Search & Rescue Dogs

Can anyone tell me the best tool to buy for probing the ground prior to searching? I've looked at soil augers etc but they do appear to be expensive & may not be suitable .............. any advice would be appreciated.

Hi so19dogs

The type of VR work that I do is non forensic and intended for deceased MISPERs, therfore we don't look for deposition sites or burried remains. Having said that I am sure there are others on this site that do this and will be able to give you their thoughts.

I'm interested in your post s019. When you write tool for "probing the ground prior to searching" - do you actually mean this, or do you mean once the dog has searched the area non-intrusively?

Whilst definately not an expert in body deposition/recovery I have always thought that the process was visual/scent search first - visually looking for signs of burial (disturbed earth, depressions, lush or dying foliage etc.), scenting of decomposition either at the spot of burial or of course dispersed where the gases can find a way out to the surface, or in the watercourses around the possible deposition site.

I have always thought that probes were only used if none of the above worked, or it did work and narrow done an area but couldn't pinpoint it. The only exception being in avalanche work with foot searchers using them immeidiately. Is this not right? Any help you can give would be gratefully recieved.

Hi Rob

so19dogs could probably answer your question better than me, but whilst your waiting I posted a video of a demonstration by "Global Rescue" which show this technique being used.

I am not an expert in this field. I am trying to find this equipment on behalf of a friend who is currently training her dog using 'pig' and pseudo scent. My expertise used to be in narcotics/cash & firearms where I worked as a Police dog handler so cadaver work is very new to me & a lot more difficult in many respects.
She has been seeking advice regarding buried cadavers & is therefore looking for some sort of probe to enable the scent to escape from the compacted soil.

I'm no expert either but I would expect the scent to rise up through soil without any help.

I would also expect the the ground would need to be left undisturbed pending a full forensic examination.

With regards to forensics I agree that it needs to be as undisturbed as possible but if the scent is trapped beneath the soil then i can understand the necessity to disturb the soil to allow the scent to rise up & give the dog a chance to find it. It was the same with the firearms and drugs finds, it always amused me when the occasional ignorant officer complained when the dog disturbed the scene.............. had it not been for the dog they would never have found the items in the 1st place and providing you only disturb what is absolutely necessary a good scenes of crime officer is usually more than happy providing they know exactly what's been moved and by whom.

I don't pretend to be any sort of expert on this, so I won't comment.

But if you want something to make holes that aren't too big in the ground take a visit to your local fishing tackle shop and get a rod rest or two. You can get different diameters and they don't cost a bomb......don't buy too cheap though....they tend to bend even when you look at them.

.../mark

Thanks very much I appreciate your advice re fishing stuff