Using their extraordinary sense of smell, dogs undergo intensive and extended training to detect human remains – a skill that can lead to convictions and closure
Specifically, the dogs are trained to smell decomposition, which means they can locate body parts, tissue, blood and bone. They can also detect residue scents, meaning they can tell if a body has been in a place, even if it’s not there any more.
In October 2013, a jury in Illinois convicted Aurelio Montano, 58, of the first-degree murder of his wife, despite the lack of a body, due in part to evidence provided by cadaver dogs who detected the scent of human remains on a rug.
searches are far more efficient when using a cadaver dog; they allow the police to cover a larger area at a faster rate than searches using police officers alone, while also freeing up manpower.
Sabre moves purposefully in the right direction almost immediately, then hurries back and forth between the camp’s huts trying to catch the strongest scent from the hidden Tupperware container. When Sabre reaches the dining building, he weaves up the pathway with his nose to the ground and ears pricked, and scratches at the door. Hreniuk intervenes only to open the door and he continues his search.
He checks the cupboard once then goes back for a second sniff; he pauses and looks at Hreniuk who gives nothing away. Human spectators stay dutifully silent to avoid giving any inadvertent clues.
He scratches at the cupboard door and barks at Hreniuk once, twice, three times. His barks are his trained indication, letting Hreniuk know that he has found what he’s looking for.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/08/cadaver-dogs-trained-to-smell-death