Search dogs are a less common, but still effective method of finding lost pets. Search dogs use scent trails to track where a pet might have travelled or hidden. While search dogs are most known for finding missing people, the concepts behind scent tracking works just as well for other animals.
How Search Dogs Find Lost Pets
Search and rescue dogs, also known as tracking dogs, can use scent trails to find people and pets alike. These types of dogs fall into two categories: air-scenting and trailing dogs. The former detects scents in the air (as the name implies), while the latter detects scents on the ground. Air-scenting search dogs are less able to differentiate between specific scents, while trailing dogs are able to track specific scent trails. This means that trailing dogs are the ideal search dog for finding lost pets.
Dogs have incredibly powerful noses with over 100 million sensory receptors, making them ideal for finding lost pets. Trailing search dogs will need two things to start searching: an item with your pet’s scent and your pet’s last known location. Blankets, beds, and beloved toys are three examples of scent-soaked items. Search dogs can typically track animals over the course of several miles, although of course bodies of water and weather conditions impact this.
Conditions that Impact Searching for Lost Pets
The most common dog breeds used for searching are specifically chosen for their ability to pick up and follow scents, such as bloodhounds. But dogs that track using scent are dependent on, well, scent. This means that odors and scent trails must still be present in order for the dogs to be successful. The biggest consideration for a scent trail is the weather and its many conditions:
- Temperature – Warm air rises and cold air sinks. This means that colder weather is actually ideal for scent tracking, since the scents will still be close to the ground. As such, the average temperature of your city and the current season can make it easier or harder to track a pet.
- Rain – Despite popular belief, rain is actually good for scent trails. Rain and dampness actually help trap and preserve scent trails, while dry air allows scent to be dispersed more easily.
- Elevation – Related to the point above, changes in elevation can impact scent trails. Cold air will naturally settle in low areas such as valleys (this is called scent pooling) and the warm air will populate high areas such as hills. This can skew a dog’s tracking ability, especially if you are in a highly-elevated area.
- Wind – The wind can impact both the direction and the dispersal of scent trails. Interestingly, light wind is worse for scent trails that hard winds. Light winds tend to scatter scents inconsistently, while hard winds narrowly blow scent in one direction.
Another crucial element to consider is time. Scent trails are most potent when they are fresh, which means that using a search dog for your lost pet is a time-sensitive matter. If your pet has been lost for more than one week, a search dog may not be effective.
What to Consider Before You Hire a Search Dog
Companies or individuals that offer search services for lost pets may call themselves by a variety of names, such as scent dogs, search and rescue team, pet detectives, and more. It’s even possible that the dogs involved might be advertised as retired police dogs, as training for police dogs often involves scentwork.
But before you hire a dog and handler to help you track down a lost pet, consider these tips:
- Confirm the Conditions are Right – Before putting down a deposit or officially hiring anyone, make sure your case involves the right conditions for scentwork. This means that you need to confirm there if a viable scent trail would still be present for a search dog to pick up.
- Confirm the Service Area – Many of these teams, companies, etc. only provide services within a specific geographic area. Although they might turn up in an online search, this does not necessarily mean they are available in your state or city.
- Confirm Price and Availability – If you want to move forward with hiring a search dog, you’ll need to confirm some details first. Primarily, that you can afford the service and that the dog is available when you need it.
Working through this list will help you have a more successful search for your lost pet.
Alternatives to Using Search Dogs
If using a search dog or tracking animal that focuses on scentwork is not an option for you, there are several other possibilities that you can explore to find a lost pet. For example, you can post on your personal social media, post flyers around your home, and even set out traps. These are some of the most commonly-recommended tips for finding lost pets.
If you still want professional assistance, you can reach out to other pet detectives and search companies. These groups may use search methods such as canvassing neighborhoods, scoping out social media, and even using technology such as drones and thermal detectors to search for your pets. However, each type of professional has their own benefits and drawbacks, which you should research beforehand.
