Wild Dogs Sneeze When They Are Ready to Hunt

Wild Dogs Sneeze When They Are Ready to Hunt(nytimes.com)

14 points by kompressor 8 years ago | 10 comments

Clear out the sinuses to make ready for tracking game. Makes sense.

I sneeze when the sun gets in my eyes. This may be one of those useless mutations though.

malux85 8 years ago | |

This is quite common - and variations on that too; I have a friend who sneezes when she eats, and another friend who sneezes when he becomes aroused, I'd say these mutations are more useless :)

breakingcups 8 years ago | | |

Sorry for going slightly off-topic, but that's a hilarious mental image.

maxxxxx 8 years ago |

My dogs sneeze a lot when they are really excited or ready to play. I wonder if that's a related behavior.

Ankaios 8 years ago | |

Same here. The snorting and rallying behavior in the article sounds identical to what our dogs do. (I initially confused it with sneezing, too, but they are clearly snorting sharply.)

igitur 8 years ago | |

Mine too. In fact, I've taught her to do it on command.

pavement 8 years ago |

It's probably glandular.

Horomones can stimulate reflexes, and conditioned responses to the premise of hunting likely provoke not only an adrenaline response, but other secretions, as part of coordinated psychological and emotional activity at the begining of the fight-or-flight routine.

Sneezing is a reflex, and there's probably some hereditary cross-over in the genetic mix that provides for the complex of neurological signaling.

If there's some interplay with group activity, maybe it's demonstrative of a pattern of emergent evolution for a brand of pheremone to jump the air gap between peers, reinforcing a pattern of hunting success as part of a feedback loop, when combined with the canine sense of smell?

sml156 8 years ago |

If I was to make a guess I would say they sneeze to clear any odors that may be trapped in their nasal passages, Or to make sure that their passages are clear to sense prey better.

eridius 8 years ago |

> No other social animal has been reported to cast a vote, of sorts, by sneezing, although in humans sneezing may once have expressed a negative opinion, as in, “nothing to sneeze at.”

Does the author really think humans used to sneeze on demand?

damnfine 8 years ago | |

I can sneeze almost on demand by thinking of specific things. But I agree, even with my 'ability' it is unsuited for communication. Even a grunt would be easier and more nuanced.

Edit: made myself sneeze, took about 7 seconds.