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Jim
Jul 28, 2008 20:17:51 GMT -5
Post by Wolfer on Jul 28, 2008 20:17:51 GMT -5
Hey Jim can ya answer a few questons for me. Why do so many people use the Herding breeds Such as Border collies for for the historic remains searches? Why isnt the bloodhound Used more. Live searches I understand But for remains?
I just got finished revieing a website you mention in early threads ABout the California group working with Historic remains and Most of the dogs Listed were herding Dogs for the most part and yoou would think with the controled environment a Bloodhound with its Hoover sized Nose would be and excellent choice . Then again Could it pin point as well i dont Know.
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Jim
Jul 28, 2008 22:00:05 GMT -5
Post by oksaradt on Jul 28, 2008 22:00:05 GMT -5
Kyle, There's no reason that a particular bloodhound couldn't be trained for historic work. Historic work can be very methodical. A dog handler set up a blind for Dax and me with a single tooth in an area of mud. From experience, Dax went into her own 2-ft wide gridding of the system working lanes up and down the area I left her in. The blind setter was flabbergasted as she'd never seen a dog do that on its own. I didn't tell the blind setter that putting the tooth in mud made it a bit easier. I'm not about to shoot myself in the foot. I do train my dogs to be anal by my expectations, i.e Dax won't stop and tell me she's found the source until she's satisfied that she's as close as she can get. Murphy is becoming the same way. It's because I won't reward until I'm satisfied the dog is as close as it can get. Some handlers reward their dogs if it's even close, so they end up with dogs that only get close.
There's nothing to say a bloodhound with the right drives couldn't do this. I believe the border collie handlers like that breed because they can be very anal. I remember being with Adela before she was supposed to go work a part of a test years back. To keep her border collie sedate, she let it herd a stick in front of us the entire time. *shrug* The dog enjoyed it. Most of the bloodhounds I've been around have been the trailing folks and their dogs are always wanting to move, aquire the scent and go-go-go. I'm sure that's the type of dog they look for. Many of the trailing folks do cross train their dogs to find fresh remains so their dogs don't balk if the end of their trail holds a dead body.
Dogs that do old remains are sometimes required to fine search over large areas. It's not uncommon to consider spending an hour per acre to search for ...say a 20-year old clandestine grave where all they know is it's out there somewhere.....we think. Conditions may be such that you have to set up a fine grid to cover the area adequately such that you can walk away feeling good that the area has been covered well. Border collies can have such a narrow focus that they get into their own world to find that gnat's ass.
There's nothing to say that a bloodhound couldn't be found with that personality, but those aren't the traits I tend to hear bloodhound handlers looking for. So, why can't a bloodhound do it? There's no reason it can't. The question is more can we find a handler that loves bloodhounds that wants to do that methodical work with the dog.
Just my spin on it.
Jim
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Jim
Aug 16, 2008 19:16:09 GMT -5
Post by terrierlvr on Aug 16, 2008 19:16:09 GMT -5
Chiming in my two cents, FWIW. Hounds are incredibly focused and can be obsessed with some behaviors but they aren't particularly interested that much in working for praise or reward. They are detail oriented but oftentimes, it is the details that please them, not you. Herding and working dogs are so in tune to pleasing their owners that developing a bond and reward system with them is simply much easier than it can be with a hound. Bonnie ( who lives with hounds)
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