--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dogs are losing their noses. Other…" description: "\"“Dogs are losing their noses. Other research has supported the odd and disturbing result that companion dogs are not only not using their smelling abil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/alexandra-horowitz-25911_dog_dogs-are-losing-their-noses-other-resear_1096057.jpg" --- # Dogs are losing their noses. Other research has supported… ![“Dogs are losing their noses. Other research has supported the odd and disturbing result that companion dogs are not only not using their smelling abilities to their capacity; they are forgetting how to be sniffers. In a human-defined, visual world, it seems that it does not pay to notice all the…” quote by Alexandra Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/alexandra-horowitz-25911_dog_dogs-are-losing-their-noses-other-resear_1096057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/alexandra-horowitz-25911_dog_dogs-are-losing-their-noses-other-resear_1096057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/718/alexandra-horowitz-25911_dog_dogs-are-losing-their-noses-other-resear_1096057.jpg) > ““Dogs are losing their noses. Other research has supported the odd and disturbing result that companion dogs are not only not using their smelling abilities to their capacity; they are forgetting how to be sniffers. In a human-defined, visual world, it seems that it does not pay to notice all the smells around the house, to sort their way through the world by smell. Instead, the typical owned dog gets a mound of food in a bowl once or twice a day whether he sniffs it out or not. He may be discouraged from sniffing the sidewalk, the lamppost, and even other dogs' rear ends as his owner walks with him—out of the person's disinterest, press for time, or horror. We talk to the dog in words and point at him with hands, but rarely give him smells to learn and live by. The sad result has been that pet dogs are letting their noses go dormant.”” [Alexandra Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-horowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dogs lose their natural sniffing behavior when owners limit sensory experiences, leading to underutilized olfactory abilities. **In simple terms:** Dogs stop sniffing when not encouraged. Key Takeaway Encourage dogs to explore scents. Themes animal behavior sensory deprivation human-animal interaction Mood concerned thoughtful Type observational educational When to use this quote - training sessions - park walks - interactive play - environmental design Key Concepts neuroplasticity environmental enrichment learning theory Questions to Reflect On - How can owners integrate scent activities daily? - What benefits arise from a dog's active sniffing? A Different Perspective Owners may lack knowledge or time to provide scent-rich experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Dogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogs/) [Learn And Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-and-live/) [Letting Noses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-noses-2859013/) [Losing Noses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing-noses-2859015/) [Rescue-dogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rescue-dogs-157891/) [Scent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scent/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Smelling Abilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smelling-abilities-2859012/) [Sniffing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sniffing/) [Sniffs Discouraged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sniffs-discouraged-2859014/) ## Related quotes > [“Wasser’s (conservation detection) dogs are young mixed-breeds from shelters because that's where dogs with excessive energy and borderline-obsessive personalities wind up. 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