04/01/2026
It occurred to me that that for once, our human eyes are able to see a tiny fraction of what our dogs smell. The snow leaves tracks and traces of the past - scent of whom or what was there and in which direction they were heading! 🐾👣
Fyi, I literally have a list of species vs quantity of scent receptors that I add to, and some are seriously impressive. Never, ever try and hide from a bear...they have BILLIONS!🤣
We as humans have an average of 5 million scent receptors. Dachshunds have 125 million, Fox Terriers have 147 million, German Shepherds and Beagles have around 225 million and Bloodhounds have approximately 300 million (the most of all canine species.) I would LOVE to work with one of those beasts! 🥰
Anyway, my point being that it puts into perspective just how important the olfactory system is when it comes to (wo)man's best friend and why I focus so much on challenging the human end of the leash to become more dog. Many of my Nero folk have started training detection/trailing as part of their behaviour modification programme. Not only does it encourage focus, build confidence and channel prey drive in a healthy manner, it's also super fun!👃