Sense of Dogs
How does a dog's excellent sense of smell help humans? In this activity, pupils observe dogs with a focus on their excellent sense of smell and discuss different areas where dogs help people. Are dogs also talented in diagnosing our health problems?
Age Group: 9-12 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Biomimicry Connection:
Dogs are exceptional sniffers. What have pupils already observed or know about the dog's sense of smell? For biomimicry innovation, it is important to observe natural organisms and learn about exceptional strategies that can then inspire scientists to innovate.
Activity Details:
Tools and Materials
- A dog
- Two packs of food – one containing meat, the other without meat
Preparations
Invite a dog, or visit a dog shelter (while ensuring all safety precautions - first of all, you must work with a calm dog that is used to people and especially children; ensure that none of the pupils is allergic to dogs)
Description
- Invite a dog and its owner to the class or outdoor lesson (or visit a dog shelter).
- Observe how the dog gets to know a new environment and the pupils: which senses does it use the most? How does he use its snout? Does the dog breathe (in and out) faster or slower than a human?
- Experiment: if a dog is offered two food packages by its owner (one with meat, one without, although both are wrapped in such a way that humans cannot tell the difference between them by smell), which one does the dog choose or like more? Why? Discuss what you observe.
- Conclusion: does a dog have a better sense of smell than a human? Why is it so?
Extensions
- If there is an opportunity to visit a trained dog (e.g. police or avalanche dog), there are many possibilities for expansion. For example, a tracking demonstration, a discussion with the owner/leader focused (among other things) on the olfactory abilities of the dog.
- If there is enough time and the children are interested in the issue of dogs, you can discuss more broadly how to choose a suitable dog and how to take care of it so that it is healthy and happy. See here for more information.
Additional Information
Read more about the amazing sniffing power of dogs (here).