Which statement about canines is true regarding their senses?

• A. They have an excellent sense of smell
• B. They have poor eyesight
• C. They have no sense of smell
• D. They rely on color vision

Answer: (A)

Canines rely primarily on their sense of smell, and it is exceptionally well developed. They have far more olfactory receptor cells—around 200 million in many breeds—than humans (roughly 5–6 million), and their brains devote substantial processing power to odors. The nasal structure, with complex turbinate bones, increases the surface area available for scent detection, making smells much more salient to them. This combination lets dogs detect, identify, and differentiate a vast array of odors, track scents over long distances, and notice faint traces that humans would miss. They do have good vision, especially in low light, but they do not rely on color vision the way humans do; their color perception is limited to blues and yellows. So the statement that best describes their senses is that they have an excellent sense of smell.