Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World by Nancy F. Castaldo (review)

Lots of people know about search and rescue dogs and bomb-sniffing dogs, but what about forensics dogs that find old human burial sites? Dogs that detect peanut products and warn allergic owners? Castaldo covers canines’ amazing olfactory contributions from better-known workers to more unusual specialists, focusing at length on the animals’ training, personality, and bond with their handlers. The author’s extensive personal interviewing adds liveliness to the accounts, and many of the dogs are vivid characters in their own right (the book is rich with sprightly color snapshots). The text is a little disjointed and it wanders off subject at times, but it’s got an engaging combination of substance and browsability. The adventurous element of search and rescue and military duty adds an edge to draw readers unenticed by (or unwilling to be caught with) mere cute puppies, and there’s also enough science here to give it heft, so there’s plenty of utility. End matter includes an extensive bibliography, a list of suggested reading, some dog-related geographic sites and websites, a glossary, and an index.