Why do dogs smell your breath

By Jennifer Paull | Wed May 16 21:28:00 EDT 2012

When news headlines trumpet a dog sniffing out trouble and saving someone’s life, there’s often a dramatic story to tell: a fire, an explosive or a search-and-rescue operation. But there’s another remarkable way that dogs’ highly attuned sense of smell can save lives.

By following their noses, some canines can alert you to life-threatening health issues.

While there are thousands of first-person anecdotes about such scenarios, there’s also a growing body of scientific evidence and corroborating studies. Researchers across the world are investigating the potential of using dogs as medical early warning systems. With their heightened sense of smell — thousands of times more sensitive than humans' — it seems that canines can pick up the scent of certain diseases and medical conditions.

Could your dog give you a crucial early alert for a cancer screening? Or maybe save you from a seizure? Read on for three medical situations in which your pup might just come to the rescue.

Over the past few years, several research studies have utilized dogs in the pursuit of one of mankind’s deadliest diseases: cancer. Findings show that dogs can smell the presence of cancer in various samples, particularly those taken of the breath. These biomarkers could eventually lead the way to early detection and a greater chance of survival.

In 2011, a group of doctors at the Ambulante Pneumologie in Germany reported their findings from scent trials in which dogs pinpointed breath samples from patients with lung cancer. The dogs had a 71 percent success rate in identifying the cancer samples.

The Pine Street Foundation in California has published similarly encouraging results. In 2006, it released a study in which five trained dogs smelled breath samples from 55 lung cancer patients, 31 breast cancer patients and 83 healthy subjects. Over several months, and more than 12,000 trials, the dogs correctly selected the samples in roughly 90 percent of the cases, as well as across all four stages of the cancers.

Dr. Michael McCulloch, Pine Street Foundation’s research director, credits a 1989 report in The Lancet, a British medical journal, for initially piquing his interest in the novel idea. The report described a dog persistently sniffing a mole on his owner’s leg, which a doctor’s visit later revealed was a malignant melanoma. This reminded McCulloch’s team of a Chinese medical text from the third century B.C., which noted how human odors could change when the body is diseased.

“[We thought the dog] could do the same thing for other people, given the right training,” Dr. McCulloch says. “We then asked the question: If the dog could sniff a surface tumor, maybe we could train the dog, and maybe the same type of odor would occur from tumors located deeper in the body? And what if the odor could make its way to the lungs and out as exhaled breath? That was the hunch we were going on.”

Pine Street’s current project tackles the early detection of ovarian cancer. The team is collecting breath samples from patients with ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer, along with healthy controls. And, once again, the dogs will sniff . . . and sniff . . . and sniff.

So far, the exact organic compounds that dogs can identify remain unknown. Dr. Touradj Solouki, a chemistry professor at Baylor University, has since joined the Pine Street project to examine these mysterious markers. With detailed analyses, Dr. McCulloch hopes that “[Solouki’s] lab can tell us what our Labs are sniffing!”

With all of the above in mind, most dogs want to smell your breath just so that they can learn more information about you. It is a way for them to get some insight into things that they are for obvious reasons unable to ask. It is a canine way of saying “How are you doing? Tell me about your day.”

Can dogs smell sickness on your breath?

The dogs detect isoprene, a common natural chemical found in human breath that rises significantly during episode of low blood sugar. People can’t detect the chemical, but the researchers believe that the dogs are particularly sensitive to it and can be trained to tell when their owner’s breath has high levels of it.

Why dogs smell your private parts?

These glands release pheromones that convey all different types of information such as age, sex, mood, and if a mammal is able to mate. Dogs have apocrine glands all over their bodies, but the highest concentration is found in the genitals and anus, hence why they sniff each other’s butts.

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What does it mean when a dog sniffs you?

When dogs sniff people they are gaining all sorts of information about us. They know if we are familiar or a stranger. They know which scents we have attracted while we’ve been away. They know if we are experiencing changes in hormones, such as those that occur during pregnancy.

Can dogs smell cancer on your breath?

Studies over the past decade have shown trained dogs could identify the urine of patients with bladder cancer almost three times more often than would be expected by chance alone, detect lung cancer in exhaled breath samples with very high accuracy (in two separate studies) and identify ovarian and colorectal cancers …

Do dogs know when their human is ill?

Pups really do know when their humans are having a rough time, and they use a rich variety of signals to figure it out. Not only can your pet tell when you have the sniffles, but domestic dogs have shown an aptitude for detecting both much more minute mood fluctuations and far more serious physical conditions.

Do Dogs worry about their owners?

Doggy don’t worry, don’t worry, no more. For a long time, cynics have argued that dogs don’t really love their Owners. The truth, they posit, is that dogs are simply adept at manipulating humans – their chief food source. … In other words, dogs feel a love for their humans that has nothing to do with meal time.

How do you know when a dog is happy to see you?

There are some really clear signs you’ll see in your dog showing they are happy:

1. A high and waggy tail. This is probably the most well-known sign your dog is a happy pooch.
2. Floppy ears. …
3. Their body’s relaxed. …
4. They’re playful. …
5. They lean in to you.

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Can dogs sense when your pregnant?

Dr. Barrack points out that changes at home will always have an effect on a dog. “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,” she says.

Can dogs smell menstruation?

Signs Your Dog Senses Your Hormones

You might not have known it before, but lots of animals are able to detect when your hormones are changing or balancing out – and that includes your pup. Your dog, with his or her keen sense of smell, is able to detect menstruation and other changes by both odor and hormonal levels.

Do dogs pick a favorite person?

Dogs often choose a favorite person who matches their own energy level and personality. … In addition, some dog breeds are more likely to bond with a single person, making it more likely that their favorite person will be their only person. Breeds that tend to bond strongly to one person include: Basenji.

Why do dogs stare at you?

Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.

Can dogs smell their owners?

A recent study found that dogs that have been deprived of food and owners choose to greet their owners before eating. Further, their brain’s reward centers “light up” upon smelling their owners. And, when your eyes meet your dog’s, both your brains release oxytocin, also know as the “cuddle hormone.”

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How do dogs act when they smell cancer?

Dr. Stenzel notes that in case studies, dogs persistently sniffed, licked and nipped at melanoma lesions on their owners’ skin, even through clothing, prompting the owners to identify the cancerous sites and seek care from clinicians.

Is my dog trying to tell me I have cancer?

Summary. Dogs have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell that can detect the odor signatures of various types of cancer. Among others, they can detect colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma by sniffing people’s skin, bodily fluids, or breath.

Can a dog tell if a person is dying?

Dogs know when people are dying or grieving, through body language cues, smells only they can detect and other ways not yet known, experts say. Jessica Vogelsang knows how much “being there” can mean to struggling people or pets.