Our barking four-legged friends have tested their sensitivity to humans once again, this time in a scientific sniff test.
Scientists have discovered that dogs can smell stress in our breath and sweat. Four puppies, whose owners volunteered, were trained to "choose" one of three test tubes filled with a certain scent.
The 36 volunteers reported their stress level before and after completing a difficult math problem. In each of the test tubes, there was a sample of sweat or breath, collected before and after the increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
In more than 650 out of 700 tests, the pups successfully identified a sample of sweat or breath taken from a stressed human. Researchers at Queen's University Belfast hope this new discovery will help train therapy dogs.
Dogs perceive the world through smell. Their ability to distinguish scents is used to detect narcotics, explosives, diseases including various types of cancer, diabetes and even Covid-19.