What is a biometric marker?
Biometrics consists of taking measurements of certain physical characteristics of a living being, so that we obtain a useful pattern for the recognition and subsequent identification of that being.
For example, a fingerprint reader is a biometric sensor capable of reading, saving and identifying fingerprints. They are used daily to unlock computers and mobile phones. There are technologies that recognize facial patterns as an identification method.
Could we identify our dogs by their nose?
The answer is yes.
Scientific studies in this regard yield three resounding statements about the nose print of our dogs:
- It is unique to each individual
- Does not change over time
- Shows its definitive pattern at 2 months of puppy age
canine nose pattern
The area of interest when identifying a dog through its nose is right in the area between the two nostrils and above the philtrum . This region of interest shows a complex pattern of grooves and beads or cells, unique to each dog : the canine nasal pattern (Figure 1) .
Other animals with unique noses
Dogs are not the only species with an individual nose print. Other animals whose nose has evolved in a homologous way to that of dogs, follow this trend.
Wolves, sheep, cats, and deer also have unique nasal patterns. This implies that we could differentiate one individual from another through their nose.
Nasal ID could be the future
The identification of each pet is mandatory. Not only in case they get lost, but for a control and public health issue.
Types of identification in pets
Chip: It consists of a subcutaneous microchip with a serial number associated with the data of the owner of the animal. Requires microchip reader, usually present in veterinarians and police stations.
Tattoos: It consists of tattooing directly on the inside of the ear a number that is associated with the owner’s data. The tattooing process is very invasive for the animal.
Plates: Metallic and wooden medals and other elements that generally bear the name of the animal and the owner’s telephone number. They can be easily lost.
QR : Plates that have a QR code printed on them. When a person reads the code with the mobile or cell phone, the data of the animal appears on the screen. At the same time, the owner of the dog receives a notice with the location of his lost animal. Like the previous ones, they can be lost.
Nasal ID: It seems that applications are already underway that, based on a biometric algorithm, will serve to identify a dog or cat based on its nasal print.
This type of identification could have the advantage of:
- It always goes with the animal and cannot be lost
- Does not require invasive procedures such as the time to insert a chip
- Shown fully grown at two months of puppy age
- Could be read directly by mobile phone
Implementation difficulty
Data collection or footprint scanning can be complicated due to the movement of the animal. Which requires software capable of solving this problem.
In addition, currently, we have an insufficient database of nasal patterns for the development of a sufficiently reliable algorithm. Having more data is only a matter of time.
An indelible mark
There are not a few people who tend to preserve the footprint of their dog or cat as something exclusive that will always remind them of their animal.
However, after reading this article, some people might consider preserving their unique nasal pattern.
References:
Choi, HI et al. 2021. The Formation and Invariance of Canine Nose Pattern of Beagle Dogs from Early Puppy to Young Adult Periods. Animals, 11(9), 2664.
Choi, HI et al. 2021. Study on the Viability of Canine Nose Pattern as a Unique Biometric Marker. Animals, 11(12), 3372.
Shen, F. et al. 2022. A Competitive Method for Dog Nose-print Re-identification. arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.15934.
