There's lots of stuff about dogs in the reference forum - here are just a couple of items posted in there and the link to it.




viewtopic.php?f=5&t=266&p=3526&hilit=DOGS#p3526

Post subject: Articles about sniffer dogsPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 4:29 pm

You're Nicked


Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:12 pm
Posts: 269 Poste by blake1 on MF:

"Regarding the sniffer dogs, here are some bits I've cut from previous posts by "aviewer", who works with sniffer dogs. These date from last month. If you do a search for aviewer's name, you'll find the thread where these were posted, called "Blood not Madeleine's" or somesuch.

(apologizes for the long post, but this is good info that always sinks to the bottom--and good reading for everyone who hasn't already seen it)

QUOTES FROM AVIEWER'S AUGUST 07 POSTS re: SNIFFER DOGS

ONE

"The UK dogs would be excellent at sniffing out a Cadaver that may have been in clothes that were found in a drawer at the time and were supposed to be "fresh" unworn clothes .

It is not unknown for a dead body to have a clothes change for instance .

A lot of material evidence is taken away from crime scenes and just because its put into a sealable bag does not mean it cannot have further tests if required.

People may want to consider that before discounting how good or useless some of the "Sniffers" would be in evidence when they had a lot of "material" to confirm suspicions.

These 2 dogs are extremely expensive and in demand , among the best trained "Sniffers" in the world , its not for no reason they eat fresh salmon."


TWO

"Absolutely untrue I?m afraid that a dog cannot differentiate the smell of a certain required cadaver, each dog has a purpose many dogs / handlers have been used it is just that the 2 UK dogs were more experienced , actually the best available at this time in their field of Cadaver .

Using details from all the dogs and they are all able to "smell just Maddie" if a scent was supplied either Cadaver or living by the way , it can be with no doubt whether the final analysis would be the expected victim or not.

You would be wrong to under estimate why these spaniels are so very much in demand - so very expensive , a very very reliable form of evidence collection and along with other "required items" can be used in court enough to sway a conviction.

That?s as long as the other required items are also in place of course which the sniffers may also have helped gain of course , very useful tools to help close a case."


THREE

"Eddie, whose prime job is to sniff out Cadaver is fully able to locate any individual Cadaver scent even amongst multiple death situations.
Eddie can also be used once a cadaver is known to exist and even if 2 differing Cadaver are in same location for instance he is well able to contact the required victim only.
Eddie has been used many times AFTER other less "eager & efficient" dogs, such as those already trained in Portugal FOR corpse recognition.
Both Eddie & Keela (top spaniels) were used on the successful Attracta Harron case , both are multi talented regardless of UK papers saying that they are only able to do only 1 type of detection each.
It would be also wrong to decide that because of the presence of these 2 UK dogs that more have not been used AND that it had NOT already been known that a Cadaver had been present in the room before their arrival and it was required to confirm with top level "sniffer hounds" that it was indeed the victim expected.
Also of course where it went, hence Eddies & Keelas presence at places such as the beach of light supermarket !!!

I wouldn?t take too much notice of this UK and Portugal were not working together for 3 months if I were you there really are no bungling keystone cops working this case .
These very expensive spaniels are not used if the evidence they might produce would not stand up in a prosecution the cost has to make it beneficial , they don?t like traveling without reason as they are extremely valuable and insured for millions of ?s , there has to be a lot of evidence ALREADY gathered by other means / hounds before a consideration is given

These 2 are not the only "Star" spaniels though"


FOUR

"I handle some of the lesser dogs on occasion , much more in past than now but I am still quite close so I am just trying to give the insight that I am able to give.

Basic premise ..... much the same as a lot of forensics lay upon removal or addition of chemicals , what a dog such as Eddie "sees / smells" is a chemical that buys him food and companionship , the idea that he knows even what the Cadaver really is , is undecided a corpse to a dog is not a grief unless the corpse fed and watered him IT IS A CHEMICAL IT SEEKS .
Media spin is making you believe that they only smell DEATH or a CADAVER it shows how powerful such a short article in a tabloid can be.

I hope you can understand the following as I am not a lecturer in this subject but it is part of "My Field" hence why I came here once this case hit this final stage

So I think your confusion here really is the media spin at the moment as usual trying to put a real hero spin on 2 dogs out of very many so they have glossed over certain things including the fact that there was already some VERY able hounds in The Algarve.

This media spin that they only smell and trace death is misleading what they actually trace obviously is chemicals , just one of the chemicals they detect very very well because they smell it 20,000 times stronger than we do is in a dog such as Eddies case is the Cadaver (don?t know how they came by that figure its not mine) SOME of those chemicals are overly present in a corpse or cadaver after 1 :30 BUT that chemical is ALWAYS present in the body its just that it is much stronger after a period of decay and the other chemicals around it and the human immune system no longer interfere with its production.
This chemical is an INDIVIDUAL scent and not just the scent of death.
These dogs can be given the Pre Death chemical gained from any other item of the supposed victim that has been enhanced and therefore ONLY seek out the FINAL Cadaver Chemical from THAT victim as its only that that will get it its salmon dinner and full cream milk.

If that makes it clearer I don?t know but I am not an expert in that field only know of it maybe or the real "Crux" you would have to google it BUT I suspect that much like not advertising how to "Hack" a computer to criminals there will not be too much information into how they actually trained the dogs and with what chemicals etc for I would have thought obvious reasons.

Because the "example" is "Chemically Constructed" , you know if you think this chemical engineering from clothing / perspiration extractions etc is unbelievable , the amount of pioneering that is done in the UK especially the West Midlands on DNA would absolutely astound you , it far outways any of this "dog stuff" .
It is the DNA profiling from tiny tiny evidence along with the sniffer evidence that will have probably got the answers to this case

Its the enhancement of a scent from some previous (maybe the cat toy etc or clothing) they don?t need a that persons cadaver scent to find that actual corpse.

