A dog's sense of smell is so much more powerful than ours that it's hard for me to imagine the intensity of smells that a walk along the river reveals to my German shepherd, Maj0r. Sometimes I give an impatient tug on the lead when he lingers too long over individual blades of bright green grasses glistening with droplets of rain: sniffing, interpreting. Has a fox lifted its leg, or a dog, a kangaroo or feral cat? Major knows, and in addition will be able to determine its sex, state of health, energy level and whether or not it's stressed.
Last year I trained Del (also a German shepherd) to find a small hidden article by scent alone. She is extraordinarily fast and accurate and I marvel at her ability. I'm sure Major will be just as good. It brings to mind the countless stories of humans rescued by dogs, using their amazing sense of smell. Next time Major wants to sniff for an extended period of time I'll try to be more patient. Who knows, someone's life may -- in the future -- depend on his sense of smell.
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