Your dog's sense of smell is active the day he is born. It is believed that a dogs sense of smell is about one million times more sensitive than our own. Also, a dog has 40 times the number of brain cells working on scent recognition as we do. The sensory area inside a dogs nose is folded over many times creating a surface area of over 21 square inches on the average dog. There's even a reason why your dogs nose is wet. Odors dissolve on on that wetness and are brought in to contact with sensory cells.

Here are some simple games you can play with your dog and his nose.

Hide a small treat or toy in one of your hands and make a fist with the other. See if Fido can guess which hand has the object when you ask, "Which one?" If he selects the wrong one, show him the hand with the object in it but don't give it to him and try again!

Show your dog a favorite toy or treat and then hide it in a dark room. Tell him to "Seek". When he finds the object, give lots of praise and repeat.

Here is a variation on the game of fetch. Throw his favorite toy in tall grass, hold him until it lands and count to three before releasing him for the find.