Did you know that puppies are born with their eyes and ears closed? This means they rely solely on their sense of smell to find their mother and breast milk. A dog's sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than a human's. Furthermore, the area of their brain that analyzes olfactory information is 40 times larger than in humans.
12. English Springer Spaniel
Originally a bird hunting dog, it is still commonly used in the wild for searching and retrieving stray poultry. Its long coat is best trimmed to make it easier to manage. The English Springer Spaniel is a very playful little dog and makes a great family pet, although it can be quite time-consuming. This puppy is naturally playful and needs daily exercise to keep it happy, including long walks or jogs and hands-on play.
11. Short-haired Pointer
Originally bred for hunters to hunt and search for birds, it remains a valuable partner in this task today. Thanks to its athleticism and excellent nose, it has found other jobs along the way, including in search and rescue teams and smuggling detection units. The short-haired hound is an energetic breed that requires plenty of exercise, making it ideal for active families who enjoy daily jogging, hiking, or travel. Improper exercise can lead to problems and even illness.
10. Dachshund
For its size, this miniature dachshund is perhaps the most tenacious of all dogs. These tenacious dogs were bred to hunt badgers both above and below ground; they would locate the badgers' underground dwellings. The dachshund is a direct translation of the German word for badger dog. As the breed began to emerge in two sizes, the larger dachshund became a wild boar and badger hunter, while the smaller dachshund hunted rabbits and foxes.
Dachshunds are a popular breed, eager and alert, always ready to hunt. Their noses contain approximately 125 million odor receptors, making these small dogs excellent at tracking, field trials, obedience, and even agility. Their cheerful nature makes them delightful family pets.
9. Golden Retriever
The breed originated in Scotland by crossing Lord Tweedmouth's "Yellow Hound" with the Tweed Water Spaniel, then adding Irish Setters and hounds, and finally crossbreeding their offspring back into the now-extinct Tweed Water Spaniel. The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds.
Golden Retrievers are frequently used as therapy dogs, guide dogs for the blind, and search and rescue dogs. As air-scenting dogs, they can perform search and rescue operations at night. Active and known for their cheerful temperament and eagerness to please, Golden Retrievers are excellent obedient, agile, hunting dogs, and ideal family pets.
8. Black and brown Coonhound
Black and brown cobras are born to work at night, stalking their prey and using howling to help the hunter locate themselves in the dark. They are cold-nosed hounds, able to detect cold, zigzagging tracks. Unlike tracking dogs, they precisely follow the prey's footsteps, sweeping across wide paths in a zigzag pattern. Once the prey is caught, it alerts its owner with a deep bark from its throat.
The black and brown Coonhound breed is highly valued and relatively easy to train. These large sporting dogs make excellent family dogs and will enjoy lounging on the couch with their owners, but they do require regular exercise.
7. Brooke Coonhound
The Brooke Coonhound was developed from the English Coonhound for tracking tree raccoons. It is also a cold-nosed tracker, excelling on old, cold trails, making it an excellent tracker for coonhounds. Brooke Coonhounds often bark when tailing, and the bark becomes more rhythmic as they get closer to their prey.
Brooke Coonhounds are excellent family dogs and enthusiastic hunters, but lack a strong desire to please others. This makes them more difficult to train than many breeds on this list. Persistence, patience, and kindness are the best training aids for this breed. They are dogs that crave love and will show deep loyalty to those who provide it.
6. Belgian Malinois
The Belgian Malinois, resembling the German Shepherd in appearance, is a light-bodied, agile dog. They excel at herding, agility, tracking, sledding, and obedience. Used by military and police forces worldwide, they are trained to sniff out bombs and drugs, as well as bedbugs and prostate cancer.
This is a very active and intelligent breed that needs work, otherwise problems will arise. It requires rigorous daily physical and mental training, which may include jogging, long-distance running, or conditioning. While not an overly aggressive breed, they are protective of their family.
5. Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States and also an excellent sniffer dog. With an incredible nose, trained Labradors can detect cancer in people's breath and, in fact, bladder cancer that is medically undetectable in a patient's urine. These playful dogs' gentle and loving nature makes them ideal family pets or hunting and fishing companions.
Hunters have long valued this breed from Newfoundland because of their ability to track or point prey to their preferences. Labradors are intelligent, easy to train, and have a strong desire to please, making them useful as guide dogs for the blind. They are also important members of search and rescue teams and police dogs responsible for drug and bomb detection.
4. German Shepherd
These noble sheepdogs are favorites of police departments worldwide. With approximately 225 million scent receptors, they rival the Beagle in the number of scent-collecting receptors, using airborne scents to track prey rather than searching the ground. German Shepherds are used in search and rescue operations to detect live victims, and are used by the military and airport security to detect explosives, as well as by narcotics agencies to detect drugs, while also adding a deterrent effect on potential suspects.
German Shepherds are an intelligent and versatile breed, excelling in personal protection, guarding, herding, agility, and obedience. Confident yet somewhat aloof, they are not naturally aggressive. However, German Shepherds will hold their ground, defend themselves, or wield disciplinary power. They are also considered an "excellent family breed," extremely loyal to their primary caregivers. Once a bond is established, they are fiercely devoted to their family.
3. Beagle
These cheerful little beagle dogs were originally bred for rabbit hunting, and they resemble miniature foxhounds. They were also frequently used to search for explosives, contraband, and cancer. Their sweet temperament truly makes them a special breed for families with children and other animals.
Beagles happily obey all commands given to them by their owners and will never show opposition or resentment. Beagles do not drool much, and their short coats usually have no odor. These lively puppies are energetic and need daily exercise, otherwise they may experience discomfort.
2. Basset Hound
The Basset Hound is second only to the Bloodhound in tracking ability. Like the Bloodhound, it has a long, low shoulder height, allowing it to smell the ground, while the folds under its chin, called dewlaps, collect scents from the area near its nose. Relative to its size, the Basset Hound has the heaviest bone structure of all breeds and maintains excellent stamina on a variety of rugged terrains.
Originally from France, its name means "low," referring to its short stature. Don't be misled by the name; it's a large dog with small legs, weighing up to 30 kilograms. This unique physique makes it prone to back injuries, so its weight must be controlled. These gentle dogs are raised in packs and are easy-going companions. The breed is known for its friendly behavior and strong devotion to its family.
1. Bloodhound
Bloodhounds are exceptional hunting and search-rescue tracking dogs. When tracking prey, their large, fluffy ears fan the scent of earth onto their noses, and their large, open nostrils absorb as many particles as possible. Bloodhounds possess the most odor receptors of any breed, approximately 300 million. They can be used as ground and air scent trackers.
The Bloodhound is an ancient breed. Their name comes from the term "bloodhound," referring to the early efforts of breeders to maintain the lineage's cleanliness; pedigree signifies a noble nature. It is a tireless and persistent hunting dog. They can be shy and sensitive to praise and scolding. It also requires frequent sniffing and demonstration of its skills, ideally through long sniff walks, sniffing games, or olfactory work.
