Dogs have a sense of smell between 10,000 and 100,000 times greater  than humans. When we smell stew cooking, dogs smell each of the  ingredients within that stew.

Scenting sports allow the dogs to exercise and celebrate that sense.  Not surprisingly, in these sports the dog is the team leader. The  handler learns to watch, read, and understand what the dog is “seeing”  in the presence of whichever odor he is searching.