Can You Smell That?
A Dog’s Nose Can Smell and Find Dead People!
A dog can smell! Dog’s noses are a true superpower with scent receptors that are 40 times larger than ours. The dog’s nose contains 200 to 300 million scent receptors compared to about 6 million in our noses. This enables them to sniff out the chemical a decomposing body emits. They can sniff out 1-2 drops of blood, even if they are enclosed in the trunk of a car! These dogs are the superheroes who help solve murders. Sometimes they help find people buried in the debris caused by natural disasters or locate fallen soldiers. These dogs are commonly called “Cadaver Dogs.” Their noses can also help to find missing children and adults while they’re still alive!
What Their Noses Can Smell
These amazing dogs can detect the remains of a person buried 15 feet underground. They can find remains 38 feet underwater, both with 95% accuracy! A dog’s sense of smell is so astute that they can even differentiate between animal and human remains. So, as they search for a body in a forest, they can ignore the decomposing squirrels or birds. Cadaver dogs, on average, can cover about 10,763,910 square feet in one day’s search. Their goal is to please their masters and perform on duty. They do not rest until a cadaver, a drop of blood, or a piece of a fingernail is detected. It takes about 1,000 hours of training before a cadaver dog can perform on the field. They train for 18 months to 2 years to receive the “Cadaver dog” title These canine heroes have become one of our greatest security assets.
There are 14 breeds of dogs best suited for work as cadaver dogs. They aren’t heroes only on TV murder mysteries but real-life heroes who live in real homes with real people. The difference is that they are highly driven and have an intense ability to focus, and they have the ability to work for extended periods of time. Cadaver dogs can live with a family but their noses are always at work. Imagine how awesome it would be to live with one! If you’re interested, the following breeds are best suited to the training and job of a Cadaver dog.Cadaver Dog Breeds
Best Breeds for Cadaver Dogs
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- Beagle
- Belgian Malinois
- Border Collie
- Bloodhound
- Coonhound
- English Springer Spaniel
- German Shepherds
- German Short Hair Pointer
- Golden Retriever
- Labrador retriever
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Rough Collie
- Smooth Collie
