Your dog has a secret superpower: their sense of smell. A dog’s sense of smell is so strong, they can be trained to detect types of cancer, explosives, illegal drugs, etc. We as humans use our sight, dogs use their sense of smell – they “read” with their nose. 

For dogs trained to smell cancer, this superpower can save your life or the life of a family member. Dogs have an extremely strong sense of smell that can detect the odor signatures of cancer. There have been reports of dogs detecting cancers by constantly sniffing or nudging a specific area of their owner’s body. Pay attention to what your dog is doing to you! It could mean your life.

To find out more about the sense of smell of dogs, we interviewed a local couple living in Lake Mary. This couple has two dogs: a malti-poo and a boxer. When asked how strong the boxer’s sense of smell is, the wife stated, “My boxer doesn’t even like to be near me when I wear perfume because I’m guessing she can smell all the chemicals, whereas we can only smell the scents.” Clearly, this couple’s boxer is equipped with a strong smell. The husband then commented on their multi-poo, saying, “Our multi-poo can even smell when my wife is cooking. As soon as she starts cooking, both of our dogs come to the entrance of the kitchen and wait because they can profoundly smell the food.” This couple’s interview shows that dogs can really smell!

A dog’s sense of smell is thousands of times more refined than ours. For example, according to the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, a dog “can detect certain compounds at parts per trillion.” That’s equivalent to tasting about a quarter teaspoon of sugar that’s dissolved in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. However, what accounts for the dog’s superior sense of smell?

There are 4 main things that help dogs to have a superior sense of smell: A dog can have up to 50 times as many scent receptors cells as we do, a dog’s olfactory region can measure 130 square centimeters or more, whereas a human’s measures only 5 square centimeters, a dog’s nose has 2 airways-one for breathing and one for smelling-when a dog sniffs, the air they smell is directed to their nasal cavity that contains scent receptors, and lastly, a dog’s nose is wet and is therefore better able to capture scent particles. 

Clearly, dogs can really smell, so pay attention to your dog!