If someone put a teaspoon of sugar in your morning coffee, you might be able to smell it. Maybe. A dog, researchers say, could detect the same amount of sugar in a million gallons of water, or about two Olympic-sized pools.

The canine sense of smell is a remarkable product of nature. Depending on the breed, it’s up to 100,000 times more sensitive than our own.

Now, scientists are putting those noses to the test with Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder that can be challenging to diagnose early.

Typically, human skin produces a waxy skin oil that helps maintain our skin and hair health.

These skin secretions, however, are altered in Parkinson’s patients. That results in a unique musky odor even years before the onset of noticeable symptoms.

British researchers in a recent study said dogs can be trained to detect the smell, opening the possibility that they might one day aid neurologists.

Of 10 dogs screened, two showed an affinity for the task — a male golden retriever named Bumper and a male labrador-golden retriever mix named Peanut. Each received 53 weeks of training.

They were exposed to skin swabs from people diagnosed with Parkinson’s and those who were disease-free. Peanut and Bumper were rewarded when they correctly identified the signature musky smell.

A final test involved 100 new samples. Bumper identified 28 out of 40 Parkinson’s samples, or 70%. He also correctly dismissed 54 of 60 negative samples, or 90%

Peanut, however, was the star. He identified 32 of 40 Parkinson’s samples, or 80%, and correctly dismissed 59 of 60 negative samples, or 98%.

Sometimes the far-fetched ideas could just end up being the right ones.