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Bloodhound Support

Training and navigation with bloodhounds

By Jim Coots (and Curly)

June 22, 2002

This training is designed to allow the team member to work directly with a hound and handler in a real search scenario. The team member will be responsible for maintaining radio communication as well as determining the location of the team. You will find in working with a lot of hound handlers that their navigational skills are limited; that is why you will prove to be such a strong asset and most handlers will be glad to have you along.

There are several things that you will want to keep in mind. All handlers are as different as their hounds. Some work very fast and the assistant must be in good physical condition. The pace that a slow dog works can even be exerting. The last thing that handler wants to do is have to keep stopping their hound for someone to catch up. However if you do need to stop from time to time don't be afraid to ask. Most hounds are trained to take a break and it will be a good time to water up, then "Back to work."

Ask the handler what they expect from you. Most handlers will want you to stay behind and to one side or the other. Some handlers will want you to pick up and preserve the scent articles, others may not. Try to keep communication to a minimum.

Your responsibilities will also include looking for clues as well as the person. Don't watch the dog. That responsibility is the handler’s. He may very well pass up clues that you hopefully will be able to see by paying attention to the search.

If you should ever find a clue when you are not accompanied with a hound it is important to preserve the article, so as not to contaminate the article or area with other human scent. If you do by chance contaminate the article (or if another member of your group should), let the command center know as well as log it. The reason behind this is that if the person who contaminates the article is present at the time of scenting the hound, their scent can be eliminated and the hound can still work from the preferred scent. It is best to leave the scent article alone altogether if there is a hound readily available. However there may be certain circumstances where you may need to preserve the article. Use latex gloves if at all possible to collect the article. A stick can also be used to pick up the object to place it in a sealed sterile bag. Some handlers prefer that the bag be free of contaminated scent on the outside as well, so it is a good idea to carry one scent free bag inside of another sealable bag. Always remember to mark the area of find well; also give good coordinates so the area may be found by the approaching team. Try not to contaminate the area any more than possible so as not to confuse the hound.

One thing to always remember: never step on the lead of a hound that is working. To a hound a sudden tug on the lead may be interpreted as a correction and may break its concentration and cause it to shut down.

Happy trails!

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