Why do dogs have wet noses?

Have you ever noticed that dogs almost always have wet, cold noses? Does this mean they constantly need a tissue??

There are several reasons why dogs have wet noses. One reason is that most dogs lick their noses a lot! Having a wet nose helps a dog to keep itself cool. Wet noses also help dogs pick up on smells.

Did you know that dogs rely a lot on sniffing to pick up information from their surroundings?? Some dogs just naturally have noses that are more dry than others, so even though sometimes a dry-dog-nose means a dog is sick, that's not always the case. And if a dog does get its drippy nose on you, there's no need to worry that it might be dog-boogers, but it would be a good idea anyway to wash your hands afterwards!