BrainStuff Classics: Why Do Dogs' Paws Smell Like Corn Chips?

Dog enthusiasts sometimes revel in how their pup's paws smell gloriously of corn chips, but what causes this scent? Learn the science behind Frito paws in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/why-dog-paws-smell-fritos-corn-chips.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff,
Lauren Boglebomb here with another classic episode of the podcast.
In this one, we discuss what causes the gloriously snack
like scent of a dog's pause. If you happen to
not be a fan, we won't hold it against you, though,
Just more puppy pause for the rest of us. Hey

(00:25):
brain Stuff. I'm Lauren vogel Bomb, and you probably don't
go around smelling dog's feet all the time, But even
if you did, or even only on occasion, the odor
might remind you of something crunchy. As it turns out,
there are many dogs of all breeds and sizes whose
feet smell like corn chips or popcorn. Some say or
not show flavored tortilla chips. Although the smell and its

(00:48):
interpretations vary, most people who sniff their pets odoriferous feet
are convinced their nostrils are picking up some kind of
crunchy snack. For rietal, I think the corn chip brand
Freedo's in particular. But why it has everything to do
with microorganisms. The average human body comprises thirty trillion cells
and is topped by skin covered by forty trillion bacteria.

(01:11):
But this ratio may be even greater for dogs. In particular,
the nooks and crannies of dog paws pick up actinobacteria
from soil, where the bacteria lives and multiplies. Most of
a dog's apacrene glands or sweat glands, are concentrated in
the pads on their feet. These pads are surrounded by
fur and create damp and warm crevices that become an

(01:32):
excellent breeding ground for all kinds of bacterial growth. With
all this reproduction comes a number of accompanying smells, most
of which are related to yeast and bacterial byproducts. You know,
microorganism poop. Yeast and bacterial poop is responsible for a
lot of the sense we encounter, from unpleasant body odor
to the attractive smells in wine, bread, and cheese. So

(01:53):
which bacteria cause your dog's feet to smell like a snack? Yeast?
For one, Yeast loves to thrive in warm, wet environments,
and so do bacteria called pseudomonis, which emit an odor
that many people interpret as popcorn. The real culprit in
that corn chip smell, though, are proteus bacteria, which emit
a scent like slightly sweet corn tortillas, which seems to

(02:15):
intensify after dogs sleep, possibly because the heat generated by
a sleeping dog encourages bacterial activity. Even if you're not
a fan of corn chip pause, if some pet owners
call the odor freedo feet, your health may benefit from
exposure to doggy bacteria. Studies have shown that pregnant women
who own dogs have babies with a more diverse microbiome,

(02:36):
and that children who grow up around pets aren't as
prone to suffer from allergies. Most researchers agree that exposure
to a greater number of microbes enhances immune system functions.
No word yet on whether simply inhaling those microbes and
their byproducts by huffing puffy pause does the trick. It
can't hurt though right. Today's episode is based on the

(03:02):
article why your dog's pause smell gloriously like corn chips
on HowStuffWorks dot Com, written by Lareel Dove. Brain Stuff
is production of My Heart Radio in partnership with HowStuffWorks
dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. Four more
podcasts from my heart Radio visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,