All dogs have keenly developed senses of smell and hearing. Dogs naturally depend on their sense of smell to identify friends and foes. They also mark off their territory with their own urine which is individually recognizable to themselves and other dogs. Human beings also have individual ‘smells’ although they are usually unable to identify it. Each individual has a unique odour -the product of diet and subtle differences in metabolism.
Dogs can ‘read’ these individual odour signatures and distinguish between different individuals and follow the scent-trail for long distances even in the absence of other clues.
Breeds such as the Blood hound, German shepherd and Beagle are famous for their tracking skills.