While you may not think that diet affects a dog's nose, studies show it quite certainly does. The studies found that a tracking dog's physical conditioning was the most determinative factor in tracking performance. Regardless of diet, dogs in good physical condition (exercised on a treadmill daily) performed consistently better after sustained activity than dogs that were not conditioned.
Second to body condition, however, the fat content of diets proved to be the next most influential factor in olfactory performance. Dogs eating higher fat content, specifically higher in unsaturated fats, exhibited improved olfactory acuity. Though not confirmed, the theory is that the proportion of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in a dog's diet modifies the fatty acid composition of cells of the nasal epithelium and affects a dog's ability to detect low concentrations of odorants.
There are various dietary sources high in unsaturated fatty acids. Omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids are found in sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseed, and hempseeds (found in many of our formulas). Chia seeds actually contain 3 times as many Omega 3 fatty acids as salmon oil.
It is also advisable to add additional oil to your dog's diet. Try to rotate between a fish oil (preferable small fish or krill to reduce contaminants), olive oil (monounsaturated), flaxseed oil, and hemp oil to up your dog's tracking game.