Key facts:
- Dogs have around 1,700, compared to humans’ 9,000.
- While dogs can’t taste as many flavors as we can, their sense of smell helps enhance their tasting experience!
- Special taste buds on the tips of their tongues detect water, encouraging them to drink more when needed, especially after meals.
- Dogs can sense the heat from spicy foods but don’t appreciate the burning sensation like humans do.
- Their sense of smell is tens of thousands of times more powerful than ours, playing a bigger role in how they experience food.
Just like humans, dogs experience the world around them through their senses. One of the most enjoyable and intriguing of the senses is taste.
Most of us feed our dogs the same diet throughout the majority of their lives. A complete and balanced diet provides all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that their bodies need. But have you ever wondered how it tastes to them?
In this article, we’ll explore the anatomy of the canine tongue, how dogs experience taste, what types of flavors they can detect and enjoy, and how we can use this information to better cater to their dietary needs and enhance their overall well-being. We’ll also answer other common questions, like do dogs have more taste buds than humans?
Anatomy of a Dog’s Tongue
Whether it’s giving puppy kisses or slurping up water, most pet parents are familiar with their dogs’ tongues. Tongues are important for eating, drinking, and tasting. But you may not know the other important jobs that a dog’s tongue is involved in, such as thermoregulation (panting to cool down), exploring the world around them, grooming, and communication with people and other animals.
A dog’s tongue is a long, muscular organ located on the floor of the mouth. It is free and mobile at the tip and attached posteriorly to the basihyoid bone. As a mucous membrane, it lines the oral cavity, acts as a protective barrier, and maintains a moist surface due to saliva secretion. Several key parts of the dog tongue include:
- Papillae: The tongue’s surface is covered in numerous tiny mushroom-shaped bumps called papillae. There are several different types and shapes of papillae – some give the tongue a rough texture to aid in grooming, while others contain taste buds.
- Taste Buds: Taste buds are sensory receptors that detect different tastes like sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.
- Lyssa: This is a firm, cartilaginous structure found within the tongue’s tip. It provides support and aids in lapping up liquids.
- Muscles: The tongue is composed of several muscles that enable its flexibility and diverse movements.
- Salivary Glands: Numerous salivary glands are located around the tongue, secreting saliva to moisten food, aid in digestion, and facilitate swallowing.
Compared to human tongues, dog tongues have rougher papillae, whereas human tongues are smoother. Dogs use their tongues for drinking and panting, while humans rely on suction and sweating for these functions. Humans boast a greater number of taste buds, while dogs rely on a heightened sense of smell to compensate.
Do Dogs Have Taste Buds?
Yes, dogs have taste buds. Taste buds are located in the papillae, the small, visible bumps on the tongue. But compared to our 9000 taste buds, dogs only have approximately 1700. Dogs are unable to distinguish the subtle flavors that people can. To help make up for this, dogs use their excellent sense of smell to fully experience their food.
Types of Flavors Dogs Can Taste
Whether your dog is a picky eater or would prefer to dine out of the garbage can, you may wonder about the types of flavors that they can experience. In general, dogs have the same taste buds as humans; however, they lack the sensitivity to distinguish certain nuances of flavor.
While every taste bud can sense any strong taste, taste buds in certain areas of the tongue are more sensitive to certain tastes.
While dogs can taste the same flavors as us, they are especially attuned to the main components of their ancestral diet, such as meat, fruits, and vegetables.
In addition to this, dogs also have special taste buds on the tip of their tongue that react to water, helping encourage them to drink when thirsty or after a meal.
Can Dogs Taste Spicy?
Yes, dogs can taste spicy food, but they experience it differently than we do. The sensation of “spiciness” occurs in reaction to a chemical compound called capsaicin, which is found in chili peppers. Capsaicin triggers pain receptors, creating a burning sensation. Dogs can feel the heat from spicy food, however, due to their less-developed sense of taste, they do not perceive the complex flavors associated with spices. In most cases, dogs don’t enjoy the burning sensation associated with spicy food, and capsaicin is also a common cause of gastrointestinal upset, such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Can Dogs Taste Sweet?
Yes, like people, dogs have sweet taste buds, and this is a flavor they tend to enjoy! However, it’s important to remember that excessive sugar intake can lead to health problems like obesity, dental issues, and even diabetes.
Can Dogs Taste Sour?
Yes, dogs can taste sour flavors. The perception of sourness often acts as a warning sign in nature, indicating spoiled or unripe fruits or vegetables. Therefore, this is a flavor that many dogs tend to avoid.
Can Dogs Taste Salt?
Yes, dogs can taste salt, but their sensitivity to it is much lower than that of humans.
Their ancestors’ diet, consisting mainly of meat, already provided sufficient sodium, so they didn’t evolve a strong preference or need for salty flavors.
