Dog whiskers are very interesting as some dogs do not have whiskers and some do.I have realized that my current dog who lives with me at UMass has very prominent whiskers, and I realized that not all dogs have whiskers, as my other dog, who lives with my family at home does not. The technical term for dog "whiskers" are "vibrassae". It helps animals define where they are in space and helps them detect danger. Just like when a baby touches everything, a dog also uses his "whiskers" to get a feel of everything. They are closely related with nerve terminals, which makes it a high sensation area. To us, they just look like extra hair. After doing some research, they are a huge part of animal's sensory functioning, which helps with food acquision, and even communication with different species. A lot of more cool aspects! Such as helping their head position in swimming. I am very happy to have read about this as I truly thought it was extra hair.
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