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Dog ownership soared by nearly eight per cent in 2020 according to the Kennel Club, as lockdown meant people felt more able to open their home up to a new puppy.
But with 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your perfect pooch – whether you want a large dog, family-friendly dog, or crossbreed.
Some dogs have the most amazing sense of smell, an attribute that has often been intentionally bred into them to make them perfect for tasks such as tracking prey.
These are also dogs that are likely to be able to sniff out food, making it a challenge to keep them from stealing your lunch.
These are the 10 breeds of dog with the best sense of smell, according to the American Kennel Club.
With a record-breaking 300 million scent receptors, the Bloodhound is the gold medal-winner for sniffing out anything you may want to find. They’ve been used to find many things over the years – not least fleeing criminals – and can follow a scent trail on the ground or in the air.
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Originally from France, the Basset Hound uses its long ears to sweep scent from the ground up to its super-sensitive nose. It also ingeniously uses the loose skin on its chin to trap a particular scent for reference.
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The Beagle’s amazing sense of smell was used by hunters to sniff out foxes from miles away. They are now often used by customs officials in airports to find concealed contraband.
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Originally used for herding, nowadays the army, police and search and rescue services all make good use of the German Shepherd’s 225 million scent receptors. Unlike some of the other dogs on this list, they mainly use scent held in the air, rather than the ground, to track.
Photo: Canva/Getty Images
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