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 episode of BrainStuff.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to brain stuff from how stuff works. Hey, brain Stuff,
I'm Lauren Vogeldam, 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

(00:23):
corn chips or popcorn. Some say or not show flavored
tortilla chips. Although the smell and its interpretations vary, most
people who sniff their pets odiferous 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 micro organisms. The

(00:45):
average human body comprises thirty trillion cells and is topped
by skin covered by forty trillion bacteria, but this ratio
maybe even greater. For dogs in particular, the nooks and
crannies of dog paws pick up actino bacteria from soil,
where the bacteria lives and multiplies. Most of a dog's
apple green glands or sweat glands are concentrated in the

(01:07):
pads on their feet. These pads are surrounded by fur
and create damp and warm crevices that become an 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,
micro organism poop. East and bacterial poop is responsible for

(01:27):
a lot of the sense we encounter, from unpleasant body
odor to the attractive smells in wine, bread, and cheese.
So 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 pseudomonas, which emit
an odor that many people interpret as popcorn. The real

(01:49):
culprit in that corn chip smell, though, are proteus bacteria,
which emit a scent like slightly sweet corn tortillas, which
seems to 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 paws of some
pet owners called the odor freedo feet, your health may
benefit from exposure to doggy bacteria. Studies have shown that

(02:12):
pregnant women who own dogs have babies with a more
diverse microbiome, and the 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

(02:32):
trick can't hurt though right. Today's episode was written by
Laurie L. Dove and produced by Tyler Clang. For more
on this and lots of other smelly topics, visit our
home planet, how stuff works dot com.