theories suggest that throughout much 105 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: of our evolutionary history, the males often went on the 106 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: offensive when it came to dangerous stuff and you know, animals, 107 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: other hominids, whatever, and females were more often on the 108 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: defensive end. So to put that simply, the earlier danger 109 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 1: could be detected, the quicker they could take shelter or 110 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: run to survive. That's a pretty hard thing to test 111 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 1: for these days, but it's an interesting theory nonetheless, even 112 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: if it doesn't have a whole lot to do with dogs, 113 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: although that might not be true either given how limited 114 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: our noses are even factoring in how we probably used 115 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: to have much better nose is. Urging a wolf to 116 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: come up to the fire and eat some meat while 117 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 1: also relying on its nose to alert to danger would 118 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: make up for a hell of a lot of our 119 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: olfactory shortfalls and was very likely a primary driver in 120 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: our coevolution with canines. Now, A lot of this is 121 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: fun to think about, but doesn't really have much bearing 122 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: on our modern couch potato dogs. Yes and no. To 123 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: understand how to truly train a dog and to also 124 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,279 Speaker 1: give it the mental stimulation it needs, then it doesn't 125 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: hurt to understand how good their noses are and how 126 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: their noses work. And just like with the women from 127 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: that study, dogs have a pretty important amount of their 128 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: brains dedicated to processing scent. In fact, the part of 129 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: your dog's brain that is dedicated specifically to analyzing smells 130 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: is about forty times larger than a human's relative to 131 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: the size difference in our brains. Anyway, what does this 132 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: do well? It allows them to process a whole lot 133 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: of information and distinguish odors at a level that is 134 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: just a total mystery to us, even when you frame 135 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: it up, like you know, a dog can detect scents 136 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: in parts per trillion, like a single drop of scent 137 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: in a dozen and a half Olympic sized swimming pools. 138 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: It's kind of like how we can't really begin to 139 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: process how big spaces. The numbers just sort of melt 140 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: into an ungraspable blob. We can sort of understand how 141 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: dogs have such an advantage over us and a hell 142 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: of a lot of creatures by digging into their anatomy, 143 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: you know, specifically to take a look at the Jacobson's 144 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: organ Now, to be totally honest here, some humans still 145 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: have remnants of this organ tucked away in their heads, 146 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: but it's non functional. In dogs and some other mammals, 147 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: as well as some amphibians and reptiles, this organ functions 148 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: as a chemo receptor that detects heavy moisture born order particles, 149 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: which is different from airborne odors, which are detected by 150 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: the sensory cells located in the main nasal chambers. Now 151 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: this may be a little bit of a weird example 152 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: to help you understand the Jacobson's organ, But think of 153 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: your favorite snake. Now maybe you don't have one, so 154 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: think of the snake you hate the most. A definitive 155 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: and undeniable aspect of danger ropes is that they taste 156 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: the air with their tongues, but that's not actually what 157 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: they are doing. They stick their tongues out, then they'll 158 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: wiggle that tongue around, draw it back into their mouth 159 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: where it'll mix with fluids and is then delivered to 160 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: the docks leading to the Jacobsen organ. They take airborne scent, 161 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: they get it wet, and then filter that through an 162 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: organ that evolves specifically to parse out the scent and 163 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:48,839 Speaker 1: deliver that information to their little snake brains. This organ 164 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: in dogs is located on the roof of their mouth, 165 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: and you can actually see it if you know where 166 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: to look. It's used for a variety of things, but 167 00:08:57,559 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: the most important is that it allows them to parse 168 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: different pheromones that other dogs give off. This is why 169 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: when two dogs meet, they often circle each other and 170 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: stick their noses right into each other's exhaust pipes. To us, 171 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: that might be Valentine's Day behavior after a couple of 172 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: glasses of wine, but to dogs, it's the quickest method 173 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: to deduce the mood of their new acquaintance. Dogs can 174 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: tell if other dogs are happy or scared, or potentially 175 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: ready to mate through this move. Now, on the surface, 176 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: it's pretty straightforward. If you're a canine and you can't 177 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: verbally say hey, buddy, how are you today and then 178 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: gauge the response, you want to know what another dog 179 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: is feeling because your safety depends on it. Like the 180 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 1: way a white tailed deer will throw up its tail 181 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 1: as it runs from danger to allow other deer the 182 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: chance to see that flag and follow it to safety. 