Search Dogs

Tools

By Katie Ussin

Story Published: May 28, 2009 at 6:30 PM MST

Story Updated: May 28, 2009 at 6:30 PM MST

BILLINGS - Search and Rescue dogs can make the difference between life and death for a missing person.

"Mostly what we do is search and rescue, but some of what we do too is search and recovery," said Mark Polakoff, Absaroka Search Dogs. Three teams with the Absaroka Search Dogs meet up around the state regularly to practicing their life-saving techniques together.

"Most of our live-finds have been found by Mark and his dogs using tracks," said Chris Dover, handler with Absaroka Search Dogs. Tracking is when a dog follows a person's scent that has been deposited on the ground.

"The actual track-scent is a combo of human scent and the gasses given off by the crushed vegetation and the disturbed earth," said Dover. "A track-scent that is more than 24 hours old is very difficult in Montana." Air-scenting is another commonly used technique where the dog finds a missing person by detecting their scent on the breeze. The certification process for search and rescue dogs is a one to two year process.

"We select dogs very carefully so that we know that the dog is going to love doing this," said Polakoff. The relationship between dog and handler is crucial. The three veterans handlers who met up in Red Lodge have more than 50 years experience between them in directing search dogs and know how to read the their every move.

"I am watching what he's doing, and he actually just found the person and is coming back to tell me," said Dover during a practice drill with her 9-year-old Shepherd Jager.

Searches for missing hunters, hikers, Alzheimer's patients can last for hours, days or months. The volunteer teams will stay on the case until county sheriff department's call them off.

"I have a couple where we've made some life-saving finds, and one where the person was alive but was so far gone we weren't able to save them, that was difficult," said Polakoff.

Should you find yourself lost Polakoff had this vital advice. "Sit down, and know that search parties will come looking for you, stay put, that's huge," he said.

There are several canine search and rescue teams in the state that work cooperatively together. When not working, handlers said the dogs are treated as family pets.

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