Page 37 - BRAVO-3 | ISSUE 2 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

TrailingisattimesconsideredtheredheadedstepchildortheblackartoftheprofessionalK9world e s p e c ia l ly in a re a s w h e re tra ilin g w o rk h a s b e e n o b s e rv e d o r e x p e rie n c e d d ire c tly w ith A m e ric a n la w enforcementK9units.SomewouldsaythatthisisduetojealousybecausethetypicalpoliceK9cannotdo whatthespecializedtrailingSearch&RescueDogshavebeentrainedtodoorbecausetheSARdogsare stealingthepoliceK9’sthunder.Butisthistrulythecase?Dothebandanasandbelsrealymakeabeter searchdog?
To begin with,it’s importantto definewhatistheblackartofwhichI write?Wel,itisactualypretyfarleft K9 thinking thatI,the author,was o n c e g u ilty o f a t o n e tim e . T h is thinkingbeingthatcertaindogshad the capability to be reliable at
g days,evenmonthsold.Thistheory hasbeenamongstusformanyyears now butitsrootsareintheearly 1990’swhenseveralinfluentialcases involving trailing dogs were kicked intohighgearbythenewsmediaand
f
fo
ol
l
l
o
o
w
w
i
i
n
ng
hum an scent trails m any
e
caled the Internet.These cases
“specialy”traineddogsownedbynormalpeople,notjustpoliceoficers,thatreportedlylocated involved
missingpersonswhohadbeengoneforextremelylongperiodsoftimes.Thetrainersofthesedogstouted thisspecialtrainingthatenabledthem tosuccessfulyfolow extremelyagedhumanscenttrailsover phenomenaldistances;sometimesevenhumanscentescapingmovingvehiclesonthefreeway.Inthe beginning,thebloodhoundwastheonlyK9withthesesuperdogcapabilities;however,thiswasgoingto changeinaveryshortperiodoftime.
Yousee,therewasaproblem withthesingularbreedphenomenonanditsimplydidnotsitwel lwiththerank andfileofdogfanciers.Inordertospreadthemessage/diseaseitwasimportanttoreachouttoalbreeds especialythoseownedbytheaveragepetowner.Whatbeganasaprimarilybloodhoundorientedability quicklymorphedintoanabilitythatwasinnateinaldogsanditonlyhadtobebroughtoutbyspecialK9
t
th
h
e
new mass information highway
WWW.BRAVO-3.COM
37