BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Dogs’ Noses Wet?

Dogs’ noses are often wet, but why? And does a dry nose mean your pup is sick? Learn what science has to say about dogs’ noses in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/why-do-dogs-have-wet-noses.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain
Stuff Lauren vogel bomb here with a classic episode of
the podcast. In this one, we get back into the
delightful science of dogs, and specifically today, why their noses
are sometimes wet and sometimes dry. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren

(00:24):
vocal bomb here. If you've ever shared a home with
a dog, you've probably had the startling experience of, while
minding your own business, having a cold, wet nose thrust
into your skin like a friendly ice cube. It's your
pup's way of getting your attention, and it's an old
wives tale that's such a wet nose is a good
thing because it supposedly means your dog is in good health.

(00:45):
But this idea has no basis. In fact, whether a
dog has a wet nose is not a signal one
way or another of health. But why are dogs noses
sometimes dry and sometimes wet. The short answer is that
dogs sometimes lick their noses, But the catch is that
no one knows for sure why they do that. One
theory suggests that because dogs are always licking their noses,

(01:05):
their saliva helps paint their schnas with the mucus produced
in the nostrils. As a result, all that mucus licking
improves a dog's ability to smell things. Oh, let's break
down how that works. When dogs sniff the air, and
they are always sniffing the air, they inhale tiny suspended particles.
These particles get trapped in their nasal mucus, which helps
the dog figure out what they're smelling. As a dog

(01:28):
licks its nose, it picks up some of these scent
latin goop. The tongue then brushes against an olfactory gland
on the roof of the mouth, which helps our four
legged companions figure out exactly what they're smelling. Another reason
some have suggested could be that a wet nose helps
keep a dog cool in warm weather. When we human sweat,
the perspiration our sweat glands produce evaporates off of our skin,

(01:51):
cooling us down. Dogs, however, do not sweat. That's because
they have no sweat glands except for on the bottom
of their pop heads. Instead, they pant to cool off. However,
a dog's nose, unlike the rest of its body, is
not covered in fur. It also brims with blood vessels.
When a dog licks its nose. The theory suggests it's
cooling itself down as its saliva, like human sweat, evaporates.

(02:15):
That leaves the surface area of the nose cool along
with the blood circulating in and around Fido's snout. Consequently,
cooler blood flows the dog's head and body, keeping our
best friends a little bit cooler. But then, why are
dog's noses often dry? A few factors can lead to
less licking. Touch your dog's nose in the morning, chances

(02:35):
are it'll be dry as the sahara. That's because as
a dog sleeps, it rarely licks its nose, and certain
breeds like bulldogs and pugs, have noses that are mostly dry.
Age also tends to make a dog nose drier. The
bottom line is that if your dog has a dry nose,
chill out. The dog isn't sick. Wait a few hours
and it will be wet again. Oh and a bonus

(02:56):
pup nose fact. Have you noticed that your dog has
slits on the sides of its nose. There's a reason
when dogs exhale, they do so out of those slits.
That so that the exhaled air does not mix with
the scented inhaled air which flows into the nostrils. Today's

(03:16):
episode is based on the article why do Dogs have
Wet Noses? On how stuffworks dot Com written by John Parretano.
Brain Stuff is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with
how stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang.
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