Why are dogs so gentle with eggs? It’s a question that has puzzled researchers and dog owners alike, so I decided to do some research of my own! After reading all the different theories out there, it seems that the true answer might just be elusive after all, but there are certainly some interesting speculations on the subject! Here at Pet Gift & Toys, we will go over the question of “Why are dogs gentle with eggs?”
Because they can be
Dogs are gentle with eggs because they can be. They have a natural instinct to protect and nurture their young, and this extends to eggs. This is why you’ll often see dogs carefully carrying an egg in their mouths without breaking it. The same goes for bird’s eggs, as well as insect or spider eggs – anything that has the potential to give birth and create new life. But sometimes, even when not trying to do so, dogs will accidentally crack an egg open by playing too roughly with it. If your dog doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing (and doesn’t stop) you may want to distract him before he ruins more than one.
To avoid damaging a good thing
When you think about it, it’s really in a dog’s best interest to be gentle with eggs. After all, if they were to break an egg, they would no longer have a delicious snack. And we all know that dogs love snacks. It doesn’t make sense for them to play too rough and crack the egg. Sometimes they may accidentally knock one off the counter or table while wagging their tail and being so excited to see you, but then they’ll just go right back over and gently pick it up! As long as your pup knows where the line is drawn between playing and not playing, eggs will stay safe from harm.
Because they can smell it, eggshells contain odors that we can’t detect but our furry friends can
When a dog smells an egg, it can pick up on a variety of different scents. One of those scents is a hormone called progesterone. This hormone is released by the mother hen while she’s sitting on her eggs to incubate them. The progesterone helps stimulate the development of baby chicks and also increases their chance of survival. Since dogs are naturally drawn to this scent, it’s no wonder that they often leave eggs alone! In addition, because of how hard-boiled eggs smell (the sulfur in the whites mixes with hydrogen sulfide gas to create that odor), some dogs might be discouraged from eating them if they’re used as bait. That said, there are plenty of other things you might not know about why your canine friend is so gentle with eggs–they may be very curious about what’s inside or they might just have tiny paws and don’t want to break anything!
An egg’s thin shell isn’t hard enough to break the skin when bitten.
A dog’s tooth can apply up to 300 pounds of pressure per square inch, so you might think that an egg would be easy for a dog to crush. However, an egg’s thin shell isn’t hard enough to break the skin when bitten. The secret to a dog’s gentle touch is in its teeth. Dogs have pointed canine teeth that are great for puncturing and tearing flesh, but their molars are blunter and better suited for crushing. If your pet does happen to bite into an egg, don’t worry! Most eggs will still be intact once they’ve been chewed and swallowed.
Egg Challenge
All over the internet in 2017-2018 there was a massive challenge going around to see if your dog can be gentle with eggs. A ton of people saw the original video and had to try it themselves. This challenge can still be seen today on TikTok and Facebook but not as much as it was in 2017.
