Are dogs' taste buds as sensitive as their noses and ears?

Question

They can't be, can they? I've seen what they eat, they wouldn't eat it if they could taste it.. I mean when he can get away with it, my dog will occasionally eat horse poo! Really, is there any need? And have you smelled dog food? It's like meat dredged from the bottom of a canal.

Answer 1

A dog's sense of smell is so delicate that they actually smell beyond the obvious odor that so offends us to the bits of undigested food that are still present in other animal's feces. It is that food that they are after. It has nothing to do with the actual smell of the waste.

Answer 2

Just think about YOUR food when you have a cold....
does it still taste as good?
No?
thats because the smell of it has a lot to with how it tastes.

So it follows that their sense of taste should be better than ours

Take the plunge and have a little taste of your dogs food or biscuits, you will find the taste very bland and unexciting.

There is something in horse poo (not sure what it is) that is very interesting to dogs. (I have dogs and horses)

Answer 3

dogs eat many things most for a reason if hes eating horse poo or cat poo he might be missing certain vitamins if he eats grass its because he has an upset stomach most dog food is made with the same stuff as us just instead of suger they use juices. so they might not like the taste of it but there body may need it animals are smarter then you think.

Answer 4

a dogs taste buds are crap, this is why they make food n treats smell really strong so the dog will think that smells nice, then they r more inclined to eat it, as for eatin poo, some dogs do it cos it smells like food to them i highly doubt theres anythin medically wrong with ya dog.

Answer 5

A dogs taste and smell is different from a humans. So what smells good to us, may smell bad to a dog. What tastes good to a human may taste bad to a dog.
As for a dog eating feces, they may have a nutritional imbalance. Or some other medical problem. You may want to change the food you feed them. Try Nutro Ultra, best stuff you can feed your dog. You may want to also consult your Vet.

Answer 6

I'm not sure if this is the same for dogs but horses smell each others faeces so that they know whether or not they are in thier herd. if they weren't then they'd know to be on their guard, horses can tell another horses sex amongst other thing just by smelling each others faeces. they don't ever eat each others faeces unless forced to or if their is lush grass near the faeces. horse first use their whiskers, then their nose, then their taste/ teeth, if don't know what something is, so obviously their taste isn't as important as their nose. i deffinetley think a dogs nose is more important than his tongue. to him food is food.

Answer 7

I ll go with the they have far fewer than humans comments above. That said, we all know their sense of smell is legendary - so - to make sure their eating experience is as enjoyable as possible - I add a touch of something - anything - that will burst with smell when hit with the warm water I put on their food. A touch of the gravy from last night for example. Not a lot; just enough to explode with smell with warm water. I love my puppies - my black lab, Liberty and my yellow lab, Sydney. Black and Gold - just like the Steelers!

Answer 8

I dont think taste buds come into it with dogs,more smell.A dog doesn't really chew its food its main objective is to get its belly full,as quick as possible especially if there's competition about.

Answer 9

I heard for a dog that smell is the most important thing. My dog is picky about dog biscuits. My dog has no interest in other animals feces. I read somewhere that when they do it has something to do with a diet deficiency??? Actually, I would like to know why a dog has interest in feces.

Answer 10

U just answered ur own question... they'll eat poo ffs! my dog was eating the little silicon bags that come in shoe boxes the other day!