183 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: A dog that has another dog that runs by it 184 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: for some reason, that dog might be running in fear 185 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: and smelling that fear will allow them have a little 186 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: bit of an advantage to get away or prepare for 187 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,199 Speaker 1: that danger. While your dog might never have to use 188 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 1: it's Jacobson's organ to smell another dog running away from 189 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: a pack of wolves or some other big critter that 190 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: might kill him, this still plays a huge role in 191 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: our modern dogs' lives. So think about this one. Have 192 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: you ever owned a dog that is outgoing, you know, 193 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: super happy in general, but scared shitless of the vet 194 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: clinic or maybe a doggy daycare. We think that their 195 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: fear is often tied to a bad experience, because that's 196 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: how things work for us. You know, we go to 197 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: the doctor as a child, and they give us some 198 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: shots that hurt, and then we get pretty leria going 199 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: back to the doctor. It would stand a reason that 200 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,559 Speaker 1: the same thing would be true for dogs, but there's 201 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: way more to it than that. Imagine if you pulled 202 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: up to a strange building and could see people through 203 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: the windows, you know, running scared or hiding behind desks, 204 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: and just generally exhibiting obvious fear, you'd be pretty hesitant 205 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 1: to go in there. Now, while dogs don't visually see 206 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: that fear manifested in other dog's behaviors, when you pull 207 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: up to the vet clinic, they can certainly smell it. 208 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: And if you're thinking that's not the same thing, you're 209 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: probably wrong. I think it is. I think their noses 210 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: are the equivalent of our eyes, and they might be 211 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:16,839 Speaker 1: able to smell that fear in the parking a lot 212 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: of the clinic in some instances. And what's crazier is 213 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: they can probably smell our apprehension and nervousness when taking 214 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: them to the vet, knowing they're probably going to freak out. 215 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,079 Speaker 1: That's pretty crazy. But another way to think about it 216 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: is how capable they are of separating and analyzing the 217 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: individual parts of scent. An easy way to understand this 218 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: is to go back to the world of white tailed 219 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: deer hunting again and think about how often people used 220 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: to use cover sense. When I first started bow hunting, 221 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: my dad had bottles of fox urine. The idea was 222 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: that deer aren't all that scared of foxes, which isn't 223 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,199 Speaker 1: really true because I've watched a lot of foxes and 224 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: quite a few housecats wig them out bad. But anyway, 225 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,679 Speaker 1: he puts some drops of fox scent on his boots, 226 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: and the idea that it would cover his human scent 227 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: when he walked into the stand. Now, over the years, 228 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: a pile of products have come and gone in this category, 229 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: which started with a lot of natural sense and eventually 230 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: ended up with things like Airsol bottles that allowed you 231 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: to coat your stand tree with vanilla based cover sense 232 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: to overwhelm a deer's notes. While I don't want to 233 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: give away any trade secrets you know about how they 234 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: work or whatever, I think it's pretty obvious how that 235 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: category of products has, you know, kind of nearly disappeared 236 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: after enough real world usage by customers who took their 237 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: money elsewhere. So you can make your decision based on that. Now, 238 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: what happens with those scents like that fox urine on 239 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 1: my dad's boots is the deer go huh? I smell 240 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 1: fox pee and human body odor and leather from their 241 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: boots and the glue used in the boots and last 242 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: night's dinner that soaked into the leather, and on and on. 243 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: Dogs can do this too, really well, And a good 244 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: way to think about it is to imagine sitting down 245 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: to a meal of lasagna Garfield style. We would smell 246 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: that delicious smell of well lasagna. But a dog can 247 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: smell the noodles and the different types of cheese, and 248 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: the different types of meats, and the seasonings and pretty 249 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: much every part that has an individual scent, and they 250 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 1: can process that information in real time, just like if 251 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: you look into a room and you clearly see the 252 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: TV and the knickknacks on the TV stand, and the 253 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: vacuum cleaner on the floor, and the clock on the wall, 254 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: and well all of the visible stuff that's right there. Now, 255 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: I'll give you one last example here on how good 256 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: a dog's nose is before I explain why we should 257 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: know this and what we should do about it. When 258 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: you think of search and rescue dogs or disaster rescue dogs, 259 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: you know, the dogs that are brought in when some 260 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: hiker goes missing, or when there's an earthquake and a 261 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: building collapses and they need to find survivors. Fast dogs 262 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: are by far one of the best tools to use. 263 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: You know, even given modern drone technology and the latest 264 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: and greatest of whatever purpose built tools we have, there 265 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: are so many situations where a well trained dog's nose 266 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: just does the job the best. Now, if you're paying attention, 267 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 1: the well trained part of that is what matters the most. 268 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: To us. Now, like I said way at the beginning 269 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: of this, I'm not so sure there are dogs with 270 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: bad noses, but I'm positive there are dogs that have 271 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: been trained really well to use their noses for certain tasks. 