What Can Dogs Detect?
During certain situations, the smell humans release becomes stronger. Menstruation, childbirth, or even recent sexual activity can increase the release of pheromones, which makes dogs more eager to investigate. That’s also why they have a thing for underwear.
In his book How Dogs Think, Stanley Coren, PhD, explains how Australian Shepherds were once trained to sniff out cows that had just ovulated, helping ranchers time breeding more effectively. While it hasn’t been scientifically proven that dogs can reliably detect ovulation in humans, they certainly notice changes in body chemistry. This same skill is what makes them useful in medical research, including the early detection of conditions like ovarian cancer.
