Dog Communication through the
sense of smell

I usually say that a dog smells the world, because it has a smell language which escapes us. I've referred to it while I was speaking of encounters with dogs. Experience is repeated in walks every day, when a dog doesn't stop smelling and a male doesn't stop lifting it's leg. All dog friends and owners realize the need to do so. Not allowing a dog to lift it's leg is restricting the species behavior.

When a male lifts it's leg, it's not only to relieve it's bladder, it's above all to transmit smell signals to other dogs. For this, a male carefully proportions it's urine. Ethnologists refer to this as plastic marking, since it's main purpose is to establish territorial limits and use the smell to let other dogs know. Besides marking its territory it also indicates that "it was there" and also the eldest is the one that lifts it's leg up the most.

Why does a dog smell? A dog smells and sniffs as a person watches a scenery or reads the newspaper. It effectively experiences its world through multiple smell impressions, there is information to be read through its nose about all its surroundings. If it's a urine trail a male will cover it with it's own mark, as do dominant females. This receiving and sending of smell messages is very important for all dogs, especially males.

Dogs appreciate smells that man considers bothersome. And since it has a very good sense of smell its can perceive the smallest concentrations. For dogs man is surrounded by smells that catches its attention. It's also a way of communication and contact

The best territory marker in the neighborhood