If dogs have a superpower, it's their nose. Things that have no odor to us will have a unique scent your dog can detect. Plus, the pattern on a dog's nose is as unique as a human's fingerprint and can be used for identification!
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The news this week started out with a bang – or a crash – as earthquakes devastated parts of Japan and Ecuador. In their aftermath, other countries have sent aid to help with search and rescue as the hunt for survivors is critical in the first few days after such an event. Some of that aid included two-party teams made up of a human and a dog. It’s amazing that with all our advanced technology, nothing can match the ability of a dog’s nose to detect the scent of someone buried alive or trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building.
A dog’s nose is a marvelous thing. The average dog nose has about 200 million scent receptors. By comparison, our human noses only have about five million. The dog also has a much larger portion of its brain dedicated to analyzing scents and smells. And some breeds are even better at sniffing than others. Top of the list is the Bloodhound, with a staggering 300 million scent receptors, more than any other breed. A Bloodhound’s nose is so accurate, evidence tracked by its nose has been accepted in courtrooms.
Other sniffing canine superstars are Beagles, Basset Hounds and German Shepherds, often found helping law enforcement. The Golden Retriever is a popular search and rescue dog because of its scent-detection ability combined with its disposition. You will often see a Golden serving as a comfort animal after rescuing survivors of a disaster.
Dogs can be trained to use their noses for very specific purposes, such as drug or explosive detection, hunting for survivors, or hunting for cadavers. They can even detect chemical changes in the human body that warn of impending problems such as seizures. No wonder your dog knows when you aren’t feeling well. You may put on a happy face for the people around you, but you can’t fool your four-legged companion.
A dog may use its amazing nose to rescue, to keep you safe, or just to keep you company – sure sounds like a best friend (doesn’t it?) when we’re speaking of pets.
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