Is there any way a person can mask their scent to evade tracking dogs?
Hey @kinda-real-awkward
Sorry this took so long to answer. We really have no excuses other than life.
Also this answer is going to be purely based on research. We are not experts in this field
Canine tracking, or scent tracking, is done by dogs using smell to follow a track left by a specific scent. Dogs have very sensitive olfactory organs with a high power of discrimination. The dog’s handler is trained to look for visual cues while working together with the dog.
It looks like one of the advice is to try tiring out the dog and handler. Dogs are great at sprinting but not so much at long distance so try to keep ahead. There are some tricks that might or might not work: changing clothes, doubling back, spraying the ground with pepper spray, etc. Making sharp direction changes might make the handler to doubt the dog. Scents are carried downwind, so if your character moves in a downwind direction, the scent will not be carried back to the dog. Sherls is adamant that deer pee will be strong enough to confuse the dog and mask your scent.
Crossing a body of water might not work out so well. They can either cross the river or circle around to the other side, and pick up your scent again from where you exit the water. The water will help the dogs follow your scent since dead skin will wash off your body and leave a trail on the ground for the dog to follow. You can lose a tracking team for a while if you cross a body of water at a place most people would not cross, for example at rapids, where most people are not willing to try crossing at risk of drowning. Also if your character is more fit than the handler, they can keep going for longer than the tracking team can.
Mythbuster ep 148, showed that it is almost impossible to lose a trained tracking dog. Although it is plausible to use a heavily populated area and use the variety of scents it offers as a distraction to confuse to dog.
This website has other awesome ideas that might be more applicable to whatever scenario you are writing.
Here is another website with discussions from people of varying background on how to evade tracking dogs.