How Detection Dogs Reunite Lost Pets with Their Families

The Power of Scent: 

As a professional dog trainer, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible power of a dog's sense of smell. This ability becomes even more remarkable when it comes to detection dogs, who are trained to use their noses to locate missing pets. The next few weeks I want to share with you two heartwarming stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of these skilled canines and the hope they bring to families searching for their lost companions.

The Shy Maremma:

A Rescue Dog's Journey Home Our first story involves a recently adopted Maremma who had slipped out of its collar and become lost. This poor dog had been rescued from a terrible situation, along with a few other dogs, and was understandably very shy and lacking in street smarts. With just a blanket that the dog had slept on for three days prior to running away, my detection dog, Nessie, set out to find the missing Maremma.

Nessie followed the scent trail through paddocks, old rubbish dumps, and along a dry river bed. After trekking about three kilometers through long grass, Nessie suddenly stopped on the trail. As I prepared to give her a drink, I looked in the direction she was staring and saw the lost Maremma looking right at us! Although the dog bolted when it saw us, Nessie had done her job - she found the missing pet and communicated this to me in the only way she could.