As my husband and I watched the footage of Virginia Tech in silent horror, and I sat there feeling glad, then guilty that I felt glad that my daughter attended a different university, we saw many clips of handlers and their dogs, obviously police K-9s. We wonderd what the dogs are used for in situations like these...do they actually use the dogs to take a gunman down, or tracking....what would be the dogs job????
Breaks my heart to think of those parents....God Bless them all!
I'm assuming they are using the dogs for tracking, just to see where the shooter went and possibly if there may be 2 shooters, and evidence or injured victims.
Ok here is probably a dumb question, but if the dogs are tracking the shooter, do you need to have them smell something of the shooter's? Or is there another technique to get them to track the shooters path......
I believe they do, but I really don't know since I don't do tracking. Since the first shots were fired at the dorm room they can start from there and follow any tracks that lead from the room. I'm assuming the dog would be able to follow gun powder residue and maybe pick up that scent first to pick out and follow the shooters scent. This is all just my assumption, since I don't do tracking.
Howard Knauf Webboard User Reg: 09-24-2003
Posts: 1555
Loc: Melbourne, Florida
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Given the circumstances, the dogs were more than likely deployed to conduct building searches primarily, and explosives detection in the event updated intelligence indicated explosive devices might be present.
As far as tracking goes...it would be a handlers' nightmare trying an urban track with all the human odor present. PSD' aren't trained to track using articles of clothing. If the shooter were to be located in an area where a track could be made there is no doubt a whole SWAT team would be with him, as well as an air unit.
The handlers are officers first. As such they would bring all their tools to an incident like this in case of need. PSD's are very versatile so why not have the dog with us.
Not to sound like a pessimist though, I have no doubt that the dogs were present as a show of force so that no-one later could bellyache that the police didn't do all they could to get this madman.
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005
Posts: 4531
Loc: South Dakota, USA
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Quote: howard knauf
As far as tracking goes...it would be a handlers' nightmare trying an urban track with all the human odor present. PSD' aren't trained to track using articles of clothing. If the shooter were to be located in an area where a track could be made there is no doubt a whole SWAT team would be with him, as well as an air unit.
Tracking is usually done by having the dog track ground disturbance, which is the scents made by someones feet crushing the vegetation as they walk or the scent made when a boot or shoe or whatever grinds into the surface they are walking on. It does not usually involve a scent article. Some believe that the K9's can also "smell" the scent of adrenaline coming off of a suspect, in that case, with all the people running around and trying to figure out what the heck was going on, there would be all kinds of "adrenaline based scent".
With ALL of the people running around the scene, it would be near impossible.
A trailing dog "might" be able to help depending on experience, training and the handlers knowledge.
Quote: howard knauf
The handlers are officers first. As such they would bring all their tools to an incident like this in case of need. PSD's are very versatile so why not have the dog with us.
I agree 100%, the dog is an extension of the officer and if the situation is right, the dog may be needed as would be a gun, handcuffs, asp, mace ect.
You need to be prepared as an officer and to be a K9 handler without your K9 would not be a wise decision if the dog was needed.
Quote: howard knauf
Not to sound like a pessimist though, I have no doubt that the dogs were present as a show of force so that no-one later could bellyache that the police didn't do all they could to get this madman.
Howard
AMEN!!
Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
Dogs can smell fresh scent . Not knowing whos it is. There are millions of scents in the world. It would be like you looking for a word in a word search. You have the ability to see a word in among all the letters. A dog has that same ability only better with scents. They may have been looking for the presants sp? of a person hiding. I'm sure if they needed they could and would sent a dog to aprehend a fleeing human. This along with all the ather things that have been said, i'm sure are so.
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The dogs?????
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