SEARCH DOG ASSOCIATION CLASSIC ROUND STICKER

Search dog association logo for dogs with jobs.he use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in responding to law enforcement requests for missing persons. Dedicated handlers and hard working, well-trained dogs are required in search efforts to be effective in their task. Search and rescue (SAR) dogs detect human scent. Although exactly what this means to the dog is not known, it may include skin rafts, evaporated perspiration, respiratory gases, or decomposition gases released by bacterial action on human skin or tissues. Search and rescue dogs are typically worked by a small team on foot, but can be worked from horseback.Search and rescue dogs can be generally classified as airscenting, tracking, or trailing. Airscenting dogs primarily use airborne human scent to home in on subjects, whereas tracking and trailing dogs rely on scent deposited on the ground by the subject. Airscenting dogs typically work off-lead, are non-scent discriminating (eg, locate scent from any human as opposed to a specific person), and cover large areas of terrain. These dogs are trained to follow diffused or wind-borne scent back to its source, return to the handler and indicate contact with the subject, and then lead the handler back to the subject. Handler technique, terrain, environment (vegetation), and atmospheric conditions (wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, and sky conditions) determine the area covered by airscenting dogs, although a typical search area may be 40-160 acres and scent sources can be detected from a distance of 1/4 mile or more. Although other breeds can be trained for airscenting, the prototypical airscenting dog is a herding (eg, German or Belgian shepherds, Border Collies) or sporting (eg, Golden or Labrador retrievers) breed that has a reputation for working closely and in coordination with a human handler. Tracking and trailing dogs are usually scent discriminating and require an uncontaminated scent article from the subject and a relatively undisturbed search area, work on-lead to follow the subject's path, and may use non-human scent (eg, crushed vegetation, disturbed earth) in following the subject's movements. The effectiveness of tracking and trailing dogs is highly dependent upon the terrain (some surfaces, such as grass, retain scent better than others, such as pavement), the age of the trail (fresher is easier to follow), the path (the dog is most likely to lose the trail if there are sharp turns or changes in direction), and the number of contaminating paths that cross the subject's path. The bloodhound is the prototypical tracking dog, although herding and sporting breeds are often successfully trained for either tracking or trailing.