It takes a team effort to conduct a search successfully.
One of the skills the search and rescue (SAR) dog handler must have is knowing how to best utilize their dog. The handler must understand scent and how it works, clue awareness, site preservation, how to read a topographical map and determine their exact location on that map, understand how weather and environment will affect scent, and many other skills.
The SAR dog must be the right type, physically able with the desire to work long hours with their handler. Not all dogs are willing or able to do SAR work. Trying to force a dog to do SAR work only creates an unreliable dog, which can cost someone their life. Many dogs do not make it as a SAR dog. The requirements are very rigid, with each discipline having specific requirements.
The flanker member of the SAR dog-handler team is responsible for providing information to the handler, and looking out for the safety of the handler and dog. Other duties may include radio communications, directing traffic, providing location/GPS information, and more. Experienced, helpful support members make it possible for the dog and handler to do their job.
North Paw K9s are trained in multiple disciplines:
Trailing
A trailing dog is scent specific, using a scent article from the missing person to find the direction the person traveled. The dog starts at or near where the person was last seen. The human scent trail will degrade over time, faster in certain conditions, such as hot, dry, or windy weather, as well as in urban environments with hard surfaces.
Trailing dogs can be the quickest way to find a missing person if they are called out in a timely manner.
Human Remains Detection
The Human Remains Detection (HRD) dog is taught to find the scent of deceased humans, from whole bodies to much smaller remains, in varying degrees of decomposition. Human remains can be buried, elevated, hidden, in water, in buildings or vehicles, just about anywhere. The HRD dog is trained to find only human remains, and will not alert on animal remains. Evidence with human remains on it can also be found by the HRD dog.
Scent-Specific Area Search
The air scent search dog works off leash, covering ground quickly, to detect human scent in the air. The scent-specific air scent dog searches for a specific person. The area can range from 1-80 acres, or more. A scent article with the missing person’s scent on it is given to the dog at the start of the search. A point last seen is not needed.
