I think I have the nosiest dogs in existence. I’m glad that they have enough confidence to stick their snouts in random bags and boxes, but it gets a little embarrassing when they start to investigate other people’s private purses. With the way they want to sniff and explore inside bags and satchels, you would think they worked as detection dogs. I can guarantee, however, that my canines have never earned a dime moonlighting as sniffer dogs (unless you count the time Grimm almost ate the coin that he found while rooting under the driver’s seat of my car).
Whenever I come back from shopping or if a package arrives, all three of them immediately start sniffing and nosing at the bag or box. They don’t steal anything from the bag, even if groceries are present; they just seem to want to check out the wares.
These three dogs may be some of the biggest busy-bodies you ever did see.
Me: Hey, guys, haven’t you ever heard the saying, “Curiosity killed the cat?” Leave the bags and boxes alone. Nothing in there is for you.
Zella, Charley & Grimm: What do you mean, curiosity killed the cat?
Me: You know–it’s a warning. Something you might not expect may cause you harm if you poke around in something that is not your business.
Grimm: Are you saying that someone is trying to kill us? Well now we’ve really got to sniff and inspect all the packages–maybe there’s something dangerous in there…or even a dead kitty.
Me: I give up.
All my canines act like little kids when I come back from the store. What’s in the bag? Whatcha got there? Is anything for us? They do, however, seem to know when a certain box of food or treats or a toy is for them. I don’t know how they figure this out, but they do. They’ll pay more attention to the canine item in the bag than they would to a human one even if it is something they have never seen (or smelled) before. How do they know ? It’s almost spooky at times.
Grimm can be a nosy little bugger.
A dog’s nose is truly a remarkable organ. Their sense of smell is said to be more than 10,000 times more sensitive than ours. We have utilized this ability from the day the first human partnered up with the first canine. A dog’s nose has helped our species in so many ways over the centuries. It allows us to procure food by tracking prey or finding and retrieving game; helps us to avoid danger by sniffing out explosives and contraband; provides us with a way to search for our missing, wounded and dead; and more recently assists us in detecting cancer, mold, termites, bedbugs and other natural dangers. Dogs have allowed us to make the world safer and more accessible because of their awesome scent detection.
As impressive as a canine’s nose may be, when it is shoved in areas it doesn’t belong it can become a nuisance, like when a pooch pokes his or her sniffer into someones crotch. My dogs don’t do that (thank goodness) but I have had to apologize when my canine’s cranium has been buried neck deep into some friends purse or backpack. I have no idea what my dog was looking for, but their busy-body, nosy self just had to take a peek. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but nosiness seems to have distinguished the dog. Seems dogs also have a talent for spinning deterrents into assets.
Grimm's Furry Tail 