True North Canine Scent Trailing

A special thank you to Scent Evidence K9 for including True North Canine among the outstanding handlers and teams they’ve partnered with.

We’re fortunate to work alongside people who continually raise the bar, share their knowledge, and contribute so much to the K9 industry. Being part of that network is something we value deeply.

We appreciate the opportunities, the collaboration, and the friendships that have grown along the way. Here's to continuing the work together.

Find #1100 for Scent Evidence K9 Partners! - Scent Evidence K9 Find #1100 for Scent Evidence K9 Partners! Dep. Devin Abernethy and his new 11-month-old Bloodhound partner K9 Nexus of Brunswick

Ever wondered what Scent Discriminant Trailing is?

Scent Discriminant Trailing is the process of a dog following the unique scent of a specific individual and locating them. It takes dedication, training, and regular practice to develop and maintain these specialized skills.

We're always looking for volunteers to act as "hiders" during our training sessions. No experience is necessary—just a willingness to help and maybe spend a little time outdoors while our dogs put their noses to work.

Being a hider is an important part of training. It gives our dogs and handlers the opportunity to practice real-world scenarios, build confidence, and continue developing their abilities. Plus, it's a lot of fun watching the dogs work out the puzzle and find you!

Our dogs love what they do, and every volunteer helps strengthen a valuable community resource.

Interested in helping out? We'd love to hear from you.

A fantastic afternoon of scent discriminant trailing training!

The dogs put in some excellent work yesterday afternoon, tackling new challenges in a new location and showing impressive focus, determination, and problem-solving skills. It’s always rewarding to watch their confidence grow as they work through unfamiliar environments and successfully complete their searches.

We were also excited to welcome some new handlers and dogs as well as volunteer hiders to the group. Everyone worked hard, learned a lot, and made great progress throughout the afternoon.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a successful training day. The dogs certainly earned their rest after all that thinking and sniffing!

A few tired dogs and a lot of proud handlers—that's a good day of training. 🐾

What is Scent Discriminant Trailing, and Why Do We Do It?

Many people are familiar with search dogs, but fewer know about Scent Discriminant Trailing.

Scent Discriminant Trailing is the process of a trained canine following the unique scent of a specific individual. Every person has their own distinct odor profile created by skin cells, bacteria, and other biological factors. Even identical twins have differences in their scent that trained canines can detect.

When provided with a scent article connected to the person they are looking for, a trained trailing dog can work to identify and follow that individual's specific scent trail through a variety of environments.

This valuable skill can support searches for missing or vulnerable persons and provide another tool for locating individuals when time is critical.

Our approach is collaborative, respectful, and trauma-informed. We recognize that every missing person situation impacts families, friends, and communities differently. By working alongside loved ones, community partners and First Responders we strive to provide a compassionate resource during difficult and uncertain times.

Scent Discriminant Trailing is one of the many community resources available to support search efforts and help bring people home safely.

If you would like to learn more about trailing canines and how they are used in missing person searches, feel free to reach out.
Everyone deserves someone looking for them!

These life-saving kits are available in Canada through truenorth canine. 

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month! The Alzheimer's Association states that 60% or 3 in 5 of those with Alzheimer's will wander. Having a Scent Kit prepared in advance helps responders locate a person who has wandered and bring them home safe. Learn how Scent Kits can help protect your loved ones at ScentEvidenceK9.com

Honoured and privileged to be doing this work.

We’re running another Intro to Discriminant Scent Trailing class this June, with a few spots still open.

This has been part of our program since 2022, and it’s led by a certified Discriminant Scent Trailing handler with real life rescue experience.

The work is straightforward and practical — giving dogs a chance to use their nose in a way that makes sense to them. It tends to settle busy brains, build confidence over time, and give handlers a clearer way to read and support their dogs.

No pressure for perfection — just developing skills, letting dogs work things out, and building a better connection along the way.

Rural setting, small groups, all dogs welcome.

If you’ve been thinking about doing something like this, feel free to reach out for details: [email protected]

Doing what we do best!