Tracking - Ground And/or Air Scenting

[oceanaussi]

I've got some great tracking books and been training with my 5-month-old Weim. But I'm getting stuck at this question:

Air and/or Ground Scenting???

Can a dog do both? As far as I know for a trial only ground scenting is allowed. But I'd like to do SAR work with my dog. Does anybody else on here do it? As far as I know for SAR you use mainly air scenting.

What's better to find a missing person or other things (will be using the dog for police work) - air or ground scenting?

If anyone could enlighten me, I'd appreciate! Also for the SAR people: where can I train?

Thanks!!!

[Sardog]

The Tracking dog should indicate almost each of the tracklayers footprints and not vary from these foot prints despite wind conditions. Typical stance with head down sniffing the ground for indication. The Tracking dog is indicating on the disturbed vegetation from the footprints and the bacteria/skin rafts falling each side of the tracklayer. The slower the tracklayer moves the closer the human scent will be falling near the track.

The Trailing dog is trained to indicate the skin rafts falling from the person laying the trail. The difference between the two is that the Trailing dog does not work with footprints as such and can locate skin rafts on vegetation, park benches, etc and some cases even some distance from where the person has walked.

The Air Scenting dog indicates on airborne bacteria being cast in the wind. Somtimes you see the search & rescue dog put his nose to the ground in an area search (not that often) but their hunting instinct sometimes overrides his training and will put his nose to the ground. We never allow victims to walk to the area they are hiding to eliminate any possibility of the dog using his nose on the ground.

It's very hard to train an air scenting dog after it has been taught to track or trail, depends on the dog/breed and training aspects.

Our Sarda Qld team concentrates mainly on Urban Search & Rescue (disaster) but pm me and I can put you in touch with a member and you can perhaps catch up with a training day at Whyte Island.

Cheers