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OUr process

OUR DOGS ARE MULTI-PURPOSE, READY TO TRACK A SCENT THROUGH A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS.

 

  • Scent Specific Trailing means the dogs are presented with a scent article to identify the scent of the missing animal, then follow the scent trail regardless of where it is – on the ground, on a building, on bushes and trees, or in the air.  Most typical search dogs can't follow scent the way our dogs can. They are experts in many scent disciplines.

 

  • Keep in mind everything in a dog’s home smells like all the humans and animals who live in that home. Any scent article presented to a search dog from that home will smell like all the people and animals who live there. This is not a problem, as long as there is only one scent trail leaving the property. See our blog on Scent Contamination.

 

  • Our dogs are cross-functionally scent trained, specializing in remains detection and scent-specific trailing. Meaning, our dogs can search for any scent they are presented with to find your lost pet in particular, alive or deceased, on land or in water. A task that for most K-9 teams is performed by two or three different dogs, each specialized in only one discipline. 

 

OUR DOGS ARE ALSO OFF-LEASH SEARCH DOGS, MEANING...

 

  • Off-leash scent trailing, our specialty, has proven to be the most effective means to successfully find missing pets who are stuck, injured or deceased across a variety of different terrains. Often getting us close enough to trap a lost dog after just a few hours of ground searching.   

 

  • Off-leash dogs can cover more ground and navigate more challenging terrain than a search dog tethered to a human because they aren’t forced to stay on a certain path to accommodate the human’s physical limitations.  Most importantly, they may be able to approach shy, skittish dogs without a human present.

 

  • If the missing pet remains in a small area, in the last ¼-½ mile before reaching the pet, our trained off-leash K-9s will rely solely on air scenting to pinpoint the missing pet’s location.  A K-9 working on-leash doesn’t have the freedom to work the air scent the way that’s needed, based on terrain and environment, to help hone in on the missing pet’s exact location.  

 

OLD MEETS NEW: MY APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY

 

  • In addition to being an experienced search and rescue K9 handler, I'm experienced in drone technology and piloting. Drones can be used to look straight down at a large area, usually a field, possibly with thick vegetation, a pond or lake or near mosquito trenches and other bodies of water. Drones can be particularly helpful for finding tracks in the snow or holes in the ice.

 

  • At times, we're able to combine leads provided to us by our dogs with the reach of a drone to pick up on hints that would otherwise have gone unnoticed, using them to better inform the search process. In our experience, the dogs are still by far the superior search tool.  

 

  • Outdoor cellular cameras are sometimes used to help narrow down the area where a missing pet is roaming.  Live feed cameras with two-way audio are used to monitor trapping activities. This allows us to conduct trapping activities all night long when your missing pet is most likely searching for food.

 

  • We understand your level of concern and anxiety. That's why you will always have access to our remote camera feeds. No need to await someone else's report as to what's going on in the field. You'll know in real time what's going on at the feeding station or trap, and we'll be ready to communicate about it instantly and determine any next steps. 

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