All About Scent Trails

Often, people who’ve had little luck finding their lost pet using various methods want to try using a search dog to sniff out the trail of their pet. If you can’t find your cat could a scent dog work? It depends.

Of course, time is a factor. According to historical records, the majority of successful scent trails that have been worked by search-and-rescue dogs and police bloodhounds (where the dogs actually found the lost person, criminal, or evidence) reveal that the oldest successful trails are about ten to twelve days old.

According to The NPBA (National Police Bloodhound Association), expecting a dog to successfully follow the scent trail of a missing person (and lost pet) that is a month old is a long-shot at best. So be skeptical if someone tells you their dog can find a missing pet after a month of time has passed since its disappearance.

Let’s examine variables that could shorten or extend the length of time a scent trail is viable. If the lost animal in question is a species that doesn’t travel far there will be a specific area that contains their scent in a much stronger way. This is called a scent cone, which is a cloud of scent emanating from the animal. An undisturbed small area will have a strong scent cone which can last a long time.

Of course, environmental factors can influence scents in a big way. A scent trail in a residential area contaminated with other animals, traffic exhaust fumes, wind, sun, etc. will not last as long as a scent trail that was deposited in a cool, damp forest thick with vegetation, no matter how long ago it was deposited.

The point is that scent dogs are an option in finding your lost pet but even they have their limitations. And there are a lot of well-trained and talented search dogs available to help. Consider your unique situation first before going this route in finding your lost pet.