How to Escape a Police Sniffing Dog

Mark Rober・2 minutes read

A search-and-rescue dog successfully tracks down a person hiding in a forest by following scent trails despite various obstacles set up to confuse the dog, showcasing the dog's impressive tracking abilities. The narrator reflects on the experience, appreciating the dedication of the search-and-rescue handler and the positive contribution to helping families in need, transitioning to involvement in an educational virtual summer camp with engaging activities.

Insights

  • Bloodhounds are no longer commonly used for tracking humans, with German Shepherds being preferred due to their intelligence and scent discernment abilities.
  • Despite attempts to confuse Zinka, the German Shepherd search-and-rescue dog successfully tracks down the narrator in a forest, highlighting the dog's exceptional scent-tracking skills and the narrator's acknowledgment of Shay's dedication to volunteering with search-and-rescue dogs.

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Recent questions

  • How do bloodhounds track humans?

    By following scent articles and discriminating scents.

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Summary

00:00

"Bloodhound Myths Debunked: Zinka's Tracking Skills"

  • The narrator is being hunted by a tracking dog trained to find humans in a forest.
  • The narrator plans to debunk five common bloodhound myths and test the dog's abilities.
  • Shay, an experienced search-and-rescue handler, and her German Shepherd, Zinka, are involved in the tests.
  • Bloodhounds are rarely used now, with German Shepherds being preferred for their intelligence and scent discernment.
  • Zinka successfully locates the narrator in various hiding spots using scent articles.
  • Zinka can discriminate scents from multiple people and identify a specific individual among decoys.
  • The myth that dogs detect unique DNA to differentiate individuals is debunked.
  • The narrator challenges Zinka in a large outdoor area with many scents to confuse her trail.
  • Despite the narrator's efforts to evade Zinka, the dog successfully tracks him down using his scent.
  • The narrator seeks advice from Adam Savage on understanding how dogs like Zinka process scents and identify individuals.

11:40

"Human Smell Sensitivity Surpasses Dogs, Exceptions"

  • Humans are 1,000 times worse than dogs at identifying smells, but there are exceptions.
  • Humans can detect chemicals in the air after rain at one part per 10 billion, more sensitive than a shark's nose for blood.
  • Camels use scent to find water in the desert, suggesting an evolutionary advantage for ancient humans.
  • The narrator received advice from Adam and left after showing him a blueprint.
  • The narrator felt confident after identifying weaknesses in Zinka and planned to exploit them.
  • The narrator prepared traps for Zinka and Shay, setting up a final showdown.
  • The narrator used a drone with a smelly sock, taxidermy squirrel, and scent trails to confuse Zinka.
  • The narrator used a rover with scent sprays and meat pieces to mislead Zinka further.
  • The narrator set up traps with hurricane-force winds and a bunny suit to evade Zinka.
  • The narrator had food distractions and a fan to further confuse Zinka, starting a timed challenge.

22:57

Zinka's successful search in redwood forest

  • Zinka, the search-and-rescue dog, successfully tracks the scent of the person hiding in the redwood forest, proving that scent molecules stick strongly to water, making it easier to track.
  • Despite the person's efforts to hide their scent, Zinka eventually finds them after being distracted by chicken and cheese, showcasing the dog's impressive tracking abilities.
  • The person reflects on the experience, acknowledging the dedication of Shay, who volunteers with search-and-rescue dogs, and appreciates the outcome as a positive contribution to helping families in need.
  • The story transitions to the narrator's involvement in Camp CrunchLabs, a virtual summer camp offering engaging activities like building a fire-extinguisher-powered hovercraft and human-sized glue traps, emphasizing the educational and entertaining aspects of the program.
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