Dogs in general are very sensitive to odors, beyond comparison to human beings, but there is some variation among different canine breeds.
A Bernese Mountain Dog’s sense of smell is extremely acute. It is thousands of times sharper than that of a human being. In comparison to other breeds of dogs, a Berner’s sense of smell is very normal for working animals and not as sharp as that of hunting or guarding breed of dogs.
Dogs’ Sense of Smell In General
On average, a dog has about 15 times more receptors in its nose and mouth than a human to perceive odors. They dedicate a much bigger portion of their brains than people to interpret the information they receive via the olfactory system. That translates into a sense of smell that is beyond imagination for human beings.
A dog’s sense of smell is a few thousand times more sensitive than ours, according to research. For us, the sense of smell is mostly complementary, since we rely on seeing and hearing. It is not the case for a dog:
- Dogs can detect if you are stressed or anxious by smelling you
- They can recognize another animal after being separated for years just by smelling them
- Puppies can recognize their moms by scent when placed between a couple of mama dogs.
In other words, the canine sense of smell is incredible for a human being, even if it would not impress a wild animal.
Different Breeds And Their Sense of Smell
The breed – both the historical role of the dog and the way the animal has lived with people – affects the acuity of the dog’s sense of smell.
Dogs that have historically been hunters, rescuers, and guarding dogs tend to have the most sensitive olfactory sense, even in comparison to other pet canines. On the other hand, brachycephalic, as well as decorative, lap dogs never had to rely on their sense of smell quite that much. They are still more sensitive than people but not as sensitive as other dogs.
Berner And The Sense of Smell
Although there have not been any studies done on the subject of a Bernese Mountain Dog’s sense of smell specifically, we can base our assumption on the group of the breed and the breed’s historical function.
Bernese Mountain Dogs have always been excellent working, or farm, animals. They have been versatile in helping the owner with guarding property and livestock, managing the farm and property as needed, as well as providing companionship. The latter is the most important function for most dogs in modern human society. Bernese Mountain Dogs have helped on hunting trips too, although it has never been their main function.
Bernese Mountain dogs have an excellent sense of smell for a domesticated dog in general. They are just not as an expert in smelling things as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, labs, beagles, or even Golden retrievers. The sense of smell has just not been as important for a Berner as it has been for some of the hunting and retrieving dogs.
To Conclude
A Bernese Mountain Dog probably has a sufficient sense of smell for pretty much any function you come up with for your pet.
Your pet can guard, defend, hike, and do so many things that would be incredible for a human being. Even if you are a hunter or a fisher, your canine best friend will probably adapt to help you.
The superiority a Berner has compared to a person – when it comes to the olfactory sense – is amazing when compared to the subtle difference with more acutely sensitive breeds of dogs.
