May 19, 2011
Can you help explain how to train the article search to a police dog?
Full Question:
Do you have any ideas on training tapes, books or articles that I could use for evidence search? Thanks.Mark
Ed's Answer:
The only thing I have seen is the information in my RCMP tracking videos. You teach evidence search in the form of an alley search. A scented articles is hidden in an alley and the dog must find them to play with them. They use HOT articles (they carry a lot of fresh odor from the decoy). The dog is teased with the toy (an old shirt) by the 2nd handler who then runs up the alley and hides it. After the person returns to the dog team (he does not run away because the dog would think he is doing a human search) the dog is allowed going on line to the area and encouraged to find the article. Use any command you wish. Just stay consistent.
This is started in plain view of the dog. It's then moved so the dog does not see where the decoy runs to and hides the item (the handler and dog wait around the corner).
Then the final step is no teasing before the search. The dog can be worked up by the handler to "FIND YOUR TOY or SEARCH - or whatever you want to call it" there are then several finds in one alley. Initially the finds are scented cloth. But as the dog gains experience the items can be guns, knives etc. etc. There is always a big enthusiastic reward after the find. This is not how you train a dog to find small articles, i.e. gun shell casings. That is a topic of a different article. I have an article on my web site about how the Dutch teach the small article search for the KNPV. It was written by one of my good friends in Holland (Bob Neijts). There is also an article on teaching the large article search. I am inclined to like the RCMP method a little more. But one can always get new ideas by approaching dog training with an open mind. This is done in places where the are garbage cans, dogs behind fences in yards etc. etc.
You will not have a good evidence search dog until your dog can do these searches under extreme distraction. If your dog is distracted by animals it will not work well.
This is a subject I will be doing a training video on at some point in the future. I suggest that you spend some time reading some of the other articles on my web site Maybe you will get other ideas.
This is started in plain view of the dog. It's then moved so the dog does not see where the decoy runs to and hides the item (the handler and dog wait around the corner).
Then the final step is no teasing before the search. The dog can be worked up by the handler to "FIND YOUR TOY or SEARCH - or whatever you want to call it" there are then several finds in one alley. Initially the finds are scented cloth. But as the dog gains experience the items can be guns, knives etc. etc. There is always a big enthusiastic reward after the find. This is not how you train a dog to find small articles, i.e. gun shell casings. That is a topic of a different article. I have an article on my web site about how the Dutch teach the small article search for the KNPV. It was written by one of my good friends in Holland (Bob Neijts). There is also an article on teaching the large article search. I am inclined to like the RCMP method a little more. But one can always get new ideas by approaching dog training with an open mind. This is done in places where the are garbage cans, dogs behind fences in yards etc. etc.
You will not have a good evidence search dog until your dog can do these searches under extreme distraction. If your dog is distracted by animals it will not work well.
This is a subject I will be doing a training video on at some point in the future. I suggest that you spend some time reading some of the other articles on my web site Maybe you will get other ideas.
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