NorthWest Search Dogs Human Remains Detection Teams

		NorthWest Search Dogs Oregon and Southwest Washington's Finest Working K9 Teams
		Human Remains Detection Teams NorthWest Search Dogs has within its membership a collective of K9 handlers who have developed and maintain a high degree of skill and competency with their Human Remains Detection K9 teams. NorthWest Search Dogs sets demanding training and proficiency standards and as a result are able to field K9 teams adept in Human Remains Detection (HRD) as a professional, reliable detection and search resource for Law Enforcement Agencies. NorthWest Search Dogs Human Remains Detection K9s specialize in the location of human decomposition scent. These K9s are not cross trained to perform any other search disciplines. NorthWest Search Dogs is committed to providing and fielding the highest quality K9 Human Remains Detection (HRD) teams possible. In addition to standard OSSA SAR cadaver testing, NorthWest Search Dogs has developed and implemented an additional HRD Detection test closely patterned off the OPCA K9 drug detection standards. The purpose of this additional HRD Detection test is to provide investigators additional assessment on the capabilities of the dog teams to locate hidden human remains locations within environments encountered in everyday investigative applications.
		Human Remains Detection Capabilities NorthWest Search Dogs Human Remains Detection K9s specialize in the location of human decomposition scent. These K9s are not cross trained to perform any other search disciplines. The training of the K9 HRD teams is focused exclusively on the detection of deceased human scent. Teams are typically used to search for human remains, disarticulated human remains, buried human remains and drownings. Teams can also be used to search for evidence such as articles of clothing that have been exposed to human body fluids or residual decomposing human scent. Teams frequently are used to search small areas, large wilderness areas, vehicles or buildings for example. NorthWest Search Dogs HRD K9s are not trained to detect or alert on live human scent and are trained to ignore animal scents and animal bones. HRD Teams train to search in variable weather conditions and environmental situations such as buildings, vehicles, urban, wilderness and crime scenes. HRD teams training simulates as closely as possible the variables that can be encountered on actual searches so they are prepared to develop the most effective search strategy. With preservation of crime scene and prevention of destruction of property a concern, the K9 is trained to give a passive alert, such as sitting or downing at source as opposed to an aggressive alert such as digging or biting.
		Decomposition Scent The human body upon biological death produces a scent that is very different than live human scent or animal decomposition scent. Human decomposition scent is a product of the gasses created during the breakdown of soft tissue and results in a scent that is generic in its chemical nature but unique to humans. This scent continues to change throughout the advancement of decomposition. The transmission of human decomposition scent into the environment is the same as that for live human scent, traveling on air currents away from the source to form scent cones or pools. It can also be carried away from the source by rain and ground water drainage. Scent's movement in the environment can be impacted by terrain, temperature and weather.
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