The Canine Olfactory System

The canine olfactory system is a highly advanced sensory network that allows dogs to detect and distinguish thousands of different scents. Their noses contain up to 300 million receptor cells, far more than humans, enabling them to pick up chemical signals in the environment. When a dog sniffs, air is directed through special nasal passages that trap scent molecules, which are then processed in the brain’s olfactory bulb. This system allows dogs to track scents over great distances, identify specific individuals or objects, and detect subtle chemical changes, making them exceptional at tasks like search and rescue, detection work, and tracking.