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A new study has found that dogs might actually be able to use their highly sensitive noses to 'see' as well as smell.

Researchers from Cornell University in the United States say they have provided the first evidence that dogs' sense of smell is integrated with their vision - something which has never been found in other animals.

The team performed MRI scans, which can provide detailed images of organs, on 23 healthy dogs.

They found connections between the olfactory bulb (the part of the brain which deals with smell) and the occipital lobe (which is the visual processing part of the brain).

Pip Johnson, from the University's College of Veterinary Medicine is the senior author of the paper which was published in the journal of neuroscience.

She said: "When we walk into a room, we primarily use our vision to work out where the door is, who's in the room, where the table is."

The study shows that in dogs, however, smell is integrated into how they learn about their environment and work out where they are.

Pip said the study explains the behaviour of blind dogs which she has come across.

She said: "They can still play fetch and navigate their surroundings much better than humans with the same condition."

It's hoped the research will give more insight into how dogs' brains work.