272 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: I mean, if you take an English setter that has 273 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: never hunted grouse and an English Setter that has hunted 274 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: grouse every fall for six years, you're not dealing with 275 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: a big difference in the capabilities of their noses, just 276 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: practical experience at putting those noses to work. One will 277 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: do better than the other. And it's really not up 278 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: for debate. This is a hard thing for us to 279 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: train for in certain ways because we are such vision 280 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: focused creatures. We like watching a retriever swim down a bumper, 281 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: you know, in the neighborhood pond. But most of what 282 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: a dog has asked to do, even a duck dog, 283 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: is use its nose to complete the task. So we 284 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: not only need to train for that, but understand why 285 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: training for that is really good for us as owners 286 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: and good for the dogs. So for the first part, 287 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: it's pretty obvious a dog that can smell quail or 288 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: roosters and then flush them or point them is a 289 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: dog that is doing a hell a lot of what 290 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: we want them to do, But we also want them 291 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: to recover those birds, because without the dog, we won't 292 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: find most of them, or at least there are a 293 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: hell of a lot of situations where we are at 294 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: a real disadvantage. But we also need to set up 295 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: training drills to teach them how to use their nose 296 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: in a variety of situations. And while I'm not a 297 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: big fan of trying to trick dogs during training, paying 298 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: attention to how scent plays into it is really important. 299 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: You don't want your dog to simply follow your scent 300 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: during trailing drills, for example, or to key on your 301 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: hand sent solely while trying to train them to find 302 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: some shed antlers. You want them to have to use 303 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: their noses for the task the way it'll play out 304 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: in the field, And that means if you knock a 305 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: rooster down in the CRP, there won't be a super 306 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: easy to follow scent trail of a human going up 307 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: to it. Just like a buck out there who shakes 308 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: his head and drops his rack on the ground, you 309 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: know he's not going to figure out how to put 310 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: some human handsent on those antlers to help your dog 311 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: find them quicker. There are a ton of ways to 312 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: encourage the right use of their noses, from trying to 313 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: eliminate as much scent as possible through ozone, to using 314 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: dummy launchers to put a bumper way out in the 315 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: field nowhere near where you've walked recently. Or you can 316 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: put out bumpers or dead birds a day or two 317 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 1: before actually training on them to allow some of the 318 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 1: scent to dissipate. Now, this isn't something you'd want to 319 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: do with an eight week old puppy, but an older 320 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: dog that is getting into the serious stages of training 321 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: will benefit greatly from you working to at least force 322 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: him to use his nose, you know, kind of the 323 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: way they're supposed to and the way they're going to 324 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: have to out in the field. Now, the best part 325 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 1: of this, besides the fact that it hel helps dogs 326 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: become better at the jobs we want them to be 327 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: good at, is that mental health wise, it's a huge 328 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: win for them. They have a long, long history of 329 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: using their noses for tasks and to achieve rewards like 330 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: a full belly or a safe night in the den, 331 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 1: and that hasn't gone away. A dog that gets to 332 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,879 Speaker 1: use its nose for tasks and to earn rewards as 333 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 1: a dog, that will be happier and often a little 334 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: more calm around the house. And who doesn't want that? 335 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: So think about that. Think about your dog's nose and 336 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: how to make sure that your dog learns how to 337 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: use it correctly, and you help them with that path 338 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: along the way. Well, that's it for this week. I'm 339 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. This has been the Houndation's podcast. As I always, 340 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: thank you so much for listening and for all of 341 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: your support all of us here at Mediator do we 342 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: truly appreciate it. Without you, guys, we are nothing, so 343 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,400 Speaker 1: thank you for that. Now, if you want a little 344 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: bit more content, or hell a lot more content, you 345 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: can head on over to the medeater dot com and 346 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: check out a ton of stuff we drop new films, 347 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: new videos, new podcasts, new articles, new recipes, all kinds 348 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:06,919 Speaker 1: of stuff over there at the mediator dot com. You 349 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: can get your fill of entertainment and education. Go check 350 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: it out and thanks again.