One of the many functions of a police canine is tracking subjects who have run from the police. In the past police would often conduct an area search, where the canine would search large areas and try to locate the suspect who may be hiding in the area.

In recent years police canines have started utilizing tracking as a method to find where suspects may have ran. The canines utilize their superior sense of smell to perform this skill. It is said that a canine’s sense of smell is up to 1,000,000 times better than a humans, allowing them to detect odors that a human could not.

As a person walks or runs they disturb the ground. Whether it is dirt, asphalt, concrete, or vegetation, as a person moves it creates a disturbance. The canine is able to detect the disturbance and follow the trail. Additionally, as people move skin cells are constantly dropping off of their body. Undetectable to the human eye, the dog is able to smell the different odors and use them to follow the trail the human left as they fled.

The canine starts the trail at the source of the odor. The source could be the seat of a car; an item of discarded clothing or simply the last place the suspect was known to be standing. The canine picks up the odor and follows the sent. They are even able to distinguish the smell they are tracking from other people and odors in the area.

This skill is invaluable to police as they investigate a crime. For example, a suspect robs a store and leaves in an unknown direction. A trained police canine can start at the store and track the scent left by the suspect. This track can lead police to the suspect, their residence, or the area where a getaway vehicle may have been parked. This information is very helpful in solving these sorts of violent crimes and arresting the suspect.

Tracking is also helpful in locating missing persons. If a small child or other missing person wanders away from their home, the canine can be utilized to track the path the missing person took and help get them home safely as quickly as possible.