Dogs are very food-orientated animals, and they certainly seem to think with their stomachs and prioritise being fed above most other things! This naturally leads people to believe that dogs have very acute taste buds, more so than people, and that like their sense of smell, the dog's sense of taste is very pronounced. However, in reality, dogs are not particularly sensitive to different tastes, nor able to determine the nuances of different flavours of food as well as people are.



While the taste buds of the dog do of course fulfil an important purpose and do allow the dog to taste, when you compare the dog to the human, you will see that Fido has in fact drawn the short straw! Because it is important for survival, it is not surprising to find that taste is one of the earliest senses to begin functioning in dogs. Young puppies seem to have only their sense of touch, taste and smell working at birth but the taste sense still requires a few weeks to completely mature and sharpen.




WHAT DOGS TASTE?
The taste system of dogs is used as a model for people because they are so similar but it appears young dogs don't care as much about taste in relation to food preferences, and rely more on smell. This past year I attended lectures at a couple of pet food companies that included information about pet smell preferences some are quite surprising! What are some unusual scents that your dogs seem to enjoy? With Magic, dirty socks might be a flavor enhancer.

Not everything is known about the dog's sense of taste. We know that a facial nerve is "wired" to the taste buds on the front two-thirds of the tongue only, leaving the remainder somewhat of a mystery. Most of the dog's taste buds are circular structures located on the upper forward surface of the tongue, and in four to six large cup-shaped bumpy papillae at the rear of the tongue.




CANINE SWEET TOOTH
The majority of canine taste buds respond to sugar, which can get them in trouble when they indulge in eating toxic but sweet antifreeze or chocolate. This is most likely a reflection of their omnivorous evolution. Dogs needed to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables to survive, so they evolved a sweet tooth because sweetness is a mechanism in plants that signals optimum ripeness. And like people, dogs are able to detect a kind of "fruity-sweet" flavor that attracts us and them to the calorie-rich ripeness of fruits and vegetables.

The second greatest number of canine taste buds respond to acidic tastes, which correspond to sour and bitter in people. However, dogs don't appear to have a specific response to salt. Odors coupled with taste tend to impact what the dog will eat. Dogs are particularly sensitive to bitter tastes, which goes some way to explaining why bitter-flavoured sprays are so effective at stopping dogs from chewing on things. As a general rule, dogs do not enjoy bitter flavours of any type, although in some dogs, their taste buds for bitter flavours are not particularly strong, as they are located towards the back of the tongue, and are only reached towards the later stages of mastication.




BEYOND DOGGY TASTE BUDS
Interestingly, the dog's taste receptors don't stop in the mouth, but extend down into the larynx. Dogs can taste and seem to prefer a "sweet" taste, from both carbohydrates and meaty sources and salty flavors. Sour perception and bitter tastes are more sensitive to aging changes. Many dogs have only a quarter of the active taste buds as when younger.



Chemical irritations and "mouth feel" influence how well the dog likes or dislikes a flavor, too. That explains some of the odd kibble shapes that commercial food companies create. Taste also is influenced by changes in saliva production so for aging dogs with dehydration problems, this may impact the dog's sudden "snubbing the food" that he adored before. Even the odors or tastes produced by dental disease can make a dog refuse a favorite food.



Nonetheless, in the wild, more than 80 percent of a canine's diet will be meat. For this reason, in addition to sensors for sweet, salt, sour and bitter, dogs also have some specific taste receptors that are tuned for meats, fats and meat related chemicals. Dogs will tend to seek out, and clearly prefer the taste of things that contain meat or flavours extracted from meat.




THE TASTE FOR MEAT
In the wild, the bulk of the diet of the dog is ideally made up of meat, but when resources are short, dogs will also eat other things such as grains. Certain fruits and berries are also appealing to the dog, but out of choice, most dogs would go for a mainly meat menu with no grain, and the odd smattering of tasty fruit and veg that they can scavenge. The dog actually has taste buds specifically designed to appreciate various compounds within meat and meat flavoured products, which are fine-tuned so that the dog will find meat, meat fat and meat by-products appealing.




TASTE BUDS FOR WATER
Most of us think of water as being the ultimate flavourless compound, but the dog not only has taste buds that allow them to taste water, but that actually help them to detect it. Because a high protein diet such as one that is rich in meat tends to have a high salt content, being attuned to water in this way plays an important role in helping the dog to stay hydrated.

What about your dogs?
Are they garbage gluttons that snarf without sniffing first? Or do they need a whiff before ready to gulp?

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If your dog is like most, he is not the pickiest animal in the world when it comes to eating food. This is generally because a dog's sense of taste is not as strong as that of a human being.



