Dogs have incredible senses of smell, but some are much better sniffers than others. If you have a dog, you know how much they like sniffing everything. Some people have as many as 220 million olfactory receptors, compared to our meager 5 million. Although dogs have excellent sniffers, some dogs “smell better” than others.
The sense of smell is equally as vital to dogs as it is to us. It is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than ours, according to scientists. Another benefit of dogs is that they have two air passageways, one for breathing and the other for smelling. This means that, unlike us, they do not lose their scent when they exhale.
Let’s check out the top 10 dogs with exceptional sense of smell. Note that below list is not in any order.
1. Pointer
The first thing you’ll notice about this list is that most are hunting dogs. Hunters claim that the Pointer has the best nose of all the hunting breeds, and they admire his bird-finding ability. He has a long, deep muzzle with wide-open nostrils he uses to seek out “fowl” smells. Get it? Fowl? OK, moving on.
2. German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer, like his cousin the Pointer, is an exceptional scenting and trailing dog. Unlike the Pointer, who sprints with his head high, he pursues odors with his big brown nose down to the ground.
A German Shorthair named Google works in Costa Rica scenting out jaguar poop to help researchers study the species. Google known affectionately as “the ultimate search engine”, probably because he is good at finding crap is part of a project to preserve the jaguar population
3. Coonhounds
The term Coonhound refers to a variety of breeds. Among Coonhound breeds, the most popular are the Black and Tan, Bloodhound Bluetick, Redbone, Plott Hound, Treeing Walker, English Coonhound, and American Leopard Hound. They all have highly effective sniffers but different styles of scenting. Some have “hot” noses, meaning they work best on a fresh trail, while others are said to be “cold-nosed,” able to follow an old, or “cold,” trail with little trouble.Coonhounds are also hunting dogs.
4. English Springer Spaniel
Type of field Springer in the United Kingdom A Spaniel’s nose, which is either liver-colored or black with wide nostrils, is highly coveted by hunters. To flush or spring game on the field, the Springer was developed. This dog breed relies heavily on their nose. In addition to being raised to hunt, today’s dogs are taught to identify narcotic, explosive and fake currency scents.
5. Belgian Malinois
Belgian Malinois are commonly used in police and military duties, as well as search and rescue work, and are noted for their excellent sense of scent. He has a keen sense of smell, and can detect explosives, prostate cancer, and cheetah scat. In order to reduce human-cheetah conflict, the Cheetah Conservation Fund has created a scat dog program.
6. Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retriever is a versatile dog and the most popular breed in the United States. Besides being a great companion dog, he is known for his nose. The Lab is found working in many scent-related jobs, from arson, drug and bomb detection to search and rescue. Let’s not forget hunting.
7. German Shepherd Dog
This well-known herding breed, the German Shepherd Dog, is said to have 225 million scent receptors in his snoot. German Shepherd Dogs are also noted for their ability to smell the air. If the wind blows enough, he sniffs around for human scent. As a result of the versatility of the German Shepherd dog, many of them are used by the police, military, and search-and-rescue teams alike. Their ability to learn how to scent practically anything makes them a valuable resource.
8. Beagle
The Beagle might be one of the smallest of the hound breeds and definitely the cutest, but he has just as many scent receptors as any of them. This merry little hound follows both air and ground scents. His scenting ability makes him popular not only with hunters but also with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which employs its Beagle Brigade to detect agricultural contraband in US airports. The cutest dog on this list but don’t be fooled by the sweet face. they were originally bred to hunt rabbits but today they are mostly used as happy family companions.
9. Basset Hound
He’s low to the ground, hence his name, from the French word “bas”, meaning “low”. His long, heavy ears sweep the ground, bringing scent upward to his powerful nose. The loose skin beneath his chin, known as a dewlap, helps to trap the scent, keeping it easily accessible as he works. According to the American Kennel Club, the Basset Hound is second only to Bloodhound dog in his scenting ability.
10. Bloodhound
They have 300 million scent receptors in the Bloodhound, more than any other breed. Man-trailing prowess has made him famous, and his testimony is admissible in a court of law. This means he doesn’t just follow a scent on the ground. To track effectively, he has a huge head and ears that sweep scent upward from the ground. He also has a dewlap to capture and retain odors. Because of the Bloodhound’s keen sense of smell, he’s a fantastic tracking dog and the best smelling dog in the world. No, actually he tends to smell like corn chips, but you get the point.
