00:00It's a race against time, as Heiso searches for a missing person in the mountains.
00:05He is among the few man-trailing dogs in Taiwan.
00:08But unlike those trained to search through rubble, man-trailing dogs follow a human scent
00:13to track their path.
00:16And now to test Heiso's ability, we will have him sniff my watch and follow my scent.
00:22Just after a few seconds of sniffing, off he goes.
00:26In the end, he found me within less than a minute.
00:30His trainer said, I should have gone deeper into the mountains.
00:34These canines have been deployed in Taiwan for about two years, and play an increasingly
00:39important role in Taiwan today, especially as the country has officially become a super-aged
00:44society.
00:45More than 20% of the population is age 65 and over.
00:49Within this age group, there is an estimated 350,000 people living with dementia.
00:56And each year, the country sees over 100 cases of elderly people with dementia going missing,
01:02making the role of these canines even more important.
01:06And of course, the dedication and expertise of the trainers are just as important.
01:10They must deeply understand the dog.
01:20It also comes down to the breed.
01:22There are certain types of dogs, like hunting breeds, that are more suitable for the job.
01:42Today, Taiwan has 16 certified man-trailing dogs, and many more still undergoing training.
01:48We'll talk about this.
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