Why do dog legs smell like ... popcorn?

Why do dog soles often smell like popcorn?

Maybe you don't smell your dog's feet often, but if you've done that, you can think of a crunchy dish in your mouth. Specifically, many people claim that their puppy dog's legs taste like popcorn. What a surprise, isn't it?

Although the smell and interpretation are different, most people who smell the legs of dogs have a link to the popular snacks that we often see in cinemas (popcorn). But why is that?

Men are one of the reasons that dog feet smell like popcorn.

The answer is related to the activity of small microorganisms .

According to HowStuffworks, the average human body consists of 30 trillion cells and, headed by skin covered with 40 trillion bacteria, this ratio may be higher for dogs. In particular, dog corners and cavities are often home to actinobacteria from the soil - this is where bacteria live and multiply with exponential growth.

Most of the dog's apocrine glands - also known as sweat glands - are concentrated in pads on the legs. The pads are surrounded by fur and create wet and warm water slots, so this place is a great place for the growth of microorganisms. And this will create some smell. Most odors are related to bacterial by-products.

So which bacteria make your dogs' feet smell like popcorn?Men are one of them. Yeast prefers to grow in warm, wet environments. And the bacteria called Pseudomonas also emit the odor that many people interpret as popcorn. However, the real culprit of the smell of popcorn is Proteus bacteria and they seem to increase when dogs sleep - probably because the heat generated by a sleeping dog increases bacterial activity.

Even if you are not a fan of popcorn, you should also be aware that exposure to this bacterium may have certain health benefits. Studies have shown that pregnant women exposed to dogs will make females born to be able to adapt to more diverse microorganisms. And kids who grow up around pets will not be allergic. Of course, there are still no recommendations for you to kiss dogs in order to benefit from these bacteria.