The Signs of Dogs Sensing Fire
The first sign you will notice if your dog has sensed a fire is near, is the way they will start sniffing and smelling the air. Dogs can paint a picture of their environment through their noses. A canine’s nose is stereoscopic, and each nostril can pick up separate smells. At the end of their nose is the olfactory epithelium, full of receptor cells, and these cells receive the smell and send a message to the dog’s brain to decipher the smell.
Dogs can smell what happened in the past, the night visitors, and scents from the day before. They can sense what is going to happen through aroma in the air, a storm coming or the strong smell of smoke. The bigger the fire the more obvious the danger. There is the sound of the fire as well as the fear generated by oncoming flames.
Your dog may growl to warn you of the danger or their hackles may stand on end. Lip licking signifies nervousness and your dog may want to find a place to hide. However, in terms of rescue behavior, dogs can be amazingly brave and save families from the fire. Dogs have run in search of help and pulled young children from the depths of a burning house. It is certain that dogs sense fire and show signs of reacting to its dangers.
Some signs that your dog senses fire include:
More clues that your pooch knows a fire is nearby are:
A History of Dogs and Their Sniffers
Since dogs have such amazing noses, they are able to pick up on different scents much quicker than we can. It has been studied numerous times that dogs have the ability to smell things forty times better than us humans can.
When it comes to smelling smoke, of any kind really, dogs are much more sensitive to it. They can smell it a lot sooner than we can and there are plenty of times in history that dogs have proven to be great at giving warning signals. There are plenty of instances where dogs have alerted their owners to dangerous situations like fires before the owner even realized what was happening.
There have been documented events stating that a dog smelled burning smoke and either alerted their owner or woke them up to get them to safety. Dogs are definitely able to smell smoke and they are able to do so much better than we do. According to scientists, out of every animal in the world, dogs are on the top ten list of best sniffers!
What are the dangers of passive smoking to cats?
Cats are more at risk than other pets due to self-grooming which means they can ingest the toxic particles. This, and regularly inhaling second-hand smoke, could possibly increase the risk of blood cancer lymphoma and mouth cancer.
Do drug-sniffing dogs pass the smell test?
Most everyone knows smoking is bad for you, just ask the American Heart Association. Most people also understand that secondhand smoke can be dangerous to children. Sadly, few pet guardians realize how harmful smoking can be for their pets. Secondhand smoke poses real risks for the dogs and cats in our homes. Let’s examine a few of the biggest pet health threats of smoking.
Dogs and cats are especially susceptible to cancer-causing components of secondhand smoke for a couple of important reasons:
Those are two major differences between adult smokers and animals, and they really increase the risk of disease and harm for our unsuspecting pets. Making matters worse, is the fact that our pets’ peril doesn’t end when the smoker snubs out their tobacco and blows their last smoky sigh. It persists when they pounce on the couch, roll on the carpet, and sleep in their beds. The risk of cancer is nearly everywhere, on every surface and even has a new name: thirdhand smoke. 
Pets and thirdhand smoke Thirdhand smoke refers to the dust, residues and particulates created by secondhand smoke that land on surfaces. To demonstrate thirdhand smoke and the additional risk it creates, I ask my tobacco-loving clients to bring in pet bedding, covers or sheets. The foul odor, yellow staining and grungy feeling are confirmation of toxic, thirdhand smoke. Recent research, available at pnas.org, shows thirdhand smoke may be as harmful as secondhand smoke. The University of Massachusetts released a study saying that serious oral cancers such as squamous cell carcinomas have been connected to environmental smoke exposure in pets. Meanwhile, Colorado State University conducted another study that showed cancers in the nasal passages, sinuses and mouth of pets are also associated with environmental smoke. The evidence is clear and overwhelming: secondhand and thirdhand smoke causes cancers in pets. Eliminate the risk by quitting smoking. Asthma and breathing problems Pets exposed to secondhand smoke may also develop or experience more severe respiratory or asthma symptoms. The CDC reports that tobacco smoke is one of the most common asthma triggers in humans. The particulates in smoke have been shown to produce many types of breathing problems in children and adults, warns the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Because the airways of dogs and cats are very similar to humans, many veterinarians, including me, are very concerned that secondhand smoke causes or exacerbates breathing problems such as asthma and other allergic breathing conditions in companion animals. Allergies In addition to worsening respiratory allergies, there’s growing worry and anecdotal evidence that smoking inflames allergic dermatitis. I’ve seen many pets experience intense itching after their guardian lights up. All forms of smoke are skin and tissue irritants; exposing pets with sensitive skin to smoke may lead to more severe allergic symptoms. If you smoke… If you smoke and need additional motivation to quit, consider your pet’s health. The proof is clear: Secondhand smoke is deadly to pets. Cancer, breathing problems and allergies are simply the most obvious health threats of smoking for dogs and cats.
Thirdhand smoke presents innumerable, additional hidden dangers lurking on the surfaces of our homes and cars. Your pets didn’t choose to smoke, don’t make a decision for them that can shorten their lives, produce suffering and destroy quality of life. We love our pets; make a decision that can save both your own life and the lives of those around you. Stop smoking. If not, at least don’t smoke indoors, in cars or anywhere near your pets.
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian — they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets. Related symptoms: