Labrador Retrievers have an extremely refined sense of smell, even in comparison to other dog breeds. When the Labrador Retriever breed was first developed, the desirable characteristics that were selected in dogs for breeding were retrieval and hunting abilities. These abilities are enhanced by the Labrador Retriever’s excellent sense of smell, as well as the instinctual desire of a Labrador Retriever to track and follow specific scents.
Labrador Retrievers are commonly used as rescue dogs, due to their superior sense of smell. A Labrador Retriever may be able to identify a person’s location that is invisible to human senses, even through inclement weather conditions. Labradors have been known to detect unconscious avalanche victims that are trapped under 20 feet of snow. Labrador Retrievers can also identify people that are trapped under the debris from collapsed buildings, which is why so many Labrador Retrievers were used during the tragedy in New York City on 9/11/01. Their proficiency in rescue situations is legendary, and there are many organizations dedicated to the thousands of active Labrador Retriever rescue dogs.
Because of the Labrador Retriever’s excellent sense of smell, there are many Labradors that are assigned to work in Law Enforcement. Labrador Retrievers show a marked proficiency as a tracking or detection dog, because of their agreeable temperament and excellent sense of smell. Labradors are frequently used as detection dogs, for identifying substances such as blood, illegal substances, and human scent. As a tracking dog, Labrador Retrievers are able to distinguish between specific scents, and track a certain scent over various terrain. This is also why Labradors are such skilled hunting dogs. A Labrador Retriever is able to find and retrieve fallen game, even in waterlogged terrain. A Labrador’s sense of smell is amazingly accurate, which is why they are one of the most popular dogs for any task requiring superior olfactory abilities.
