I do not mind the breeze personally, but I’m not too fond of wind that leads to dry skin, chapped lips, and blows away my hat when I’m out. But what I see every time the wind blows, my little pooch becomes so happy and stands still with its face facing the direction of the wind. Also, when I go on a ride with my pup, he always sticks his head out of the window to let the wind in his face. So that brought me to a conclusion- “my dog loves the wind in his face,” but the question is why?
Does your dog also love to sit like a statue in the backyard when the wind blows and enjoy the little gusts on his face? Does your little pup also enjoy sticking his head out of the car’s window even though the air tangles his fur? If so, you must be wondering. Why do dogs like the wind in their face? Here’s why!
Experiencing World through the Olfactory Response
My dog loves many adventurous things- like playing frisbee, belly rubs, and chewing on bones. I have many energetic play sessions with my dog all day long, including a satisfying scratch or the ball game. But whenever the wind blows, I observe that my little puppy loves sitting there with the wind in his face. It’s because the dogs love experiencing the world with the smell- what humans do with their eyes!
Dogs have a great sense of smell – 10,000 times greater than humans. With over 300 million olfactory receptors on their small nose compared to only six million in a human nose, dogs can smell thousands of new smells each day and even keep them in memory. Thus, they usually love the wind in their face as they get to sniff on new smells and scents and explore the nearby nature with their nose- precisely what a human does with eyes!
The Anatomy behind this behavior!
As the root of this behavior has been described, now is the time to understand the anatomy! For example, going down the highway, whenever your dog sticks the head out, the wind blows in the direction of his face. So besides looking carefree and enjoying the sun basking make your dog happy, there’s another science going on simultaneously.
When the wind hits the dog’s face, it goes into the air passageways. The trio of passageways is there, among which the upper path is for smell while the rest two serves the purpose of respiration. Thus, there are more than 300 million olfactory receptors inside the passageway, from which the air- with all the odiferous substances- passes by, and your dog loves the aroma!
Conclusion
So, that’s it, folks! I have explained the science behind why pups like to feel the wind in their face. If you have questions, feel free to hit me up.
