Missing persons believed dead are a common occurrence in modern society. Hikers become lost in the wilderness. People are murdered and the bodies dumped or buried in remote areas. Buildings collapse due to earthquake, explosion, storms, terrorist attacks or poor construction. Swimmers and boaters drown in lakes, rivers, and bays. And the task of locating these bodies can be a daunting one.

But the murders need solving and the missing need finding. The families need the closure of properly burying their loved ones. So searchers, both professional and volunteer, go on searching.

There are a number of ways to go about searching for a missing body, and one of the more effective is to use specially trained dogs called cadaver. Cadaver dogs are trained to use their powerful sense of smell to locate a missing body. The dogs can do this because as a dead body decomposes it gives off gasses with a distinct smell. The dogs are taught to recognize and alert to this smell, even in very small concentrations, and to follow the smell to its source. The gasses will even rise through the earth from a buried body, or up through the water from a drowning victim.

Cadaver searching with dogs can be divided into several categories or training areas: surface remains, buried remains, and bodies in water. Special subcategories requiring even

Most cadaver dogs are started on traditional wilderness search and rescue. While this is certainly not necessary, it does teach the young puppy search tactics that stand him in good stead later. Doing well at cadaver work is also something of an individual ability. Some dogs do become upset at finding human re mains, although generally a young puppy taught to find cadaver material does not display this reaction. Adverse reactions are more common in adult dogs trained for live person search that are later asked to cross over to cadaver work.

There are several certification programs available at present, although there is no comprehensive organization for cadaver work and training. Nor are dogs required to be certified before they begin work: if an agency is willing to try out a dog for the work, that is all that it takes. Successful finds are the way most dogs become known as good cadaver dogs. While cadaver dogs are relatively rare at present, their numbers will increase as their ability and utility becomes more widely known.

Whether you are an active law enforcement, search and rescue volunteer, fireman, or a civilian wishing to train your dog in this exciting field, Scheurman's K9 Academy is the right choice.

We have the ability to train you and your dog, from basic obedience to certified Cadaver Detector Canine Team.

Whether for fun or profit, check us out today.