Cornell Veterinary Medicine study finds new links between dogs’ smell and vision
Researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine have provided the first documentation that dogs’ sense of smell is integrated with their vision and other unique parts of the brain, shedding new light on how dogs experience and navigate the world.
“We’ve never seen this connection between the nose and the occipital lobe, functionally the visual cortex in dogs, in any species,” said Dr. Pip Johnson, assistant professor of clinical sciences and senior author of “Extensive Connections of the Canine Olfactory Pathway Revealed by Tractography and Dissection.”
Sagittal brain image generated using TrackVis software. Courtesy of Dr. Pip Johnson/Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Copyright: CVM Marketing and Communications
“When we walk into a room, we primarily use our vision to work out where the door is, who’s in the room, where the table is,” she said. “Whereas in dogs, this study shows that olfaction is