The Taste Buds
Dogs possess about 1,700 papillae (sensory cells) on their tongue, as opposed to a human who has around 9,000. Although dogs' sense of taste is not close to that of a human, it is believed that dogs can differentiate between salty, sour, sweet and bitter tastes.

The Role of Smell
The papillae are mainly located near the tip of the tongue. As dogs taste food, the sense of smell plays a big role. The senses of taste and smell are so closely related on dogs that it is very probable that the dogs receive more information about their food by smelling than by tasting.

The Early Years
The experience of the first period of dogs' lives has an enormous influence their ability to taste food. Studies have shown that dogs which tasted a lot of different flavors during their early years tend to more willingly accept variety in food as adults. Some dogs really enjoy strong flavors such as the ones of onions and raw garlic for example, while others reject these types of foods.

Don't Be Fooled
Dogs will often trick their owners into providing them with a new brand of canned food every day by pretending to not like their food or lose their appetite. They are using the food as a way to manipulate their masters. This behavior is not a product of their sense of taste, but is a result of their desire to control their master.

Defense Mechanisms
What dogs do share with humans, with regard to taste, is the capacity to associate the flavors with health problems. If a dog gets sick after eating some type of food, it will probably reject eating this specific food for a certain time. This is an instinctive defense mechanism, aimed to keep the dog from eating toxic substances.

DOG SENSE OF TASTE
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It is generally accepted that dogs are not that picky or selective when it comes to the taste of the food that they eat. In fact sometimes it seems that a even a well fed and nourished dog will eat anything regardless of whether it is spoiled or horrid tasting and there are even many dogs that will eat the feces of other animals or dogs. However most dog owners also know that when a dog doesn't like something or isn't enamored with a particular food they will refuse to eat it and if the undesired food is replaced with something more to its liking they will eat it up with relish.



Do dog have taste bud? Knowing this it is obvious that dogs can in fact be choosy about what they eat and will normally not eat something that they find disagreeable. In the wild it is reasonable to assume that dogs (or other animals) judge by their sense of smell and instinctively know what kinds of foods are good for them and what foods would be harmful or bad for them.



What about domesticated dog? One thing that we know for sure is that a dog that is sick will often not eat and sometimes a dog will just not feel like eating and will therefore not eat. But they will also leave in their food bowls things that they don't like, which heavily suggests that they are in fact governed by what they like and what tastes good to them at least to a certain extent. Most dog owners know what their dogs like to eat and what they don't and this is can be very different from dog to dog. Dogs sense of taste is much less sensitive than humans with dogs only having about one thousand seven hundred taste buds in their mouths while humans have about nine thousand.



If your dog does not want to eat dry processed commercial dog food then maybe you should offer it some freshly cooked meat such as, beef, lamb, chicken without the bone, along with some boiled whole grains like wheat or barley. Remember that dogs are carnivores by nature.

DOG TASTE vs SMELL
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You've seen your canine companion swallow food without even chewing it, leading you to wonder if it even matters to him what the food smells like, tastes like or even if it's food at all. With some particular dogs those issues are debatable, but in general dogs use their senses to decide what is worth eating. The senses of smell and taste are closely related, but your dog relies on smell more than taste.



Smell, Then Taste
Watching your dog deliberate whether or not he should eat something, it should be clear that his sense of smell guides him. Rufus smells first, then tastes, sniffing at something before gobbling it up. In their 2011 book for dog lovers Wendy Nan Rees and Kristen Hampshire write that dogs are attracted to particularly smelly foods, but sometimes eat so quickly they don't even taste what they are eating.

Effective Sniffers,
But Not a Lot of Buds
Smell is more of a factor than taste when it comes to how your dog selects his food because of two reasons. First, Rufus' sense of smell is about a million times more effective than yours. It's a trade-off though, because the second issue is that you have about six times more taste buds than he does. Although he can taste sweet, bitter, sour and salty flavors, they don't register as strongly as they do for you when you eat the same items. That's why Rufus relishes the smell of something but then wolfs it down quickly, seeming to spend more time enjoying the smell of it than tasting it.

Taste Aversion
Rufus may not be able to taste as well as you can, but the fact that he can distinguish between different flavors helps him make taste associations, connecting the smell, taste and outcome all together. For instance, if your dog eats something that tastes bitter or even makes him sick, he'll quickly develop an aversion to it and avoid eating that same food again.

Senses of Aging Dogs
As your dog ages, any or all of his senses may change, decreasing in effectiveness. If Rufus' sense of smell and taste start to dull, you could have a hard time getting him to eat enough to keep him healthy. Entice older dogs to eat by enhancing the flavor of kibble. Try pouring low-sodium broth or the juice from a can of water-packed tuna over dry food, or mix it with a can of especially smelly canned dog food. Making it as fragrant as you can will make it more appetizing for your dog.

