I saw the last topic was closed before I could reply but I wanted to add something.

I'm a military working dog handler for the USAF. Our dogs are required to be able to wind scent, we call it scouting, and tracking is only optional.

With both of my last two dogs, when they would pick up the scent and take me to the decoy I would stop and take cover to issue a challenge for the decoy to come out and show himself as soon as I am positive I know the location of the decoy. This usually ends up being about 25 to 30 yards out. Over time, my dogs became used to stopping about 25 yards out and would do it automatically usually facing directly at the hidden decoy. It's obviously not always 25 yards as it varies with wind velocity and objects in the scent cone breaking up flow.

Tactically speaking I thought this was a good thing that they would stop short because I didn't want them dragging me right up to a hidden suspect who could be armed.

Brian,
I had contact with scout dogs on my first tour, and what you're saying is current military doctrine, no problem with anybody believing it, as that's doable.

I just had a bit of trouble with a 200 meter scent requirement posted by someone using a phony name :rolleyes:

Wind scenting aka scouting is a common police practice. It probably is the number one deployment in urban areas these days with all the concerns about liability since it is done on lead. It also has other advantages since you can use it to organize a grid search of an area and you can control the movement of the dog and keep him from running himslef into the ground on a free search.
200 yards isn't unusual. But, it entirely depends on the conditions. In testing, as the poster in a previous thread mentions as a standard, it can be set up nicely with the wind and terrain in the favor of the dog.
downing automatically at 100 yards??? Questionable. It is not uncommon for dogs doing scouting or what is also known as patrol routes, to sit into the direction of the source of the odor or sound, indicating the presence of a person.
I don't work particularly in this area since it isn't a big deal to tell the dog to sit or down and accomplish the same thing.
During basic patrol dog school the teams will often do this excersise upwards of 100 times. It is useful in teaching the dog to locate humans without equipment, building frustration and thereby indications, and teaching the handler to read their dog. Probably 99% of the time the simulated suspect simply confronts the team upon discovery and flees.

Kevin, in practice, what is the realistic working range for a dog to be able to detect a person?

Same question to you Brian.

The minimum acceptable for MWDs is 50 yards. In practice with a dog that's received good maintenance training I would say 100 to 150 with moderate wind and few obstructions in the scent cone is good.

Although, while preparing to deploy to the Middle East at a base where I would be employing scouting on a daily basis, I had my dog detecting up to 350 yards away. That included hills and gulleys to divert and collect scent. The base golf course saw a lot of foot traffic that summer before I deployed and I still swear I don't know what happened to the third green.

It sounds like your method of stopping and detecting the decoy/bad guy at about the same range every time is the same kinda thing I was saying with teaching them to search up close. After working this way every time the dog picks up on how you want it to work, even small things like distance to decoys and from handlers.

Originally posted by VanCamp Robert:
Kevin, in practice, what is the realistic working range for a dog to be able to detect a person?

Same question to you Brian. There isn't a numerical answer to this. I can tell you that on a Mt. side as the temp fell in the late summer I wind scented a suspect from at least a quarter mile away. This was aided by an experienced dog that really understood bad guys and the way they smell.
Other times I have felt lucky to have windscented a guy in the yard I was standing in. It just depends on temp., wind speed, direction, and consistency, terrain, humidity, the person you are hunting and their activities prior to going to ground, how long they have been statinary and if they are stationary, etc.
I have seen dogs have an odor change at ridiculous ranges but to call it an indication would be exagerating.

I understand conditions and situations can vary, but out to over 100yds blows my mind honestly.

I can picture an ideal situation with favorable conditions where the dog will catch a lucky whiff, but damn guys. . .I didn't know that was possible.


Am I the only dummy?

I'm with you, Robert-
My scout dog experience goes back to having a dog/handler team attached to us in Vietnam, I'm thinking that scent detection distance is considerably less in triple canopy jungle.
Guess I need to get with the times.