# Why dogs stick their noses into the wind when riding in vehicles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733 "2011-09-09T16:52:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/1 "2011-09-09T16:52:17Z")
Why dogs stick their noses into the wind when riding in vehicles? This is the sort of thing that must have been discussed here and elsewhere. I can conjecture that they like the tremendous increase in smells but I really have not clue. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/2 "2011-09-09T18:26:04Z")
My dogs face into the wind whenever they can while walking. It brings the smells to them and masks downwind smells. In a sense, it’s like humans looking at the well-lighted area instead of into the darkness. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/3 "2011-09-09T18:28:13Z")
I think my Chow/Sheppard does it so he can coat the entire passanger side of my newly washed jeep with his slobber. I might be wrong, but he does seem to enjoy doing that. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/4 "2011-09-09T18:35:56Z")
I used to stick my head out the window of the car when I was a kid. I suspect dogs do it for the same reason I do it - the wind rushing on your face is fun. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/5 "2011-09-09T18:50:22Z")
I always figured that it was so they could see where they are going. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/6 "2011-09-09T18:52:18Z")
From [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfaction): > [@](#): > > It is estimated that dogs in general have an olfactory sense approximately a hundred thousand to a million times more acute than a human’s. I think that tells you all you need to know. It’s like an olifactory OMNIMAX theatre. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/7 "2011-09-09T19:12:18Z")
It’s the rare time they get an opportunity not to have to smell us stinky humans. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/8 "2011-09-09T20:22:41Z")
Long/floppy-eared dogs want to face into the wind so that their ears blow backwards, leaving their eyes and noses uncovered. And all dogs want to see where they’re going, enjoy the rush of air on their snouts\* and savor the many smells and stenches of the highway. \*I had a cocker spaniel who stuck her nose up against the auto vents whenever we had the blower or air conditioner on. Obviously it just feels good. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/9 "2011-09-09T20:23:30Z")
They probably don’t like your choice of radio station. ---
**Author:** ![silk1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@silk1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silk1976)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/10 "2011-09-09T20:43:40Z")
As a kid I always thought I was being nice to my pets by blowing air into their faces - they always turned away like they didn’t like it. Never made sense to me - why would they stick their head out in 30 mph wind, but squint and pull away when I blew in their face. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/11 "2011-09-09T21:24:00Z")
Their way of telling you that you need a breath mint? ---
**Author:** ![Gbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/12 "2011-09-10T02:29:47Z")
My BIL accidentally eat the dogs worm pills when his wife dipped them into almond bark to trick the mutt. He said that explained why he had such an urge to stick his head out the window while driving. I do like Leaffan’s “olifactory OMNIMAX theatre” I always relate sent to a dog is like a fine piece of art to the critic. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/13 "2011-09-10T03:01:48Z")
Read in a book many years back that the reason dogs don’t like people blowing in their faces is because of the sound it makes is rather unpleasant to their sensitive ears. IIRC, a human blowing has a higher sound pitch than the wind from a car window. As far as breath goes, most dogs I’ve had, if I held my mouth open, they would stick their noses in to figure out what was in there. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/14 "2011-09-10T03:17:30Z")
Forgot to mention, it isn’t just cars. Both our dogs love when my wife blow dries her hair. They sit in front of her while she points the drier right at their faces (on cold air). They love it. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/15 "2011-09-10T03:46:20Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Their way of telling you that you need a breath mint? Just the opposite. They’re dogs and the more disgusting your breath the happier they are. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/16 "2011-09-10T03:52:54Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Just the opposite. They’re dogs and the more disgusting your breath the happier they are. True observation, the more something smells like ass, the more they seem to enjoy the fragrance. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dogs-stick-their-noses-into-the-wind-when-riding-in-vehicles/595733/17 "2011-09-10T06:16:37Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > True observation, the more something smells like ass, the more they seem to enjoy the fragrance. It’s true. My dog absolutely cannot get enough ass.