Detection Dogs

A vital aspect of a forensic investigation may be to detect and locate specific ______ or __________ of interest, ranging from illegal drugs to missing people. Sophisticated detection equipment does exist, however this technology can often be expensive, have unsuitable portability, and may even prove useless when searching vast areas. Fortunately for investigators, there is an ideal tool available.

Dogs, commonly known as ___ by law enforcement professionals, have played an important role in legal _____________ for decades, with their keen sense of _____ being noticed and utilized. K9’s are able to distinguish between different odors, even if one smell overpowers another, and trace a specific scent to its ______.

The average human being has roughly ____________ sensitive cells within the nose. This appears to be a large number, until compared with the ___________ cells in the average dog’s nose. Further increasing the canine’s sense of smell is an organ in the roof of the _____ that is not present in humans. This organ essentially allows the dog to _____ a smell, thus strengthening its ability to detect odors. Canines detect odors __________________ or _______________; odors persisting in an area after the original source is no longer present.

Drug Detection The police commonly train canines to detect the presence of __________________. They are capable of locating even the tiniest trace of a ____. Such dogs are frequently trailed through _____ stations, ______, country ______, _________, and even _______ to allow police to locate individuals who are carrying these illegal substances. The dog may be moved near pieces of luggage or groups of people to _____ if he or she picks up on an odor of interest. A stop and search conducted by officers may yield nothing, especially if the subject has hidden the drugs somewhere on his person. However, properly trained canines are usually able to detect the _____ of illegal drugs, regardless of where the suspect has concealed them.

Explosives Detection Perhaps used more in recent years due to the increased attention to _________, canines have also been trained in the detection of _________ materials. The dogs are trained to detect the odors any compound commonly used in the production of gunpowder and explosive devices. Such specially trained dogs may be used in ________ to detect or at least deter terrorism, or in the ______ of suspected bomb-makers to identify the presence of these substances on work surfaces and in storage areas. In these scenarios, it is particularly vital that the canine is trained not to ______ any substances or devices it does locate, as many types of bomb can potentially explode if touched.

Arson Dogs Similar to canines trained to detect explosives, arson dogs are instructed to detect the chemical traces of ___________. During an arson investigation, one of the primary tasks is to determine what caused the _____ and, if accelerants were used, establish where the accelerant was placed. Though the odor of most forms of accelerant is generally quite strong, a fire scene will often be engulfed in the smell of smoke and various burning materials. However dogs can be trained to pick out the specific odors of __________ substances and locate the source.

Cadaver Dogs These specially trained canines are trained to follow the scent of decomposing ______ in order to locate the _______ of ________ human beings. Whether the cadaver is on the _______, buried ___________ or ___________, a dog’s nose is powerful enough to pick up the scent and trace it back to its source. Cadaver dogs can not only locate actual human remains, but also the location in which a corpse or body parts may have previously been stored by tracking down residual scents. A newer concept is that of _________ human remains detection dogs, which are trained to locate historical or archaeological ______.

Search & Rescue Dogs Like cadaver dogs, search and rescue canines are trained to specifically locate ____________. However in this instance, they are searching for ______ individuals, usually ______________, individuals _____ in the wilderness, and those ________ during mass disasters. For example, trained dogs will be used in the case of an earthquake, where numerous people may be trapped inside crushed buildings or similar. The dogs follow the scent of each person, so that they may be located and finally ________.

Tracking Dogs Tracking dogs are trained for the same purpose as search and rescue dogs – they track down and locate ___________________. However in this case the dogs are trained and used to track down __________ or suspected __________. The scene of a recent crime may hold the ______ of the ___________ which, if investigators work quickly enough, may be ________ by a trained dog. Alternatively an object or a piece of clothing known to have belonged to or been touched by the suspect may be presented to the dog, hopefully allowing him or her to follow the scent and _______ the ________.

Training Dogs are trained as ________ dogs and ____________ dogs. ________ dogs follow a scent on the _______, whereas ____________ dogs must be able to pick an odor out of a ______ and follow it back to its ______. Various breeds of canine are suitable for police work, though _________________, ___________________, ________________, and ______________ are all commonly used.

Field Work During actual field work, the canine’s handler must ____ the dog in any way possible. This includes utilizing any ________________ to develop a ___________ that will give the dog the best opportunity to locate the desired odors. Allowing a dog to randomly move around and sniff a huge area may yield no results or it will take an extremely long time for the dog to locate the target of the search. In outdoor areas, odors may drift and pool in ___________ or up against _________________, therefore these locations should especially be searched.

Field Work Every search area should be treated as a _________ crime scene. Dogs should be trained in such a way that, if they do locate, for example, a human cadaver, they ______ actually ______ or attempt to ________ the remains, which would compromise potential evidence. If anything of interest is found, the appropriate _____________ will enter the scene to take over. If nothing is found, the area is deemed as having been ________ and the search team can move on.