This book on the training of scenting dogs explains the composition of scent, how it works in the dog's nose, and what affects scent. It contains chapters on the sense of smell, anatomy and physiology, the human as scent source, the transmission of scent and factors that influence the working with scenting dogs.

A dog's favorite words are paired with photos of the objects and scratch-and-sniff smells.

A “haunting meditation on trust, hope and love” by a woman who adopts and trains a Golden Retriever puppy to become a search-and-rescue dog (People). In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, Susannah Charleson’s attention was caught by a newspaper photograph of a canine handler, his exhausted face buried in the fur of his search-and-rescue dog. Susannah, a dog lover and pilot with search experience herself, was so moved by the image that she decided to volunteer with a local canine team, plunging herself into an astonishing new world. While the team worked long hours for nonexistent pay and often heart-wrenching results, Charleson discovered the joy of working in partnership with a canine friend and the satisfaction of using their combined skills to help her fellow human beings. Once she qualified to train a dog of her own, Charleson adopted Puzzle—a smart, spirited Golden Retriever puppy who exhibited unique aptitudes as a working dog, but was a bit less interested in the role of compliant house pet. Scent of the Missing is the story of Charleson’s adventures with Puzzle as they search for a lost teen; an Alzheimer’s patient wandering in the cold; and signs of the crew amid the debris of the space shuttle Columbia disaster—all while unraveling the mystery of the bond between humans and dogs. “A riveting view of both the human animal bond and the training of search and rescue dogs. All dog lovers and people interested in training service dogs should read this book.” —Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human

This step-by-step guide will help you teach any dog the basics of groundtracking, air scenting, or how to simply have fun finding objects.

Dogs detect scent from a source that is carried to them in a plume by the wind. The most important tool for a detector dog handler to have on searches is a knowledge of scent plume movement or "scent dynamics" (the science of scent movement). Such knowledge resides primarily in scientific journals that are largely inaccessible to detector dog handlers and written in language that is difficult to understand. Detector Dogs and the Science of Scent Movement: A Handler’s Guide to Environments and Procedures retrieves, reviews, and interprets the results of pertinent scientific research on scent dynamics and presents these results in terms that are easier for handlers to understand. Information on the physiology of the dog’s nose, their sense of smell, and the properties of scent provide the essential information on the process of scenting. The composition of training aids for explosives, narcotics, human remains and other sources is discussed. Recommendations are made on the use of training aids, their placement during training, and the resulting availability of scent. Potential problems and handler errors in the use of training aids are also examined. The characteristics of scent plumes and how wind influences their movement are a key focus of the book. The primary task for the handler is to get the dog into the scent plume so that the dog can detect the scent and follow it to the source the handler seeks. As such, a knowledge of scent and scent plume movement will vastly improve the ability of the handler to accomplish this task. The influence of weather and physical settings such as terrain, vegetation, ground cover, soil and water on scent movement are examined in detail. Strategies for searching, detecting, and locating sources in all physical settings are presented. Specific effects associated with hills and mountains, fields and forests, bare soils and soils covered by vegetation, different soil types, and lakes and rivers are examined in detail. This includes specific recommendations are made about weather and physical settings that result in higher probability of success on searches. Detector Dogs and the Science of Scent Movement will be a vital resource for K9 handles in the private and public sectors—including in Homeland Security, law enforcement, and military settings—as well as a useful guide for lawyers, forensic, and investigative professionals who need to better understand K9 operations.

What is it? What is the reason that allows us to train dogs to find whatever it is we seem to be seeking? Dogs are an amazing animal with a nose to prove it. There are also the advantages of being able to use this domesticated and loving animal to perform tasks for us just because they love the attention, food or the toy at the end of the task. There really is no greater joy than to watch your dog do what you have trained it to do and do it well. But how does this work? What is scent theory? Do we really know how and why our dogs do what they do? The word theory means an idea, an opinion in some cases. There is real science behind the structure and abilities of a dogs olfactory but a theory about what they do with that scent is just that, a theory. I have been a search and rescue K9 tracking and trailing handler for over 10 years and have been shown and made a believer out of a scent theory that works, and works well, not just on some dogs but all dogs I have worked with. In this book I will present what I was taught, what I have found to be realistic and workable and what can help you train your dog to become a master tracker, trailer, air scent, drug or cadaver dog. The information in this book is also derived from experiences of not only myself but many handlers I have worked with over the years, some in search and rescue and some from law enforcement.

This book gives us a detailed account of how dogs work and how we might properly train and harness their abilities to serve our needs.

A World Book Night book. A New York Times-bestselling book about the extraordinary abilities of man's best friend. When Cat Warren adopted Solo, an unruly German shepherd puppy, she soon began to wonder what she'd let herself in for. Solo's boundless energy was what made him loveable -- but it also made him exhausting, and difficult to train. Then she struck upon an idea: what Solo needed was something to do. Like many dogs, Solo was destined to work: using his nose to help the police locate missing people. In this lively, accessible book, Warren details Solo's journey from troublesome pup to expert cadaver dog, and explores the fascinating hidden world of animals that do essential work and the handlers who train them.

Renowned K9 trainer and handler Jan Kaldenbach brings his considerable expertise to bear on the subject of scent detection in K9s in his classic work on scent detection, now back in print. Beginning with some notes on canine intelligence and observation, Kaldenbach also covers topics such as the perception of odors; the structure of the nose and how it works; the right dog and handler for scent detection work; and how dogs can find human beings. Each topic is accompanied by detailed diagrams and illustrations. He then includes detailed instruction on how to train a K9 in scent detection for tracking work, drug detection and human scent discrimination. Two approaches round out the book. The first is a description of Police Detector Dog Requirements in the Netherlands, to help police administrators develop specific targets for their K9 units. The second is a series of case files from Kaldenbach's own experience, providing insights into the benefits and problems of training and using K9s for scent detection work.

Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.