The dog's sense of smell is so great, that it is difficult to determine a great deal about the dog's ability to taste. Because dogs do not chew their food, to any great extent, it is likely that smell is as important, if not more so, than taste in the perception of palatability.

As in the human aging process, taste buds on the tongue are lost over time resulting in many previously palatable foods becoming bland and unattractive. Again, it is difficult to quantify the relative contributions of the nose and the tongue to the perceived palatability or attractiveness of foods.

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