Some people say a dog’s nose is 50 times more sensitive than ours. Dogs can detect odors we humans can’t smell at all. With their sense of smell and their huge olfactory capacity (about 300 million scent receptors compared with a human’s nearly 6 million). They can gather more information in just a few seconds with more accuracy.
Dogs can detect scents through walls, under rocks, and in high winds and rain. But, it begs the question, is it possible for a dog to smell through a mason jar? Are the airtight containers or vacuum-sealed bags sufficient to keep the dog’s keen sense of smell at bay?
Let’s get started and see whether or not a mason jar can be smell-proof to a dog.
Are Mason Jars Smell Proof to Dog?
A mason jar is an airtight glass container used to store food items. Unfortunately, the scents spread through the air. So, the scentless mason jars won’t be able to keep the dog from smelling the odor or flavor you’re trying to contain.
But the answer depends on the condition of the jar. If the pot isn’t sealed correctly, the scent can escape through a crack or opening in the jar. So, if you’ve opened and shut the jar multiple times, the smell will float out. And it will be easy for your dog to detect.
But you can keep the smell in the jar if you use a smell-proof bag and put the food there. It will provide you with an additional layer of protection and ensures that the flavors remain trapped in the jar for a long time despite your repeated opening and closing.
Can Dogs Smell Through a Vacuum-sealed or Smell-proof bag?
The answer to this question is no. Dogs can’t smell through a vacuum-sealed or sealed plastic bag.
The smell-proof bag contains a carbon line. The bag’s carbon lining is infused with millions of micro pockets to absorb odors and lock them away until they are disposed of through regular use. The carbon lining is effective at absorbing any odor. The micro pockets trap odor molecules inside the carbon lining. And the bigger the bag is, the more odors it can absorb.
The smell-proof bag can keep strong odors from permeating through and ruining your food or other items inside the bag. So your food will remain fresh and protected from your dog’s gustatory interests until you open the bag to take them out. So dogs won’t be able to smell through the bag.
How to Find Out If a Dog Can Smell Through a Mason Jar?
If you want to know whether the dog can smell through the jar or not, then you need to put some items in the jar and observe the dog’s actions and reactions:
- If your dog can smell through the jar, its ears will be lifted and alert to the presence of food scents through any openings or cracks in the container.
- The dog will sniff the air around the container to sense any scent.
- The dog will try to bite or paw at the jar to open it.
- At a particular location, the dog may stay still, sniff the air around and lick its lips.
Some dogs have the proper training to smell through small gaps and openings in the container. That’s why the police employ K9 units for drug-sniffing, search-and-rescue, find hidden drugs, explosives, and people.
In What Situation Can a Dog Smell via an Airtight Container?
As we mentioned before, an airtight container(mason jar) can keep the smell. But in some situations, the jar can’t keep your dog from smelling and ruining your stored food. Here are some of those situations:
1. Using low-quality containers or jars: As Mason jars include glass, plastic, or metal as their material, the containers with different materials have different effects. The scent tends to stick to the containers you use to hide your valuables from your dog. So, make sure your containers are of good quality.
If you buy a low-cost jar, expect to replace it every couple of months. The low-quality pot will also fail over time. The scent will eventually make its way out of the container and into the room’s air, where it’s stored. Then your dog would have found the source of the odor you are trying to cover up.
We suggest you purchase a high-quality container that will last longer and stand up to your dog’s sniffing skills.
2. Using old containers: An older jar is more vulnerable than a new jar to your dog’s nose for two reasons: First, older pots are weaker, so they are more accessible to damage. Second, the scents of past food spills or spoiled ingredients can linger inside the container.
So, if you have an old mason jar from several years ago, you might want to throw it and purchase a new one with an airtight seal instead.
3. Use open containers: If the jar has a crack or an opening, the scent will escape into the surrounding air, and your dog will be able to smell it. So, avoid using open containers or jars that do not have a seal or lid on them — especially if you plan to store something with a powerful smell inside.
4. Keep something in the container for an extended period: When you keep something in the container for an extended period, the odor from that object will stick to your airtight pot. The layer of odor also sticks around the outside of the jar, and your dog will notice it. So, if you store something inside an airtight jar and it has a strong odor. Remove the object after some time to freshen the pot and the air around the container.
5. Wash your hands after putting things in the container: If you want to make an airtight jar your dog cannot smell, make sure you wash off your hands after putting anything in the pot.
Sometimes you do everything but forget to do the small things. If you fail to wash off your hands after opening a container or putting something in it, the odor on your hands will stick to the pot, and your dog will be able to smell it through any cracks or openings in the jar.
What did we learn from all this?
Based on the article you read above, we can conclude that a mason jar can block dogs’ sense of smell. But that’s only if the pot is in good condition, and you don’t open the jar frequently or keep something with a powerful odor in it for an extended period.
If you want to ensure that the jar blocks your dog’s nose completely, use a vacuum-sealed bag and store the food in the container. It will give you better protection than the Mason jar itself and is ideal for storing food for a long time without letting your dog smell inside the jar.
So, we think you got your answer about whether a mason jar can block dogs’ sense of smell or not.