Conspecific recognition of pedal scent in domestic dogs

Abstract

Carnivores rely heavily on scent to communicate with conspecifics. Scent glands located on the underside of the feet provide an especially efficient way of leaving a scent trail. Although domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are well-known for their olfactory abilities and scent marking behaviours, their use of pedal scent for communication remains unknown. We studied the reaction of intact dogs of both sexes to male and female pedal scent as well as a control sample of scent taken from the ground, using sniffing time and nostril usage as an indicator of interest level and emotional valence. In male subjects, only the sniffing duration for other males differed from the control samples, with no clear difference detected between male and female scent. Females showed no difference in the sniffing duration for any sample type. Conversely, male nostril use did not differ between the sample types, whereas females demonstrated a right nostril bias when sniffing the scent from other females and a left nostril bias when sniffing the control. We have shown that dogs recognize scent taken from the pedal glands from other dogs, although the extent to which they use this information to determine the sex of the scent depositor remains unclear.

Dogs can discriminate between human baseline and psychological stress condition odours

“…Odours emitted by the body constitute chemical signals (chemosignals) that have evolved for communication, primarily within species [1]. A canine's sense of smell provides critical information, essential for being aware of potential predators, locating food, identifying conspecifics (and their reproductive status), and enabling recognition of familial members [2][3][4]. Research on chemosignals has extended to explore inter-specific communication, such as that between mice and humans [5], cows and humans [5], horses and humans [6] and canines and humans [7].…”