For example, a boy scout went missing for four days in the forest. Multiple search and rescue dog teams were released and they led their trackers to the boy’s location. Even after multiple search parties and a helicopter will heat seeking technology was unable to find the boy, the dogs were able to pick up his scent and lead the trackers to the area that he was in (Lechliter, 2008, pp. 12-15). This same article also states that many people believe that you can put a detection dog in an area; the dog will find the missing person’s scent and go straight to them. This is not the case, however. It is usually a few teams of search dogs and when many of them show interest in one area, the handlers know where to look. There is more than one type of detection dog. One type is an Air-Sniff Dog. These dogs use scents in the air and wind to find the human that they are looking for. They are also able to cover much more ground because they do not have their nose to the ground all of the time. Another type of detection dog is a Tracking Dog. Tracking dogs follow more than just the scent of the person they are trying to find. They also use clues like trampled grass, broken branches, and other signs that someone has been in that area recently. The last type of detection dog is a Cadaver Dog. These dogs live up to their title by searching for human remains. These remains can be above or below ground, and even in …show more content…
Many studies have shown that the presence of an animal can help calm a person and even lower their blood pressure. When someone has witnessed or been a victim of a crime, their stress and anxiety levels are enormously high. When the victim or witness sees a calm, relaxed dog that they can hug and pet without hesitation, their mood begins to match that of the dog. Also, in cases that involve young children, they are more likely to open up to a big, puppy dog rather than a big, scary police officer. Although this may seem like an easier job than the more active detection or K-9 unit dogs, therapy dogs need lots of training, patience, and discipline. One owner and trainer was even able to start a program called the K9Assisted Victim Assistance Program, with her therapy dog Dolce. (Anonymous, 2012,