I am training to become a volunteer for a canine SAR. I want to train my dog (ridgeback/boxer female) for cadaver work, unfortunately I know no one who can help me. (our trainer is experienced in tracking only) I have ordered the cadaver training book, I am reading voraciously, and found this web site very informative. I admit I haven't gotten around to reading everything, but I have a few questions if anyone has experience that can help me....

1) How can I store the pseudo scent so that my home and yard do not become permeated with the scent? (It would seem that would make training more difficult) I intended to store it in the freezer, but the Sigma scientist I spoke to recommends room temperature storage.

2) How long will the 1 ml remain effective? What about scent on a gauze pad? If I can use these more than once, how do I know when I should replace it?

Thank you for your time!

Pat Voogd

HI PAT . . . I HAVE NEVER TRAINED CADAVER WITH PSUEDO SCENT, WE USE *THE REAL THING* AND I CAN ONLY TELL YOU HOW THAT IS PRESERVED IN BETWEEN TRAININGS. I RECEIVED MY INITIAL CADAVER TRAINING AT CAMP ADDERBURY IN INDIANA AT THE SEARCH AND RESCUE ACADEMY THERE. ONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS WAS A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST WHO RESEARCHES AT THE *BODY FARM*. SHE SUGGESTED INBETWEEN TRAININGS TO FREEZE THE SAMPLES. I NORMALLY ALLOW THEM TO THAW OUT A COUPLE HOURS BEFORE PLANTING THEM. I THAW AND TRANSPORT IN AN AMMO BOX. I STORE MY SAMPLES IN A TUPPERWARE CONTAINER - CLEARY MARKED AS TRAINING SAMPLES- IN MY FREEZER. YOU CAN USE TEETH LOST BY A CHILD, DEPENDING ON THE LAWS IN YOUR STATE, CAN OBTAIN SAMPLES FROM CORONERS, HOSPITALS, ETC. WITH A SIGNED RELEASE FORM. CAN ALSO USE DISPOSED TAMPONS,ETC. TOO, ALSO CAN GET LEGAL BONE SEGMENTS FROM THE *BONE ROOM* ON THE INTERNET, JUST TELL THEM IT'S FOR CADAVER DOG TRAINING AND THEY WILL NOT SCRAPE THEM.. . AGAIN, CHECK THE LAWS IN YOUR STATE. YOU CAN BUY THE EXPENSIVE SCENT TUBES, ETC., BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT CRICKET CAGES WORK GREAT FOR THIS TOO. IF YOU ARE BURYING SAMPLES (WHICH YOU WILL IN YOUR TRAINING), PUT THE SAMPLE IN A PIECE OF PANTY HOSE TO PROTECT IT INSIDE THE SCENT TUBE . . . YOU WILL WANT TO GET YOURSELF A CADAVER PROBE TOO. FOR WATER WORK, BUYING OR RIGGING UP A SCENT GENERATOR FOR UNDERWATER IS THE REAL TICKET!
I PERSONALY AM TOTALLY FASCINATED BY FORENSIC PATHOLOGY AND UTILIZING A K9 FOR DETECTION. IT DOES REQUIRE A HIGH -DRIVE DOG TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT A VERY REWARDING GAME . . . REMEMBER TO PLACE YOUR SAMPLES HIGH (WAY ABOVE GROUND), AT GROUND LEVEL AND BURIED TOO. . . AND TEACH YOUR DOG RIGHT AWAY THAT DEAD ANIMALS IS A BIG PHOOEY!! IF YOUR DOG TAKES TO CADAVER WORK, (SOME DOGS DON'T LIKE IT)THEY WILL CHECK IT OUT, NOT ALERT AND IGNORE IT FOR THE MOST PART, BUT TO PROOF YOUR DOG, HAVE SOME *ROAD KILL* AROUND AT YOUR EVALUATION BEFORE THE DOG IS FIELDED ON AN ACTUAL SEARCH. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU GET STARTED!!!

