the ONLY critters we found in our research ( WE being my certifying organization) that have better olfactory capabilities than dogs are.....wait for it...bears.
I've always wondered whether there was a scenting ability "league table" so to speak?
I recall the Russians did some tests with Jackal's and they had better scenting ability than dogs..
The other surprise were Rats.. apparently they can detect lower concentrations of odour than dogs and there was an organisation that was training Pac Rats for mine clearing in Africa somewhere...
My other guess would be pigs?
Pete: The Russians I am afraid were wrong about the jackals ability...it is less than that of a full sized ( 50 lb dog) HOWEVER, the jackal is a good size to deploy, and has a manic focus...so the Russians interbred them with some kind of smallish dog for a hybrid thats easy to deploy in tight places and focused. Olfactory ability being less than a dog still puts it quantum leaps off the charts compared to a human.
Rats are noted for their olfactory ability, they, like dogs, are what we call Macrosmatic....lots of ethmoturbinates and Olfactory Sensory Neurons...still not better than a dog, again size is the factor, you can only cram so many Olfactory cells in a small package. Their ability however is phenomenal and they've been used extensively to clear mine fields in Mozambique, because they can smell more than good enough, and unlike a dog, don't weigh enough to set the mines off.
Like you I have often wondered about pigs, but have never seen the results of any studies on their ability.
FWIW the " Lowest Threshold of Detection" found in dogs came out of a 2005 study at FSU. Amyl Acetate was used as the scent involved and dogs not ordinarily recognized for their noses were used.
A Giant Schnauzer was able to detect down to 1.09 ppt ( Yes...parts per
trillion
)
A Rottweiler was able to detect down to 1.14 ppt
That is barely more than 1 ppt, and impossible to wrap your brain around.
