Even in the case of accidental death, locating the body is often an important step in the process of grief and recovery for the families involved. After the attacks of 9/11, while search and rescue dogs were on the look out for survivors, cadaver dogs were also deployed to locate the bodies of unfortunate victims. For many, locating the remains of their loved ones was an essential step in accepting the terrible tragedy that had occurred.

Being a cadaver dog is a trained skill requiring both obedience and a strong nose. Common tracking breeds such as the bloodhound often rely on recently shed skin cells that naturally fall from the skin of living beings. It is because of this that these breeds have greater difficulty in tracking the deceased. The most common breed of dog used as a cadaver dog is the German Shepherd. However, other working breeds such as the Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd, as well as retriever breeds such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever also make excellent cadaver dogs.