Question 1

What does HHRD stand for?

Accepted Answer

Historic Human Remains Detection (but we really mean historic and pre-contact)

Question 2

How can I learn more about using HHRD dogs as a remote sensing tool?

Accepted Answer

Please contact us about workshops for professionals or students in archeology, forensic anthropology, etc.  Or send us a message (https://www.icfk9.org/mesaage)with a specific question.

Question 3

What is the best breed of dog for HHRD?

Accepted Answer

1. First, we rule out site-hound breeds (e.g. greyhounds) that hunt primarily with their eyes.
2. Then we tend to select breeds to have bred to work with humans (e.g. border collies, labradors, etc.). 
3. The handler also has to have an affinity for the breed in order for them to click.

Question 4

How did you realize dogs can do this?

Accepted Answer

See "How we got started" (https://www.icfk9.org/about)

Question 5

I have someone who has been missing for x number of years. Can we hire you to help find him/her?

Accepted Answer

The Institute for Canine Forensics does not do missing persons, or criminal searches. Those fall under the purview of law enforcement. If you need assistance, you need to contact your local law enforcement.

Question 6

How do you train an HHRD dog?

Accepted Answer

Detection is a game to our dogs. They naturally know how to hunt.  We teach them to only hunt for human remains and tell us when they have found it. A very simplified answer is that we associate the odor and alert with the dog receiving its favorite thing (usually a toy or food). So, the dog is highly motivated to find human remains.

Question 7

Do you train your own dogs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, our handlers select, train, and work their own dog(s).

Question 8

How long does it take to train an HHRD dog?

Accepted Answer

Usually 1.5 - 2 years

Question 9

I would like to do this work as my career.

Accepted Answer

This is a need-driven job. At times we are very busy, but at other times, like the hot summers, we are not. This is NOT a full-time, paid job. The majority of our associates are retired from their primary jobs.

Question 10

Can I join ICF and train my dog to be an HHRD dog?

Accepted Answer

Sorry, we are not accepting new hander's at this time.

Question 11

What does it take for a dog to be able to do HHRD?

Accepted Answer

We frequently select a dog based on the characteristics of the parents (in the case of puppies) or of the dog itself (in the case of an older dog). Each handler makes their own list of what they want, but we generally look for:
 • Sound body
 • Drive (A dog that will naturally go over, around, under, or thru a figurative “brick wall” to get to its goal)
 • Ability to focus for long periods
 • Independent, but takes guidance
 • High play or food drive
 • Environmentally stable
 • Small size is desirable (for in-cabin plane travel, etc.)

Question 12

I want to become a dog handler. How do I do that?

Accepted Answer

The best way is to contact your local search and rescue team. These are normally found working with your local sheriff’s department. Google is your friend when searching for local SAR teams.

Question 13

What does it take to become a Historic Human Remains Detection Dog team?

Accepted Answer

This is a partial list of requirements,
·      Years of prior experience training and working a detection dog is very helpful.
·      We train our dogs in something every single day. Obedience, socialization, detection work, agility specific to our needs, working alongside other dogs … to name a few.
·      The handler has to learn as much as the dog: detection training, search methods, hydrology, scent travel, report writing, cultural awareness, navigation, etc.
·      Learning to read the dog’s body language is critical to becoming a successful team. This is how the dog communicates to their handler. This takes months-years of daily training before the handler can reliably understand when the dog is trying to “tell them”. Handlers will tell you that they learn something new every time they work their dog.
·      The ability to travel for days (sometimes weeks) at a time. This pretty much becomes your life. People with full time jobs, small children, etc. find it difficult to devote the time necessary to do this job.
·      Selecting the appropriate dog for the job. You need to be willing to have our experienced trainers help you select the right dog for the job.
·      Not all dogs have “the right stuff” to do this work. Most handlers have had a dog that they have worked with for months-to-years and had to wash that dog out of the program because they just didn’t have what it takes to become a reliable detection dog. While we have developed a testing process to help us select the right dog, it doesn’t always work as the dogs mature. Dogs can change as they grow up, some it good ways, others not so much. Then you go back and start all over again.
·      Keeping our dogs in tip-top physical condition is a priority. You will be providing all the veterinary care, physical training and feeding of your dog.
·      Our handlers supply all of their own equipment. This includes: the Dog, personal protective equipment (PPE), a four-wheel drive vehicle, laptop computer with the appropriate software, Global Positioning System (GPS) for both the handler and the dog, and many other (usually expensive) pieces of gear.
·      The expenses for travel until the team reaches certification can be high. Travel to various training sites, project sites (for field experience), fuel, lodging, meals … it is all on the handler until they are mission ready.
·      The list goes on.

And TIME … we should talk about the time it takes to select a dog, train that dog to certification and then maintain that dog’s skills. On average, this will take approximately 1.5 to 2 years. And the handler?  It takes about the same time for the handler to learn everything they need to know. Understand that the dog will learn faster.

Handlers will do some type of training with their dog EVERY SINGLE DAY! Once the team reaches certification, the work of maintaining your (and your dog’s) skills begins. Industry standard dictates that it takes a minimum of 16 hours of active training every month to maintain a team’s skills. ICF teams train that much in about 7-10 days. ICF trains formally at least twice a week for 3-5 hours a session … then you add the daily training time.

Question 14

Do your dogs only find human remains? What about other animal remains?

Accepted Answer

ICF dogs only alert on the odor of human remains / decomposition.  They can differentiate between human and other animals and are trained to ignore the non-human remains.

Question 15

What age range of remains do you look for?

Accepted Answer

~100 years old and older.  We refer cases of more recently deceased people, including missing persons, to law enforcement.

Question 16

What are the oldest human remains you have found?

Accepted Answer

Over 9,000 years old!
See: Applying Canine Detection in Support of Collaborative Archaeology (https://7b99d647-4f8b-4e3f-af56-84d223d928aa.usrfiles.com/ugd/7b99d6_f8186f0619a346239bb70d82e9ad6697.pdf)

Question 17

How does the soil effect the dogs’ efficacy?

Accepted Answer

The soil's permeability must allow for the odor to reach the air column in order for the dog to detect and alert on it.

Question 18

How deep a burial can you find?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the soil above it. The soil depth and permeability must allow for the odor to reach the air column in order for the dog to detect and alert on it.

Frequently Asked Questions