Smelling the time

On the front page of a British newspaper the headline went something like Sniff Sniff Woof. I use the word newspaper advisedly as this headline was just another in a long line that included visits by aliens, revelations regarding ghosts, and reports of dogs sending messages from beyond the grave.

Having said that, the front page regularly shows the level of incompetence and blatant stupidity of our politicians. Not that we need to be told; we already know!!

The headline, however, made me realise that whilst this fairly new revelation was known to me, it was not well known amongst the general populace and needed some clarification. As with anything new, it needs evaluating as it is so easy to accept the latest revelation as gospel without really examining the facts. Without a doubt, there is some scientific evidence that canines can smell time. However, before we examine the evidence, let’s discuss what we already know.

All animals have circadian rhythms, even plants. Behavioural changes that are dictated by light and darkness plus temperature and social stimulus. This internal mechanism is widely referred to as our biological clock. This varies from species to species. An example is that humans are programmed to sleep in periods of 8-hour cycles whilst our dog sleeps in much shorter periods, wakes up for a few minutes and returns to sleep. Mind you, those of you who have your canine companion sleeping in the bedroom might dispute this on the grounds that you are being kept awake by Fido’s snoring!!

Adaptation to modern life

It is obvious that dogs have been telling the time for as long as they have existed. But that ability has been enhanced as they have evolved and they have been exposed to modern living and modern technology. Let’s take the obvious one. Dinner time!! If you feed your dog at 5 pm every day there is no evidence that he is smelling the time or that he is viewing the clock on the mantelpiece. In fact, in houses that have clocks that strike on the hour it’s impossible for the dog not to be able to know the time!! If this is part of his daily routine, he responds accordingly, as he does if he goes for a walk at the same time every day. It’s just that the dog understands that the routine changes on weekends.

It should be noted that the dog’s sense of hearing is so acute that he can differentiate between your car and identical vehicles, so it’s no surprise that he is awake and wagging his tail when you arrive home. Other signs are in households where the TV or radio is kept on permanently, and the time is obvious. In fact, where I live, even stray dogs can’t fail to know the time as almost all little village churches ring their bells to mark the top of the hour and one ring for the half hour. This is a throwback to the days when the poor were unable to afford a clock or a watch.

So what about this “smelling the time?” How does our faithful hound smell time?

Well, consider this: as the family prepare to exit the house in the morning to our canine companions, our houses stink! Literally.

To our pet who has the ability to sniff out something the size of a sugar cube in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, we need to understand the aromas that assail the nose of man’s best friend.

Breakfast, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, discarded clothes, in particular underwear, perfume, and aftershave, to name just a few. If there are children, it will be even more pungent as they leave behind sweaty sports gear, smelly socks and other unmentionable items associated with teenagers, in particular pre-pubescent boys. These aromas are at their strongest as we depart in the morning and will very slowly reduce during the day.  By the time we arrive home, our dog has realised that by a certain time of day, the levels of the smells that we left behind when we left have reduced to a level where they can match our arrival home with what’s left. Now, how scientific this is remains in doubt, and despite this being public knowledge, there appears to be no further research of any note, so this revelation has not progressed since 2019. The only test was carried out by a BBC television program, which never came close to having any scientific value.

So, can dogs smell time? Probably yes, but its usefulness is debatable. Our best friends are already able to “tell the time” without having to resort to sniffing smelly socks!!