ANOTHER COUPLE OF THINGS . . . PAT, ALWAYS USE EXAMINATION GLOVES WHEN HANDLING CADAVER . .. THAT SEEMS PRETTY OBVIOUS, BUT I HAVE WITNESSED PEOPLE FORGETTING THAT VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTION. WHEN I FIRST STARTED MY K-9 ON CADAVER, I TOOK A SMALL ROLLED UP HAND TOWEL, TAPED THE ENDS AND STORED IT IN THE CADAVER BOX TO ABSORB THE SCENT BUT NOT CONTAMINATED BY ANY FLUIDS, ETC. IF YOUR DOG LOVES TO RETRIEVE A TOY, HAS GREAT DRIVE FOR THIS GAME, THAT IS 3/4 OF THE TRAINING GAME . . . YOU WILL TAKE THIS ROLLED UP TOWEL, GET THEM LOADED UP FOR IT, BY TEASING, ETC. LIKE YOU WOULD A TUG FOR BITE TRAINING, USE YOUR CADAVER COMMAND IDENTIFYING WORD, THROW IT, HOLD THE DOG BY THE COLLAR AND TELL THEM TO GO FIND THE NEHPOO, FRED OR WHATEVER . .. BUT BE CONSISTENT WITH THE WORD . . . BIG BIG PRAISE WHEN THEY FIND IT (GO WITH THEM) AND PLAY WITH THEM WITH THE TOWEL, TUGGING, RETRIEVING, ETC. REPEAT AND REPEAT. THAT IS THE FOUNDATION WORK THAT BUILDS THE DRIVE FOR THE HUGE REWARD THEY WILL GET FROM YOU FOR FINDING CADAVER. CADAVER ISN'T LIKE FINDING A REAL LIVE PERSON WHERE IN THEIR TRAINING THAT PERSON PETS THEM, PRAISES THEM ALONG WITH YOU . . . CADAVER REWARD IS ALL IN YOUR LAP AND THE REWARD MUST BE VERY EXCITING!! OKAY, I'VE RAMBLED ON ENOUGH HERE :-). . . HAVE FUN!

I would *not* train exclusively with pseudo but I use it in addition to other *stuff* which is pretty easy to get (the bone room, chasing around my family members like a vampire when they get cut, kids teeth, used blisters, etc.) -- hair is controversial with a lot of folks -- I use it but not a lot.

Any way, I have some that I set up in July that is still good but starting to loose it, I put in glass jar (NEW clean spice jar, plastic top) soaked on guaze and threw in the vial. I have used it extensively but it is only uncapped 1 hour max at a time. Room temp storage.

BTW, PM me -- you need to get up with a group; maybe I can help you find some folks if I know where you are (roughly).

Andy Rebmann and Marcia Koenig are way scaling down classes but Jonni Joyce is pretty good and there are others who put on seminars -- well worth attending.

hi - must apologize to you all for my two posts that I typed in *caps*, sorry . . .I stand corrected!

BTW, the only way I know of to know when to replace the pseudo is when the dog does not hit on it anymore.

Even then, I can still discern an odor in old pseudo, but it must NOT be pseudo because when my dog stops hitting on it he will still hit on *dirty dirt* which I cannot smell at all.

BTW -- training using decay formulation FIRST and get proficient before you use *fresh* oder.

I assume you are using the Cadaver Dog Handbook.

Also, my biggest challeng was trying to go too fast -- changes really need to be in small steps and watch your dog. I had to get someone else to set up our problems as he cued into me so much he was using my body languag to know when to alert.

Thanks so much for the input - I am getting teeth from a local dentist. Blisters? What a great idea! How long does blood on gauze remain effective?

I can't wait to get my book!!

Pat

Another good source of scent is the soil under a victim site. You might have luck talking to the local cops about this. The team I'm on went to the body farm in Sept and we were allowed to collect soil from one of the sites.

For scent tubes we use short lengths of PVC pipe with holes drilled along the sides and the ends capped. The amo box is also what we use for carrying it. Any army surplus store will have them. Handling the "natural" cadaver scent is a training ussue all of it's own.