The five senses of the dog

1. Lynn Barber
Dogs Trust

2. The 5 Senses of the Dog

3. The 5 Senses
•Sight

4. The 5 Senses
•Sight
•Hearing

5. The 5 Senses
•Sight
•Hearing
•Touch

6. The 5 Senses
•Sight
•Hearing
•Touch
•Smell

7. The 5 Senses
•Sight
•Hearing
•Touch
•Smell
•Taste

8. Sight

9. Sight
•Dogs possess only two types of cone
instead of three.

10. Sight
•Dogs possess only two types of cone
instead of three.
•Dogs are red-green colour blind.

11. Sight
•Dogs possess only two types of cone
instead of three.
•Dogs are red-green colour blind.
•They see a lighter and less detailed world
when compared to humans

12. Sight

13. Sight
Peripheral vision is better than humans

14. Sight
Peripheral vision is better than humans

but distance is not judged quite as well. Dogs excel at night vision
and the detection of moving objects.

15. Sight
Colour
Dogs see something like a human deuteranope,
that is, they are red-green colour blind (occurs in 4% of
male humans). Simply put, this is due to having only 2
cone types rather than 3 (light sensitive cells include
cones and rods).

16. Sight
Detail or Acuity
Since dogs have no fovea (or area with
100% cones), their estimated eye for
detail is (roughly) 6 times poorer than in
an average human.

17. Sight
Night Vision
Dogs have much better night vision for 2 reasons:
–The have more rods (which enable night vision).
–They have a structure called the Tapetum Lucidum
This is a reflective surface behind the retina (area
including the light sensitive cells) that reflects light
back through it (gives the eerie shine at night).

18. Sight
Sensitivity to Movement
Dogs are better able to detect movement.

19. Sight
•These differences in visual ability make sense in
light of evolutionary theory.

20. Sight
•These differences in visual ability make sense in
light of evolutionary theory.
•Good depth perception and visual acuity are
necessary for a primate (from which humans
evolved) jumping from tree limb to tree limb.

21. Sight
•These differences in visual ability make sense in
light of evolutionary theory.
•Good depth perception and visual acuity are
necessary for a primate (from which humans
evolved) jumping from tree limb to tree limb.
•Good colour vision enabled this primate to
choose the ripest and most nutritious fruit.

22. Sight
•These differences in visual ability make sense in
light of evolutionary theory.
•Good depth perception and visual acuity are
necessary for a primate (from which humans
evolved) jumping from tree limb to tree limb.
•Good colour vision enabled this primate to
choose the ripest and most nutritious fruit.
•The canine, on the other hand, is well adapted
as a nocturnal hunter of camouflaged prey.

23. Hearing

24. Hearing
•Hearing. Dogs have an incredible hearing
ability.

25. Hearing
•Hearing. Dogs have an incredible hearing
ability.
•In fact it is their second most developed
sense, next to smell.

26. Frequency range
Human
64Hz………………..20KHz

27. Frequency range
Human
64Hz………………..20KHz
Dog
67Hz…………………………………..45KHz

28. Hearing
•There are many nerves in the pinna of the
ear, including the vagus nerve, which
slows the heart.

29. Hearing
•There are many nerves in the pinna of the
ear, including the vagus nerve, which
slows the heart.
•Perhaps the basis of 'ear work' in Ttouch.

30. Touch

31. Touch
•Dogs have the largest concentration of
touch sensors on the pads of the paws,
thus they are very sensitive to textural
changes on the ground or floor

32. Touch
•Dogs have the largest concentration of
touch sensors on the pads of the paws,
thus they are very sensitive to textural
changes on the ground or floor
•This textural sensitivity is used in some
elements of Groundwork (Ttouch) that
help a dog to concentrate and focus.

33. Smell

34. Smell
•The dog's brain in large part is dedicated
to smell.

35. Smell
•Depending on the breed a dog will have
anything from 125 million to 220 million
scent receptors in the brain

36. Smell
•Depending on the breed a dog will have
anything from 125 million to 220 million
scent receptors in the brain
•compared to humans who have 5 million

37. Smell
•Its nasal passages are arranged to allow a
greater volume of air to be drawn over the
sensitive lining

38. Smell
•Besides that dogs have sensory cells in
their noses that respond to chemicals in
the air

39. Smell
•Besides that dogs have sensory cells in
their noses that respond to chemicals in
the air
•This vomeronasal organ is similar to a
snake’s Jacobson organ

40. Smell
•Research has recently shown that dogs
can reliably detect 6 parts in a trillion

41. Smell
•Research has recently shown that dogs
can reliably detect 6 parts in a trillion
•100% success for 6 parts in a trillion

42. Smell
•Research has recently shown that dogs
can reliably detect 6 parts in a trillion
•100% success for 6 parts in a trillion
•98% success for 2 parts in a trillion

43. That’s the equivalent of us
tasting one teaspoon of sugar in
a million cups of tea!!!!

44. Taste

45. Taste
•A dog's taste receptors are almost
identical to ours, their taste buds on the
tongue can easily identify salt, sweet,
sour, bitter.

46. Taste
•A dog's taste receptors are almost
identical to ours, their taste buds on the
tongue can easily identify salt, sweet,
sour, bitter.
•However the fact that their sense of smell
is so superior to ours then we can assume
this will, in turn, have an enhancing effect
on their sense of taste.

47. Thank you!