Dogs have highly developed noses that can smell 100,000 times more than humans. Their scenting ability far exceeds the best man-made detection and analytical instruments – meaning a dog can find targets that are impossible for us to find.
Examples include targets that are:
- Miniscule
- Cryptic
- Rare
- Well-hidden
- Underground
- Underwater
- Not visible to the naked eye
Dogs are being used in security, military, biosecurity, conservation and medical industries across the world. Not only can they find trace amounts of drugs and explosives, dogs have been known to locate plant roots underground, diseases in plants and humans, species thought to be extinct and even whether a species is in the perfect stage of oestrus for mating. Dogs can be deployed to search almost anywhere, from airports to farmland, hospitals to forested mountains. The possibilities of dogs in detection are endless!
The use of trained dogs in scent detection is considered very reliable, versatile and cost-effective.
This is because detection dogs can:
- Search non-invasively
- Find multiple targets simultaneously
- Traverse landscapes more efficiently than humans
- Learn new target scents quickly
A dog undergoes rigorous testing to determine its suitability for a role in detection and is then trained in scent work, obedience, and exposure to project-specific environments. A trained detection dog is an invaluable asset that continues to serve for years.
