Since dogs have poor vision on close up objects, they don’t entirely rely on their eyesight for navigation. They use their noses which have high smelling senses as compared to human beings. It’s no surprise dogs use whiskers for tracking. However, apart from their noses, they have whiskers which they use to navigate around their surroundings. Many animals such as cats, bears, rats, dogs, etc. have long hairs around their faces. Those hairs are called whiskers.
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What are whiskers?
Whiskers are hairs that grow along the muzzle of a dog. They are sensory input devices that transport information to the cell nerves to relay a message to the dog’s brain.
The technical term for whiskers is “vibrissae,” which comes from a Latin word vibrio meaning “vibrate.”
Whiskers are more thick and rigid as compared to the fur in the rest of the dog’s body.
Also, whiskers are three times deeper than natural hairs even though they develop from hair follicles.
Dog whiskers are on the forehead, the chin, the upper lip, and above the eyes depending on the breed of your dog.
Although whiskers don’t cover the entire dog’s body. They are more sensitive than the fur because their hair follicles are connected and packed with nerves and blood vessels.
The primary function of whiskers is to transport information to sensory cells whenever they sense or detect objects and movement.
For instance, when air current flows over the whiskers, the sensitive hair vibrates and stimulates the nerves in the hair follicles causing the whiskers to transmit information about the shape, size and even speed of the nearby objects.
This way, the dog can navigate easily through its surroundings without destroying anything or even hurting itself.
What are whiskers for
Whiskers help to enhance the beauty of a dog’s face. But apart from enhancing beauty, whiskers are designed as acoustic devices to help your dog perform its daily activities.
Dogs use whiskers for the following major reasons:
Detecting / Sensing
Just like the nose, dogs use their whiskers to sense the space around them. They can feel air currents and through it. They can process information about the shape and size of objects near them.
Although dogs have incredible senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision focusing on objects that are up close, enhance, whiskers help them “see” things that are near them.
No wonder dogs can locate their food bowls at night without bumping into objects and hurt their faces.
Have you ever wondered how your dog could locate its play-toy that is under the chair and not on top of the chair?
Well, it used its whiskers to locate the size and shape of the toy before approaching it.
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Acting as protectors
In human beings, the eyelashes help in protecting the eyes from dust and other foreign bodies from getting into the eyes by blinking and closing the eyelid automatically. Similarly, when a speck of dust falls on a whisker above the eye, the dog will behave like a human being by blinking or shaking his or her head to get rid of the dust particles.
Whiskers also help your dog from colliding with objects as he or she moves around. With the help of whiskers, your dog can determine if he can fit in the space under the chair without hurting himself. Notably, research shows that some dog breeds can use whiskers to determine if they can provide in small areas while others can’t. In essence, what the whiskers do is serve as an early warning that there are objects ahead to avoid damaging the objects and also injuring the dog’s face and eyes.
Communicating emotions
Dogs use their whiskers to show their feelings.
For instance, if your dog is just relaxing, its whiskers also take a break. However, if there is a threat, or if it feels threatened, the dog will automatically flare the whiskers on his muzzle and direct them towards the source of the danger. According to research, some scientists believe that the way a dog reacts towards a warning shows that whiskers play a role in a dog’s defense strategy when faced by predators and other dogs.
Should you cut your dog’s whiskers?
As a dog owner, you may be tempted to cut your dog’s whiskers when you are grooming him or her. However, it is advisable to leave your dog’s whiskers as they are and avoid cutting and trimming them.
It helps your dog remain sensitive and understand their surrounding by touch. Just like shaving human hair, when you trim your dog’s whiskers, there will be no pain. Nonetheless, scientists argue that, if you cut your dog’s whiskers you may cause confusion and decrease awareness of his surrounding.
Will my dog grow whiskers after I cut them?
You might have cut your dog’s whiskers intentionally or by accident, and now you are worried if they will grow. Don’t worry!
Dog whiskers will grow again, just like human hair. For puppies, whiskers are among the first hairs to develop and are present at birth. It is also important to know that the pattern and location of whiskers vary depending on the breed of your pet dog.
And just like humans, you will find out that some dogs may develop many long, thick whiskers, while others have few or none.
Wrapping It Up
As we have seen above, dog whiskers play a significant role in acting as sensory input, to help dogs feel their path/way in low light. Dogs whose whiskers have been trimmed tend to get confused, and their spatial awareness decreases because they heavily rely on their whiskers to know if there are objects ahead of them.
If you groom your pet-dog, you have to make sure you don’t trim the whiskers. In case, you outsource pet-care services let the groomer know to avoid cutting your dog’s whiskers next time.