What does a dog's beard do? Do all dogs have beards?

What is a beard?

A beard is basically a coarse, stiff hair that grows in the area near the mouth that can be found in most mammals today, while playing a variety of roles.

What does a dog's beard do? Do all dogs have beards? Picture 1

What is the role of a dog's beard?

Cats often have 12 beard strands lined up neatly on each edge, for a total of 20-24. These whiskers play an important role in cats, because they are their tactile feathers. Without a beard, the cat is like being blind and not feeling.

For dogs there is a little slight difference. A beard is usually found on both sides of the dog's muzzle, with several protruding above the eyes. Some bearded breeds grow downwards from the upper lip, upper cheek, or under the chin. The follicles at the base (legs) of each beard are filled with super sensitive nerve fibers so that even the slightest touch will transmit a large amount of messages to the dog's brain.

The area around the muzzle and mouth of a dog is rich in Merkel cells (MC), a special type of cell found just below the epidermis, the top layer of skin. According to a study published in the journal Veterinary Science, Merkel cells are skin receptors that bind to nerve endings, making these hairs extremely sensitive.

Because of this sensitivity, the dog's beard also has many different roles, such as direction recognition, collecting information about the smallest changes in the surrounding environment. For example: The beard is growing in the area of ​​the muzzle that protrudes, so if there is a slight airflow or even the smallest of objects hitting the hairs, information is quickly transferred to the brain and will be made. that is, a blink reflex to protect the eye from potential dangers, all in less than a 'tick'.

In addition, the beards also help dog position food, disperse pheromones and maintain an upright posture while swimming. Dogs are born with farsightedness, so the beard also helps in close-up vision, allowing the dog to assess if it is about to bump into an obstacle in front of it or whether it can get into a tight space.

Not only that, the beard also helps to show the dog's feelings, especially when they feel threatened, scared, the beards tend to be upside down and clawed back.

Do all dogs have beards?

Nearly all dog breeds have beards, in one form or another. In some species, the antennae grow in long, thick clusters while only sparsely grow in others.

There does not appear to be any difference in the structure and function of the beard between most dog breeds, except for the hairless dogs and cats, which may have little or no beard at all. Meanwhile, their body will adapt to this shortcoming.