NOTES ON EVADING AND NEUTRALISING POLICE TRACKER DOGS Search Dogs Most of us have seen search and rescue dogs locating missing people on the TV. These dogs use any means possible to find a lost person, from sniffing for human scent in the air to being given an article of clothing and tracking that individual's unique scent. While search and rescue dogs are capable, in principle, of being trained as both air scent and trailing dogs, most dog handlers train their dogs to perform only one of these disciplines. Therefore, the most valuable dog team, in terms of obtaining a high probability of detection, is one with a dog that can switch back and forth between air scenting and trailing as conditions dictate. All humans, alive or dead, constantly emit microscopic particles bearing human scent. Millions of these are airborne and are carried by the wind for considerable distances. AIR SCENT DOGS The air scent dog is the type most frequently encountered. This dog finds lost people by picking up traces of human scent that are drifting in the air, and looks for the "cone" of scent where it is most concentrated. This dog will not normally discriminate scents, so there is the possibility of a "false alarm" if other people (searchers, citizens) are nearby. Airscent dogs work best in situations such as large parks or private lands that are closed at the time, since the dog will home in on any human scent. The success of an air scent dog will be affected by a number of factors, including wind conditions, air temperature, time of day, terrain, and presence or absence of contamination (auto exhaust, smoke, etc.). The best conditions for air scent dogs to work are early mornings or late afternoons on cool, cloudy days when there is a light wind Physiological Mechanisms of Tracking Primarily, dogs use their sense of smell, to find and follow a track. [2] Dogs have a highly sensitive olfactory system superior to humans, [3] and are able to discriminate between different human’s scents. [4] Moreover, dogs are also able to use visual cues to follow a track. [5] Phases of tracking There are three phases, [1] which complete the process of tracking: 1. Searching Phase This is the phase in which dogs attempt to find a track. They move quickly, and take short, quick sniffs. 2. Deciding Phase Once the dog has found the track, they move more slowly and take longer sniffs to determine the direction of the track. This is usually the most difficult phase for the dog. 3. Tracking phase After determining the direction, dogs follow the track by sniffing at a uniform pace, and moving at a speed similar to that of the searching. Factors’ influencing a dog’s tracking ability There are several factors which influences a dog’s ability to track: Physiological features of the dog are a factor. Some instances include with age, sex are influences. As a dog ages, their olfactory acuity decreases and decreases their ability to track. [2] Furthermore, male dogs have found to be better at tracking than females, possibly due to sex differences in olfaction. [2] Sniffing behaviour also influences olfaction, and therefore a dog’s ability to track. For example, a dog’s ability to sniff is higher when it is not panting due to fatigue – it is physically impossible for a dog to both pant and sniff at the same time and the mouth must be open or closed respectively [6] . However, dogs trained to track during physically demanding activities may have adapted their behaviour by increasing sniffing frequency to maximize olfaction, and tracking. [6] Also, different dog breeds have varying suitability to different tasks of tracking. [3] For example, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives use Labrador Retrievers for their tracking purposes. Besides the dog itself, there are other effectors influencing tracking ability. A track’s age [5] and cross-contamination of scents, [7] the range of the dog from the trail, [3] as well as the handler’s relationship with the tracking dog [7] can all have an impact on a dog’s tracking ability A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9" (which is a homophone of canine) in some areas, is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work. The most commonly used breed is the German Shepherd, although now Belgian Malinois are also fairly popular dogs to use. In many jurisdictions the intentional injuring or killing of a police dog is a felony,[1] subjecting the perpetrator to harsher penalties than those in the statutes embodied in local animal cruelty laws, [2] just as an assault on a human police officer is often a more serious offense than the same assault on a non-officer. A growing number of law-enforcement organizations outfit dogs with ballistic vests,[3][4] and some make the dogs sworn officers, with their own police badges and IDs. [1][5][6][7] Furthermore, a police dog killed in the line of duty is often given a full