As BarkPost writers and editors, we live, bark, and breathe dog stuff all day long. You could de-fur-nitely call us experts in the field. ASK BARKPOST ANYTHING is our weekly series where the BarkPost editors answer the serious, silly, and salacious questions from the world of dog! (And remember, if the answer helps you out, we accept payment in belly rubs.)
This week’s question has been submitted by Human Tissue from Miller Place, New York. (*Names have been changed):
Dear BarkPost: Why is my dog’s nose wet? I know his wagging tail means he’s happy but what’s with the wet nose? Is this normal or are we jerks for not offering a Kleenex?
Well Human Tissue, dogs are a unique species to say the least. They operate just slightly differently than us with their tail wagging tendencies, slobbery kisses, and wet noses.
We’ve done some digging and found out there are a few reasons behind it. First and foremost, wet noses help to regulate your dog’s body temperature. Since dogs don’t have normal sweat glands like people, they sweat from the pads in their feet and also from their noses. So you can sort of think of their noses and feet as armpits in a way.
The layer of mucus on their nose also helps their sense of smell. When dog licks their nose they are transferring whatever scent chemicals they picked up, to the roof of their mouths (AKA saving a bite for later). Basically after a dog smells another dog or tasty sandwich they lick their nose to sample whatever scent they’ve picked up.
H/t Vet Street
