Factors affecting K9 Olfaction

K9 Olfaction

An in depth look at the factors affecting K9 olfactions.
Contributed by NNDDA Judge Chris Vaughn

Odorant transport to the sensory part of the nose is the first critical step in olfaction. The process of odorant transport through the nasal cavity to the olfactory epithelium during sniffing is very fluid and dynamic. The basic concept involves collection of odorant via active sniffing followed by transport of that inspired odorant within the nasal cavity back to the olfactory recess. To date, the exact process of how odorant molecules reach the olfactory recess during sniffing without being filtered by respiratory
airways is not completely understood.