Pies: A dog's sense of smell is so powerful

Evidence: 90 • authority: 72

A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, semen, currency, blood, and contraband electronics, such as illicit mobile phones. The sense most used by detection dogs is smell. Hunting dogs that search for game, and search and rescue dogs that work to find missing humans are generally not considered detection dogs but fit instead under their own categories. There is some overlap, as in the case of cadaver dogs, trained to search for human remains. A police dog is essentially a detection dog that is used as a resource, for police in specific scenarios such as conducting drug raids, finding miss…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 90

Bio-inspired approaches for explosives detection. Due to unique abilities of the animals regarding analysis of complex gas substances, they still remain a gold standard in analysis of explosives. Unusual capabilities of biological chemosensory systems, including both vertebrates and invertebrates, stimulate elaboration of the devices mimicking their activity and operation parameters as precisely as possible. The electronic analogues are a subject of investigation in many research centres, which brings their successful commercialization closer. They are believed to substitute or to complement animals in the analysis of gas substances, including explosive and hazardous ones. The limitations o…

Evidence: 80 • authority: 72

The dog sense of smell is the most powerful sense of this species, the olfactory system of canines being much more complex and developed than that of humans. It is believed to be up to 10 million times as sensitive as a human's in specialized breeds. Dogs have roughly forty times more smell-sensitive receptors than humans, ranging from about 125 million to nearly 300 million in some dog breeds, such as bloodhounds. These receptors are spread over an area about the size of a pocket handkerchief (compared to 5 million over an area the size of a postage stamp for humans). Dogs' sense of smell also includes the use of the vomeronasal organ, which is used primarily for social interactions. The d…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 92

Genetic and Anatomical Determinants of Olfaction in Dogs and Wild Canids.. Understanding the anatomical and genetic basis of complex phenotypic traits has long been a challenge for biological research. Domestic dogs offer a compelling model as they demonstrate more phenotypic variation than any other vertebrate species. Dogs have been intensely selected for specific traits and abilities, directly or indirectly, over the past 15,000 years since their initial domestication from the gray wolf. Because olfaction plays a central role in critical tasks, such as the detection of drugs, diseases, and explosives, as well as human rescue, we compared relative olfactory capacity across dog breeds and…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 92

Dog sniffing biomechanic responses in an odor detection test of odorants with differing physical properties.. Dogs are utilized in forensic science for their extensive scent-detection capabilities. They are often considered the "gold standard" in-field detection for targets such as illicit drugs and explosives. Despite their prevalence in the field, relatively little is known about how dogs interact with and transport volatile organic compounds through their olfactory system. In this study, 2 groups of dogs were utilized-Sport detection dogs (n = 19) that participate in the National Association of Canine Scent Work and have achieved advanced standing through training and successful search c…

Evidence: 49 • authority: 90

Odour generalisation and detection dog training. Detection dogs are required to search for and alert to specific odours of interest, such as drugs, cadavers, disease markers and explosives. However, the odour released from different samples of the same target substance will vary for a number of reasons, including the production method, evaporation, degradation, or by being mixed with extraneous odours. Generalisation, the tendency to respond in the same manner to stimuli which are different - but similar to - a conditioned stimulus, is therefore a crucial requirement for working detection dogs. Odour is a complex modality which poses unique challenges in terms of reliably predicting general…

Evidence: 49 • authority: 72

The Beagle is a British breed of scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. It was bred primarily for hunting rabbit or hare, known as beagling. Its sense of smell and tracking instincts make it suitable for use as a detection dog for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine. It is commonly kept as a companion dog. The modern breed was developed in Great Britain around the 1830s from several breeds, including the Talbot Hound, the North Country Beagle, the Southern Hound, and possibly the Harrier.

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of wolves. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. Dogs and the modern gray wolf share a common ancestor. Dogs were the first species to be domesticated over 14,000 years ago, before the development of agriculture, though genetic studies suggest the domestication process may have begun over 25,000 years ago. Due to their long association with humans, dogs have gained the ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canids. Dogs have been bred for desired behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Dog bre…

Evidence: — • authority: 80

Brand Sense: How to Build Powerful Brands Through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight and Sound

Evidence: — • authority: 80

Brand Sense: How to Build Powerful Brands Through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight and Sound

Evidence: — • authority: 80

Smell proves powerful sense for birds. New studies highlight underappreciated role of avian olfaction

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The dog sense of smell is the most powerful sense of this species, the olfactory system of canines being much more complex and developed than that of humans