Watchly Safety Review

How to Escape a Police Sniffing Dog

Mark Rober

27:37 · 54.6M views · June 21, 2023

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Minor FlagsReviewed June 2026

3Minor Flags

3No Issues

This video is safe and genuinely educational for most kids, using a fun hide-and-seek challenge with a trained search-and-rescue dog to teach real science about canine scent detection. The host's playful attempts to outsmart the dog are entertaining and harmless, and the content is grounded in legitimate science with no concerning material — the only caveat being two promotional segments for the host's CrunchLabs subscription service woven into the video.

Content Breakdown · 6 Categories

Strong & Crude LanguageNot present

No strong or crude language appears in this video; the closest instances are mild exclamations entirely appropriate for general audiences.

See evidence (2)

“'What the crap?' — mild exclamation, not profanity”

“'Dang it' — mild expression of frustration”

Hidden Advertising & Sponsored ContentA little

The CrunchLabs promotion is clearly and transparently disclosed as the creator's own product/brand; there is no hidden or undisclosed sponsorship — the ad segment is explicitly separated and identified.

See evidence (2)

“Camp CrunchLabs promotion is openly presented by the creator as his own product: 'have I got the answer for you? And it's called Camp CrunchLabs'”

“CrunchLabs subscription box promotion is similarly transparent and creator-owned”

Parasocial & Emotional ManipulationNot present

The video contains a brief, light-hearted acknowledgment of subscribers during the Berkeley campus segment, but it is a genuine moment of appreciation rather than manufactured emotional dependency or guilt-tripping.

See evidence (1)

“'To some good folks who subscribe to my channel. There you go. Hug it out, you know!' — casual, warm acknowledgment, not manipulative”

Engagement Baiting & Manipulative CTAsNot present

The video contains standard, non-manipulative calls to subscribe to CrunchLabs YouTube channel; there is no guilt-tripping, superstition-based CTAs, or coercive engagement-farming language.

See evidence (1)

“'You should also go subscribe to the CrunchLabs YouTube channel' — standard, non-manipulative subscription request mentioned in description”

Low-Quality, Extreme & Stunt ContentA little

While the video has a fun, stunt-adjacent premise (trying to evade a tracking dog), it is substantively educational with genuine scientific content, expert involvement, and engineering demonstrations — not shock-value stunt content.

See evidence (1)

“Using a cheese grater on his own skin to harvest scent molecules is mildly gross but presented in a clearly humorous, self-deprecating, and scientific context”

Playful & Fantasy ViolenceA little

The video's framing as being 'hunted' and 'running for my life' is entirely playful and metaphorical — a consensual game between the creator and a search-and-rescue dog handler, with no actual threat or harm.

See evidence (3)

“'This is me running for my life in a forest as I'm being hunted by an animal specifically trained to find humans' — clearly playful framing”

“'I feel like I'm being hunted. I guess because that's exactly what's happening' — humorous self-aware commentary”

“'No! Bad girl!' — comedic reaction upon being found”

What Parents Need to Know

This video by Mark Rober is an engaging, science-forward exploration of how scent-tracking dogs work, debunking five common myths along the way. Kids will learn about how dogs process smell, the role of dead skin cells in scent trails, the partnership between a dog and its handler, and even some comparative human biology. The host collaborates with a real 30-year search-and-rescue volunteer, which adds authenticity and a positive message about community service. There are two mid-video promotional segments for CrunchLabs, a subscription STEM box and virtual summer camp — these are clearly enthusiastic but are advertising. The video is otherwise free of violence, language, or inappropriate content, and models curiosity, scientific thinking, and good sportsmanship in losing gracefully.

Talk to Your Kids About

1How do you think a dog's nose is able to tell two different people apart just by smell — what does that tell us about how amazing animal senses can be?
2Mark tried lots of creative tricks to fool the dog but most of them didn't work. What does that teach us about not giving up and thinking like an engineer even when things fail?
3The search-and-rescue handler has been volunteering 20 hours a week for over 30 years to help find missing people. Why do you think someone would give that much of their time to help strangers?
4Mark mentioned that humans are actually better than dogs at detecting some smells, like rain. Can you think of a smell that you notice really strongly that others might not?

Protected Viewing

What's This Video About?

Scent trailing dogs are indistinguishable from magic. Ready for your LEAST BORING SUMMER EVER? Come join me at Camp CrunchLabs all summer long- http://campcrunchlabs.com Special thanks to Shay. If you want to learn more about her work, you can visit her website at https://www.k9shay.com @K9Shay You can also donate to Carda to support Shay and others like her- https://carda.org/our-story/ You should also go subscribe to the CrunchLabs YouTube channel cause we’ve got some bangers in the pipeline- / crunchlabs Thanks to these folks for providing some of the music in the video: Ponder - https://youtube.com/@Pondermusic Laura Shigihara - @supershigi Andrew Applepie - https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie Blue Wednesday - https://soundcloud.com/bluewednesday NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Promotion starts on 1/1/2023 & ends on 12/31/23, subject to monthly entry deadlines. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+. 1 prize per month: each month is its own separate promotion. For the first 2-3 months, winner may be notified via phone call instead of winning game piece. If a monthly prize is unclaimed/forfeited, it will be awarded via 2nd chance drawing. See Official Rules at crunchlabs.com/sweepstakes for full details on eligibility requirements, how to enter, free method of entry, prize claim procedure, prize description and limitations. Void where prohibited.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this video appropriate for?

This video is suitable for children aged 7 and up. The content is entirely family-friendly, science-based, and entertaining, with no scary, violent, or inappropriate material — younger kids may enjoy it too with a parent present to help explain the science.

Is there anything inappropriate or scary in this video?

No, there is nothing scary, violent, or inappropriate in this video. The premise of being 'hunted' by a dog is played entirely for laughs and the dog is friendly and well-trained throughout.

Does the video contain advertising?

Yes, there are two promotional segments for CrunchLabs, the host's STEM subscription box and virtual summer camp service. These are enthusiastic and clearly from the host, though they are not labeled as ads in the traditional sense — parents may want to discuss the difference between content and advertising with older kids.

Is this video educational?

Yes, it is genuinely educational. It covers real science including how dogs detect scent molecules, the role of dead skin cells, scent discrimination between identical twins, hydrophilic scent molecules, and even comparisons between human and animal smell sensitivity — all explained in an accessible and fun way.

Does this video teach kids anything dangerous or how to evade law enforcement?

No. Despite the title referencing escaping a 'police sniffing dog,' the video is purely a science experiment about how tracking dogs work and is conducted with a volunteer search-and-rescue handler. There is no instruction on evading law enforcement and the framing is entirely playful and educational.

Who is the expert featured in the video and is the science accurate?

The video features Shay, a 30-year volunteer search-and-rescue dog handler, and also includes a conversation with Adam Savage of MythBusters fame. The science presented aligns with real research on canine olfaction and is explained clearly and accurately for a general audience.