WHICH FOOD TASTES
GOOD TO DOGS
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Few reasons why your dog might not be eating and what you can do to try to encourage him.



Have you ever heard that cats are finicky eaters? Cats do seem to be very discriminating creatures, but I don't think the same is often said about dogs. In my experience, most dogs will eat just about anything, things that are edible and things that aren't, like tennis balls, socks, hair ties, cow manure

Ever wonder what makes something tasty to a dog? Turns out that it is the smell that is the attractant, not necessarily the taste. If something smells good to a dog, it will likely go down the hatch. After a couple bites, the texture or taste might play a role, too.



Most dogs like a variety of flavors and readily accept new foods, but some dogs do seem to have preferences. What a puppy is exposed to early on in life may play a role in what he will like later. If he was offered a variety of foods (including dry and canned) early on, he may be more likely to try different foods as an adult. Canned food gives off a stronger aroma and is therefore sometimes more enticing to the picky eater.



Another factor is the freshness of the food. As foods age, they lose their aroma and flavor. The fats in the product also start to oxidize into peroxides. This degradation is known as rancidity and results in undesirable odors and flavors. Dry food remains palatable for about one month after the bag is opened. Keeping the kibble closed tightly in the original bag will help to keep it fresh. If you prefer to transfer the food to another container, make sure it has a tight-fitting lid. Even though it may be more economical to buy in bulk, the food's palatability may suffer.



Unopened canned food has a shelf life of approximately two years before the vitamins start to break down. After opening, the can should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3-5 days. When the food comes out of the refrigerator, it will not have as strong a smell, so you may need to add warm water or warm it slightly in the microwave to get the aroma. Take care not to serve it too hot or your dog might burn his mouth.



Environmental temperatures can affect appetite too. If it is hot outside and your dog is panting, he cannot sniff (smell) at the same time and may not want to eat. If your dog is an outside dog, cold temperatures can reduce the aroma of his food or it may have a different mouth feel and be less appealing. Again, warming might do the trick.

Like most mammals, dogs have a sweet tooth (not so for cats!). Dogs tend not to like salty foods, however. Salt (i.e., NaCl) is essential in the diet, but does not increase a food's palatability for dogs. These preferences may also play a role in food selection, but they still don't explain why dogs like to eat socks!


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DOG FOOD TASTE TEST
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The 80's want their taste test back but it's too late, the "pup-see challenge" has gone to the Dogs and the clear winner is...

Dogs are opportunists and when the best choice when presented, they will return to what tastes best. The study methodology for the pup see challenge used a traditional blind taste test procedure of removing the branding from both tasting receptacles prior to giving any choices to ensure that the taste is not based on the dog's reactivity to the sound,look,smell of the packaging. The dogs were then allowed to sniff the two different options of dog treats to give them a chance to choose by smell first. The treats with covered with vented lids.



The dog visually showed their preference towards with one versus the other by

1) prolonged or more aggressive sniffing as well
2) which treat they attempted to eat at the first tasting opportunity.

But what if their nose deceived their taste buds? The leading dog treats are chockfull of enticing yet unhealthy sugars and molasses. But nothing beats the taste of good old 90% meat like Plato Pet Treats offers. Well time and repetition told the story best. Though the taste test is more for fun than anything else, the analysts insisted on letting the numbers tell the story. The study went one step further and moved the dogs away from the food while the vented lids were removed, allowing the dogs to then select which treat to eat in a best two out of three.



So the stage was set, and dozens of doggies Saturday shopping with their humans partook in the games! The hilarity of working with dogs, cameras, crew, oh and a taste challenge. Overall there were 28 dogs randomly selected as they entered: Eight small dogs, Three medium dogs and Seven big dogs.


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DOG vs CAT TASTE
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Omnivore vs. Carnivore
Though cats and dogs are the most common household pets in North America, the similarities practically end there. Their needs and preferences for food, water and socialization are quite distinct. Below, Illinois-based cat and dog nutrition expert Linda Case and Dr. Trisha Joyce of New York City Veterinary Specialists reveal some key differences.



As cats and dogs were becoming domesticated, they developed according to the food sources available to them. "The evolutionary history of the dog suggests a predilection for a diet that is more omnivorous in nature, while the history of the cat indicates that this species has consumed a purely carnivorous diet throughout its evolutionary development," explains Case.



Cats evolved into meat-eaters that need a whole lot of protein (about 26 percent of their total caloric intake), but dogs can subsist on a more varied diet only about 5% protein. Joyce says dogs can eat many different foods, but cats would have serious nutritional deficits because they require protein from meat.