This enhancement is done for a lot of scents that the sniffers trace and is carried out by teams with same finesse as the "after" forensics themselves by highly paid / trained individuals who know much more about this than you or me.
I did edit my reply above to add a bit about the INDIVIDUAL idea of this , it is the media that has led people to believe they are just overall death smelling dogs when they can do so much more. "


FIVE

".... to the dog EVERY scent is individual , we do not have that sense it is a ludicrous idea to even contemplate that ALL corpse smell is the same.
NO combination or singular fluid smells exactly the same to ANY dog never mind Spaniels of this nature / breeding.
These are not just stray pups picked up from the local dog pound .

I can see why on this forum some have given up giving their help and expertise , Its like me asking the mechanic from a UK Quick Fix about my car (I know nothing about cars) and then saying that cant be right when he works in his field.
Probably not the best analogy as I?m sure they have "ripped me" a few times Ha Ha
If Id have known you were just going to dismiss my knowledge so easily Id have not bothered spending the time typing it with 2 fingers .
I have work to do here with no coffee machine !!!

I?m sure the final details when released might help you understand.

Oh well Goodnight , please give both the Spaniels and the Detectives / Police on the case some respect for what they've done once its all over , there really is a lot more involved than you think .

I?m almost sure that this sad sagas going to enter the very final stages on Sunday"


SIX

"Blood dog sniffers doesn?t usually require any of this hence why its usually so much easier and cheaper but it is not the same circumstance with this case a very very minute "not seen with naked eye" speck of blood but bear in mind that they will find out whose blood it is even if they don?t know yet !!
The reason it takes so long is the intense work / technology teamwork by very trained individuals that is involved .
All very very costly and the UK IS the best in the world.

For certain you should have gathered from discussions about the blood already that to extract any DNA from the minute samples and not destroy it they have to carry out pre investigative enhancements / preservation
The cost of any pre forensic or search treatment on any clothing etc before the "sniffer" in this case would far outway the ?850.00 a day for each dog.
Not to mention the actual cost of all the rest , there is such a lot that goes on and I for one did NOT expect anything of this case in under 3 months. "


SEVEN

"Oh by the way as you mentioned the blood I?m pretty sure that if they fully disclose that they know for sure whose the blood is tomorrow that they knew long ago that it wasn?t anything to do with this case , its a very clever game this one and in a way the UK should adopt some of the Portuguese ideas .
Keep quiet then flush em out slowly once you?ve got enough !!
Im sure there?s going to be a lot of shouts of "well I never" and "they knew that all along" etc etc , for sure there are no Keystone Kops involved"
_________________
blake1


Last edited by Maya on Fri Nov 30, 2007 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.



AND ANOTHER



Posted by scamper at MF, many thanks!

December 30, 2005
From The Times

On scent of success: sniffer dog Keela earns more than her Chief Constable
By Karen McVeigh
HER detective work is unsurpassed, her dedication to duty during some of Britain?s most challenging murder cases unfailing.
Keela, a 16-month-old springer spaniel, has become such an asset to South Yorkshire Police that she now earns more than the chief constable.

Her sense of smell, so keen that she can sniff traces of blood on weapons that have been scrubbed after attacks, has her so much in demand by forces up and down the country that she is hired out at ?530 a day, plus expenses.

Thought to be the only one of her kind, the crime scenes dog earns nearly ?200,000 a year. Her daily rate, ten times that of ordinary police dogs, puts her on more than the chief constable, Meredydd Hughes, who picks up ?129,963.

Keela?s considerable talent in uncovering minute pieces of evidence that can later be confirmed by forensic tests has put her in the forefront of detective work across Britain. She was drafted in to help after the stabbing of the young mother, Abigail Witchalls, in Surrey, and has been involved in high- profile cases across 17 forces, from Devon and Cornwall to Strathclyde.

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She has already helped to apprehend a murderer after sniffing out blood on a knife.

PC John Ellis, her handler, said that police sent for Keela when the scenes of crime squad failed to find what they were looking for. ?She can detect minute quantities of blood that cannot be seen with the human eye,? he said. ?She is used at scenes where someone has tried to clean it up. If blood has seeped into the tiles behind a bath where a body has been, she can find it.?

The spaniel can sniff out blood in clothes after they have been washed repeatedly in biological washing powder, and can detect microscopic amounts on weapons that have been scrubbed and washed.

When faced with a ?clean? crime scene, Mr Ellis and PC Martin Grimes, Keela?s other handler, will first send in Frankie, a border collie, and Eddie, another springer spaniel, to pick up any general scent. Then they wheel in the big gun.

?We take Keela in and she will find the minutest traces of blood,? Mr Ellis said. ?It?s not like looking for a needle in a haystack any more. The other two dogs will find the haystack and Keela will find the needle.?

While the other dogs bark, Keela has been trained to freeze and pinpoint the area with her nose.

Mr Ellis said Keela?s ?perfect temperament? and enthusiasm made her a great asset. ?We thought we would get one or two deployments a year, but things have just snowballed. Obviously when we are called in by other forces they are charged a fee and it?s quite funny to think she can earn more than the chief constable.?

Mr Hughes showed there were no hard feelings. The chief constable said: ?Keela?s training gives the force an edge when it comes to forensic investigation which we should recognise and use more often.? Mr Ellis and Mr Grimes came up with a special training regime to focus on Keela?s remarkable skills. It has proved so successful that the FBI has inquired about it.