The Use of Dogs for the Detection of Human Remains

Abstract

The relationship between humans and canines has existed for millennia, from the development of specialized breeds of working dogs to prized companions. This chapter aims to explore and demonstrate the capabilities and also the limitations of Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs through the use of case studies and the scientific research that is currently being conducted around the globe on the odour of decomposing human remains. Pseudoscents are chemical products designed to mimic a particular target odour. Pigs have historically been used to train HRD dogs in many different countries due to the similarities in which pigs decay when compared to humans. Identity is considered a fundamental human right and no individual should lose that identity in death. There is no scientific validation on what training materials are required to ensure HRD dogs are able to detect human remains in a variety of scenarios and states.