Their taste buds differ as well. While both dogs and cats have a high proportion of taste buds that are sensitive to amino acid flavors or proteins, only dogs respond to sweet foods. This means, for one, that you don't have to hide that pan of brownies from your cat. "You have to be careful to keep a dog away from chocolate," says Joyce. "It's dangerous for them. Cats can't metabolize it either, but the concern is not the same because they would never eat the massive quantities of it that a dog would."


Pack Animal vs. Loner
Both dogs and cats become accustomed to eating at specific times, but only dogs seem influenced by the social setting of the meal. "Dogs tend to increase food intake when consuming food in the presence of other dogs in their social group," says Case. "This process is called social facilitation." For most dogs, social facilitation causes a moderate increase in interest concerning food, as well as a tendency to eat faster.



Dogs are so prone to the influence of others that even their owners can impact their food choices. In one study summarized by Case, a group of dogs had the choice between a small and a large portion of kibble. Most chose the large. But when their owners were brought in and the dogs watched as they chose the smaller plate, their own choice changed in the second trial, as they chose the tiny serving. A similar experiment used equal portions in two different bowls. Each dog was consistently more interested in whichever bowl its owner preferred.



Joyce adds that cats seem to be emotional eaters. "My clients often tell me that their cats go to the food bowl when they're happy, like when the owner arrives home."


Thirst vs. Dry Mouth
While both dogs and cats need an adequate supply of clean water, the definition of "adequate" differs between the two. "Dogs typically consume more water per unit body weight than cats do, and respond more rapidly to mild dehydration by voluntarily increasing their water consumption," says Case.



Cats' relatively weak thirst drive is attributed to their evolution from a desert-dwelling species. As a result of low water consumption, cats produce more concentrated urine than dogs, which helps to conserve the little water they do take in. However, it also leaves them at greater risk for bladder stones, rock-like deposits that can interfere with their ability to urinate, causing symptoms like blood in the urine and passing urine outside of the litter box.


One Meal a Day vs. Many
"Cats are natural grazers," says Joyce, noting that it's more common for cats to be on free-feed diets than dogs. The reason for this may be partly a function of anatomy. While the stomach of each animal acts as a reservoir for the body, allowing food to be ingested as a meal rather than continuously throughout the day, a dog's stomach expands more readily. The proximal section of the stomach is capable of expansion, a function that is assumed to be of greater importance for dogs, which tend to eat large meals at a given time.



Keeping the above differences in mind, pet owners can rest assured that they are adhering to what nature intended and continues to insist on.

HOMEMADE DOG TASTE DETERRENT
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The smell and taste of bitter apple spray discourages dogs from chewing on your stuff, but frequently buying the product at pet stores can be pricy. If the non-toxic spray keeps your pooch from chewing that copy of "Brothers Karamazov" you just bought or your favorite pair of boots, consider making your own at a fraction of the cost.



Empty Spray Bottle
Purchase an empty spray bottle at a dollar or discount shop. Chain pharmacies carry them as well, typically in the cosmetics or hair accessories aisles. If you re-purpose a bottle of cleaner, rinse it out thoroughly with hot water and wash it out with soap. No traces of substances that may be toxic to your pooch should remain.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the base for most bitter apple sprays. You can spray it on items you don't want your dog to chew on without damaging them. The tart taste serves as a repellent. Pour 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of white vinegar into the spray bottle. Shake well, and spray on all items you want your dog to stop chewing.

Lemon Juice
If you don't have apple cider vinegar handy, lemon juice works, too. Pour 2 cups of lemon juice and 1 cup of white vinegar into the spray bottle. Shake well, and spray. The lemon juice will also taste tart, and discourage your beastie from chewing up the table legs.

Spray Away
Reapply the deterrent spray to your things every week. If you forget, then the taste will fade and Fido will go back to chewing up that sofa. Be consistent in reapplication so your four-legged pal gets the message.

Drive the Message Home
Your clever pooch is learning to not chew on your things because they taste bad. Reinforce his learning when you catch him in the act. Stand tall, hold out your finger and give him a stern "No!" Getting upset will only serve to confuse him, and he might even misinterpret your yelling as an invitation to play. If you don't catch him in the act, hold up your chewed-up sneaker and say "No!" Using the deterrent spray in tandem with training is an effective way to get your pooch to not chew up all your worldly possessions. Bitter apple spray is not a substitute for behavioral training.

Warnings and Considerations
Never spray repellent, even non-toxic homemade deterrent spray into your dog's eyes. And never apply even homemade deterrent spray onto your dog's skin, in cases where you want to prevent him from chewing on himself, such as his tail or paws. Skin could be raw or broken and will need to be reviewed by a veterinarian to see if topical antibiotics are required. Consider, too, that all repellants are not created equal, and bitter apple spray does not discourage all dogs from chewing. Additionally, some dogs become tolerant to the taste.

DOG FOOD TESTER
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DOG TASTE vs OBESITY
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