Understanding Scent

Explore how human scent actually behaves in the environment—drifting, fragmenting, and collecting— and why that matters for search dogs. Steven Goldsmith breaks down differences between tracking, trailing, and air-scenting dogs, the huge effects of wind, terrain, weather, and time, and how handlers can read both their dogs and the scene. Learn practical takeaways: read the environment, train in messy, varied conditions, recognize problem-solving over “perfect” paths, and know when to trust your dog.