police funeral. [7][8][9] Some breeds are used to enforce public order by chasing and holding suspects, or detaining suspects by the threat of being released, either by direct apprehension or a method known as Bark and Hold. German Shepherd Dogs and Belgian Malinois are most commonly used because of their availability (see List of police dog breeds); however other dog breeds have also contributed, such as Dutch Shepherds, Rottweilers, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Giant Schnauzers, American Pit Bull Terriers, and American Staffordshire Terriers. • Search and rescue dog (SAR) - This dog is used to locate suspects or find missing people or objects. Bloodhounds are often used for this task. • Detection dog or explosive-sniffing dog - Some dogs are used to detect illicit substances such as drugs or explosives which may be carried on a person in their effects. In many countries, Beagles are used in airports to sniff the baggage for items that are not permitted; due to their friendly nature and appearance, the Beagle does not worry most passengers. [10] • Arson dogs - Some dogs are trained to pick-up on traces of accelerants at sites of suspected arson. Popular breeds • Argentine Dogo (protect the officer, attack dog, sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs, sniff out food) • German Shepherd (protect the officer, attack dog, ground based tracking and air based tracking, locating human remains, locating drugs, locating IEDs, locating evidence) • Dutch Shepherd (protect the officer, attack dog) • Belgian Malinois (protect the officer, attack dog, locating IEDs, locating evidence, locating drugs, prisoner transport, human tracking) • Boxer (protect the officer, attack dog) • Labrador Retriever (sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs) • Doberman Pinscher (protect the officer, attack dog) • Springer Spaniel (sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs) • Bloodhound (odor-specific ID, trackings, sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs, locating evidence) • Beagle (sniff out bombs, sniff out drugs, sniff out food) • Rottweiler (protect the officer, attack dog) • Giant Schnauzer (protect the officer, attack dog) • Bernese Mountain Dog (finds missing people) Usage by country Continental Europe overview Official use of police dogs was recognized as being of value on the European Continent as early as 1859, with the Belgium Police in Ghent using dogs to officially patrol with the night shift. Germany, France, Austria and Hungary soon followed with dogs becoming an accepted part of the official police establishment. The dogs employed at this time were hard aggressive animals that could inspire fear, protect their handler against attackers and be prepared to tackle courageously anyone found lurking in the ill-lit streets or open spaces. The breeds most commonly used by the end of the nineteenth century in these countries were Belgian & German Shepherds, Boxers, Dobermans and Airedales (imported from England). The first major step forward in the development of the modern police dog came in the 1890s in Germany where serious attempts had been made to introduce recognised training programmes for the dogs purchased by the police, army and customs authorities. Rapid progress was made in the field of dog training with the development of the German Shepherd Dog as a breed and the formation on 22 April 1899 of the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde or SV (The German Shepherd Dog Society) . In 1903 the SV staged civilian police dog trials that encompassed control, criminal work and nose work exercises. The police authorities were not convinced dogs were cost effective. The primary object of the police dog at this time was still seen as that of deterrent. Belgium The Belgian Canine Support Group is part of the country's federal police. It has 35 dog teams. Some dogs are trained to detect drugs, human remains, hormones or fire accelerants. About a third are tracker dogs trained to find or identify living people. These teams are often deployed to earthquake areas to locate people trapped in collapsed buildings. The federal police's explosive detector dogs are attached to the Federal Police Special Units. Hong Kong The Police Dog Unit, (Abbreviation: PDU; Chinese: 警犬隊 ) established in 1949, is a specialist force of the Hong Kong Police under the direct command of the Special Operations Bureau. Its role is in crowd control, search and rescue and poison and explosive detection. In addition, the Police Dog Unit works in collaboration with other departments for anti-crime operations. Netherlands The Dutch Mounted Police and Police Dog Service (DLHP) is part of the Korps landelijke politiediensten (KLPD; National Police Services Agency) and supports other units with horse patrols and specially trained dogs. The DLHP's dogs are trained to recognize a single specific scent.