How strong is dogs' sense of taste?

Feb 5, 2021

By Ben McIntosh

Do dogs have a sense of taste and why do they seem to have favourite flavours? Keep reading to find out!

Dogs' sense of taste

How does it compare to humans?

Dogs have about 1700 taste buds on their tongue, versus 9000 for us humans.

However, this doesn’t mean that dogs can't taste much. They can taste sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter foods.

Can dogs taste water?

Dogs are also able to taste water with special taste buds on the tip of their tongue that react to water as they drink.

They become sensitive when a dog is thirsty, prompting them to drink more.

What about their sense of smell?

Dogs' sense of smell is incredibly more developed than humans'. Indeed, dogs have 125 million sensory glands in their nose as opposed to "only" 5 to 10 million glands in humans.

This strong sense of smell plays a big role in how dogs experience food and why they are so sensitive to food odours.

Just like humans, dogs have the ability to be drawn to certain flavours and odours. They might also really enjoy a certain flavour for a while then get tired of it!

Food for every dog

Here at MyPetsays we want to please every dog's taste buds, which is why we have a wide variety of recipes with several meat and fish options.

Our Freshtrusion™ technology ensures all of our fresh meat is gently cooked for maximum digestibility and optimal nutritional value. The slow cooking process also enhances the flavours, making the food even tastier for your dog!