Several scientists have recently shown that rats have the ability to smell in stereo. That is, they take the scent information from each side of the nasal septum separately, and process it like vision and hearing, for directional information. The scientists also speculate that cows and horses may do the same with their widely separated nostrils. Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo), with even wider distance between receptors, also detect concentration gradients.

****

Your dog, on the other paw, has two nostrils so close together that he hasn't had a chance to develop his stereo smelling ability. When tracking something by smell, your dog has to waggle his head from side to side over the trail, which wastes time and energy, and makes his ears flap in a really silly way.

But your dog need suffer no longer! BaCo has the way to speed up his life, to keep his brain from rattling side-to-side, and to spare you the embarrassment of having a dog that can't find a biscuit on a bare floor. BaCo presents the Hammerdog Smelleo!

The Hammerdog Smelleo is a soft rubber appliance that fits over your dog's nose and provides depth to his sense of smell. Modelled after the head of a hammerhead shark (Sphyrna genera), it has ducts that bring in air from each end, and channels each side to a separate canine nostril.

With the Hammerdog Smelleo, your dog will no longer get the same scent in each side of his nose, instead, he will be smelling in stereo. With time, he will develop the ability to sort out his dual olfactory inputs. He will transform from a fumbling mutt into a Hammerdog, directed and purposeful. He will track unerringly and speedily, and will find those french fries you toss behind him. He will be happy, and you will no longer be ashamed.

The Hammerdog Smelleo is available in Doberman Black, Fox-hunting Red, Marital-aid Pink, English Grey and American Gray. To order by mail, please send a print of your dog's nose and indicate the distance between the tips of his canine teeth, measured across the top of his muzzle.
-- baconbrain, Aug 29 2006

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Rat brain 'can smell in stereo' http://news.bbc.co..../nature/4674276.stm
... including both odour identity and stereo-based location," ... [baconbrain, Aug 29 2006]

Canine parabolic aural and olfactory amplifier http://static.flick...57_20e8141491_m.jpg
[Dub, Aug 30 2006]

Quadrophonic? http://www.jekyl.com/gallery/noses.jpg
[ConsulFlaminicus, Sep 03 2006]

Double-nosed dog not to be sniffed at http://news.bbc.co....uk_news/6940289.stm
It's evolving naturally! [baconbrain, Aug 10 2007]

Two nostrils better than one http://www.berkeley.../12/18_scents.shtml
We can learn to smell in stereo [imaginality, Aug 12 2007]

BungCo has finally got some competition.
-- wagster, Aug 30 2006


And, elsewhere, due credit and apologies for the inspiration. For the company name, I mean--the ideas are strictly my fault. Hmm, I could have left out BaCo entirely, couldn't I? I was going to just use Hammerdog as the company name, but there is already a website by that name, and I didn't want any more confusion.
-- baconbrain, Aug 30 2006


I really like it - saw last night, then it Disappeared. Did you do a re-write? For every dog there is now a fish as well as a day. +
-- xenzag, Aug 30 2006


I changed the title to a description, rather than just "Hammerdog Smelleo".
-- baconbrain, Aug 30 2006


I thought that's what those satellite-dish things they wear sometimes, were! [linky]
-- Dub, Aug 30 2006


hah, Eric had to wear one of those and got caught in the bathroom, unable to get out, all day. still got the scratchmarks on the door.
-- po, Aug 30 2006


Long ago, I wondered why a dog's nose was shaped the way it was. The nostrils, instead of being simple round holes, open out and back at the edges. After considering, I figure the mutts may already be doing some stereo smelling. They could get used to a Smelleo quicker than I thought.
-- baconbrain, Aug 31 2006


<dog thought balloon>Hmm, the whole world smells like rubber now</dtb>
-- lurch, Aug 31 2006


Arf! Okay, hypo-allergenic rubber with no scent. (I sorta assumed that.) I was testing something inspired by this, and found that the tube smelled of its long ago experience. So, dishwasher-safe hypo-allergenic rubber.
-- baconbrain, Sep 01 2006


this is really twisted. +
-- benfrost, Sep 02 2006


I have voted for this. I want to bring up a point that I don't know a whole lot about.
I saw parts of some show about wolves. Wolves are, it seems trackers extraordinare. They actually blow air out of their nose in order to disturb particles on the ground in order to smell them better.
I wondered for 30 years why you could feel air coming out of dog's noses when they were sniffing. (It's not like I've been sitting in a chair the entire 30 years in anguish over it. I just thought off & on about it).

I wonder if their noses are actually more refined than you think they are.
-- Zimmy, Sep 02 2006


Maybe I'm missing the point, but I don't see how this would work. Stereo smelling ability wont suddenly be enabled because a dual-exit tube is attached to the dog's nose - it's to do with the way an animal's neural senses are wired. Stereo smelling would surely require complete "rewiring" of a dog's brain in order to work as described.
-- Mr Phase, Sep 02 2006


I'm guessing/hoping/speculating that dogs already have the potential for stereo smelling, they just haven't had reason to develop it much. The earlier anno about the shape of dog nostrils shows some evidence that they may be doing so already. But evolution has given them narrow, managable noses rather than floppy flares.

The brain wiring for stereo could well be there already, just not used as such. The brain is in two halves, two other major senses have stereo function wired in. Dogs have simply had no reason to notice they have the power. The Hammerdog Smelleo can help.

I just realized that two dogs trotting and sniffing side-by-side could work as a stereo-smelling tracking team. They'd have to communicate by sound, I guess.
-- baconbrain, Sep 02 2006


/They'd have to communicate by sound, I guess/ - they could also bite, or wag.

Not sure how I missed this one. It makes me want a dual exit nose tube of my own.
-- bungston, Aug 10 2007


weird. +
-- k_sra, Aug 10 2007


Hi, I'm new here, but my dog can be sitting inches from a treat and not know anything was there. I think maybe he should wear one of those "outside the nose" springy strips! If I walk up to him and do some "sniffing" he gets the idea and then zooms right at the treat. So, directional assistance does not seem as important as nasal awareness.

Has anyone considered the social ramifacations of wearing something like this at the doggie park?
-- Lightsmith, Aug 12 2007


Humans can smell in stereo, and improve at it with practice - see link.
-- imaginality, Aug 12 2007


They may not be able to understand how to use that ability. Also, they would be inhaling some of the same air they just exhaled, weakening their sense of smell.
-- apocalyps956, Aug 13 2007


Thanks, [imaginality]! That's a great link.

[apocalyps956], I know dogs are smart enough do all kinds of things. I was hoping be able to work this out, but they might not. They may have to breathe deeper, or exhale through their mouths. Hmm.
-- baconbrain, Aug 13 2007


//Has anyone considered the social ramifacations of wearing something like this at the doggie park?//

Yes, my but my wife made me take it off.
-- RayfordSteele, Jan 11 2011



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