[DCPatriot]

“We had three different cadaver dogs hit on (Myrna Spears’) car,” Copeland said. “We know the body was in there at some point.”

Question....

Assuming there is a difference between 'cadaver' dogs and 'tracking' dogs...how long after death...this time of year [temperature-wise] does a dead body scent different from a live person?

I'm just wondering if these dogs were tracking dogs who were given a scent of the little girl's clothing, etc., and not 'cadaver' dogs at all.

[DoughtyOne]

Good questions. I’m not sure what the answers would be.

Thanks for raising them.

[Gummi Bear]

Assuming there is a difference between 'cadaver' dogs and 'tracking' dogs...how long after death...this time of year [temperature-wise] does a dead body scent different from a live person?

Having no way of knowing how accurate he was, I remember that on Fox News they were discussing another recent missing child, and someone asked this very question. The forensic pathologist said that it begins immediately. Sorry I can't remember the doctor's name.

[elli1]

Nothing that exactly answers your question but very interesting article on the development of pseudoscents for training Search & Cadaver dogs here:

http://discovermagazine.com/1996/mar/thefakesmellofde714

[LucyJo]

Brief reading about cadaver dogs says that their noses are so sensitive that their training helps them to discover bodies even under running water.

I know there are stories of dogs that were able to sense illnesses in their owners before the person knew they were ill. I would imagine there is a difference in the smell of a corpse fairly quickly after death, but don’t know for certain.