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 Trailing dogs are trained to pursue specific individuals
by following the scent left from the particles that have
drifted from the body to the ground and surrounding
vegetation. Trailing dogs are particularly effective
when they have an item of the missing individual to be
used for scent identification. it can be an article of
clothing, worn and unwashed, or an object the person has
recently handled that is untouched by others, such as a
doorknob, a windowsill, or a pillowcase. The dogs can
then pursue the trail, and often indicate the direction
of travel, sometimes allowing an air or ground support
vehicle, as well as foot teams to precede the dog in the
same direction. it is also possible that these dogs can
pick up a trail without a scent article if they are
called in before the area becomes contaminated with
other scents.
 Air
scenting can be deployed immediately in hasty searches,
running along paths and travel routes, in search of the
subject or subjects. Because these dogs scan the air
current for human scent in a particular area (Any human
scent) they can effectively search for an unidentified
number of missing persons, such as in the aftermath of
an earthquake, avalanche, or tornado. However, air
scenting dogs, depending on their training, may also be
a valuable resource when trained to search for one
individual using a scent article. This enables the use
of multiple resources without concerns for contamination
of the working area for the dog, that tend to arise when
an air scent dog is not trained in scent specific work.
 Many dogs have been
trained in both search techniques. All search and rescue
dog groups are best called early in the search, but can
be effective days or weeks afterward. They can work in
many situations and surroundings, in dense brush and
high grass, in woods, or in the water, in snow
avalanches, in rock and mud slides, in floods, and in
all types of weather.
(Excerpted from the NASAR
"Dogs Can Help in Search and Rescue Operations"
Brochure)
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