Can Dogs Taste Bitter?
Yes, dogs can definitely taste bitter, and they generally don’t like it. This is likely an evolutionary adaptation to protect them from consuming potentially poisonous plants or spoiled food, which often have a bitter flavor.
Can Dogs Taste Umami?
This savory, meaty flavor is associated with protein-rich foods like meat and broth. Dogs can definitely taste and enjoy umami. The presence of umami receptors on their tongues helps explain their strong attraction to foods rich in protein, a large component of their ancestral diet. However, unlike people, dogs may have trouble distinguishing between different types of meaty flavors, such as chicken and beef.
Factors Influencing Dogs’ Taste Preferences
While it may be difficult to believe that your dog has strong taste preferences, especially when they have no qualms about digging into the trash, there are actually several factors that influence their choices of what to chow down on.
- Age: Taste begins to develop in puppies at a few weeks of age. Just like other senses (such as hearing and eyesight), taste also declines with age.
- Evolutionary Ancestry: Dogs evolved from wolves, who ate a mostly carnivorous diet. This is likely why domestic dogs prefer the taste of meat and other animal-based proteins. Most dogs also dislike salty, spicy, sour, and bitter tastes, which are often associated with spoilage.
- Breed: Dog breeds were developed through selective breeding, leading to genetic variations that can influence everything ranging from their appearance to taste preferences. For example, Royal Canin’s breed-specific diets aim to cater to the unique taste and texture preferences of different dog breeds.
- Individual Variation: Just like people, dogs may simply differ in the tastes and flavors they prefer.
- Learned Preferences: A dog’s experience with different foods can also affect their preferences. Positive associations with specific flavors can lead to a stronger liking, while negative experiences might create food aversions.
- Heath: Some medical conditions, ranging from upper respiratory infection to oral health issues, may impact the perception of taste.
The Role of Smell in a Dog’s Taste Experience
You probably know first-hand that smell and taste are linked. While they are separate senses with distinct receptor organs, they work together closely to create our perception of flavor. A dog’s sense of smell is tens of thousands of times more acute than our own. Therefore, the smell of their food has a much larger impact on how dogs experience and enjoy their meals.
Dogs have significantly more olfactory receptors and a larger brain region dedicated to smell than humans. They also have an additional olfactory organ – Jacobsen’s organ (the vomeronasal organ) is located inside the nasal cavity, opens onto the roof of the mouth behind the upper incisors, and is specifically involved in chemical communication.
Can Dogs Get Bored of Their Food?
While not common, it’s possible for some dogs to get bored of their food. Signs that a dog has become bored with their diet may include decreased enthusiasm at mealtimes, picking at food, leaving leftovers, or seeking other food sources. If this is a new change for your dog or if they are losing weight or showing other symptoms of illness, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your vet to rule out underlying medical issues. You should also check their food to make sure it hasn’t spoiled.
While some advocate for rotating a dog’s food to provide variety and avoid nutritional deficiencies, it’s important to consult your veterinarian for personalized advice, especially if your dog has any food allergies or medical conditions.
You can also try adding enrichment and stimulation in other areas of your dog’s life, and make mealtime more exciting by using a lick mat or puzzle feeder. If you do opt to rotate your dog’s food or add treats or toppers to entice them to eat, keep this in mind:
- Any change in diet should be made gradually to avoid gastrointestinal upset.
- Treats, toppers, and human foods should never make up more than 10% of your dog’s diet.
- Unless your dog is ill, giving into food refusal may actually lead to further pickiness in the future.
- Stick with diets that are AAFCO-certified and/or WSAVA-compliant to ensure that your dog’s food is complete and balanced.
Rest assured that in most cases, dogs are very happy with their diet. Along with studies to ensure that a diet is nutritionally appropriate, reputable dog food brands also conduct extensive research and testing on the palatability of their food.
Final Thoughts on Dog Dogs Have Taste Buds
Dogs use their tongues in many ways, and the sense of taste is just one aspect of their enjoyment of food and overall well-being. While their taste perception might differ from ours, considering your dog’s evolutionary history, breed, and individual preferences can help inform decisions about their diet. By working closely with your vet, you can ensure that your dog is receiving optimal nutrition AND relishing every meal.
Dog Taste Buds FAQs
How many taste buds do dogs have?
Dogs have approximately 1700 taste buds. In comparison, humans have 9000 taste buds.
Do dogs have taste buds in their stomach?
No, taste buds are not located in the stomach. Like people, dogs have taste buds primarily located on the tongue.
Sources
https://www.dogster.com/dog-health-care/dogs-tongue-facts
https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/taste/2020/how-taste-and-smell-work-011720
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/how-dogs-use-smell-to-perceive-the-world
