What are the specific scents recommended for tracking and detection?
When preparing puppies for future tracking and detection roles—such as search and rescue or hazard detection—breeders utilize Early Scent Introduction (ESI) to introduce “job-specific” scents
.
Specifically recommended scents for these roles include:
Hazard Scents: Dogs intended for safety and detection roles can be introduced to the smell of gas leaks or other potential household hazards
.
Targeted Human Scent: For dogs meant to track or assist specific individuals, such as a child with autism, breeders can introduce that specific person’s scent early on
. This helps the dog develop the targeted olfactory skills necessary to swiftly locate the individual in the event that they wander
.
Introducing these targeted scents early in a puppy’s life builds cognitive recognition and association, which provides a crucial foundation for their future scent-based work
