As human remains decay, they produce a variety of very distinct odors. While most of us would probably prefer to avoid ever experiencing such odors, for cadaver dogs, the odors are like a signature, because they appear nowhere else in nature. A cadaver dog can actually detect human remains through concrete, buried underground, or at the bottom of a body of water, using its extremely well-honed noses to search for faint traces of the chemicals emitted by the human body during decomposition.

In search operations, cadaver dogs can be used to ensure that every body on the site is found, so that the bodies can be given a proper burial after examination. A cadaver dog can also be used on the hunt for a missing person, or for someone who is known to be dead, and because the animals are often used on crime scenes, they are trained to be very gentle and respectful of the areas where they work. Unlike search and rescue dogs, which are typically trained to bark and claw where they sense someone in need, cadaver dogs are usually trained to sit quietly or lie down when they detect human remains.