Not your ordinary canine companions

Amy Glasheen, staff writer June 04, 2003 
Thanks to the Oconomowoc Focus

They’re playing tug of war – pulling on leashes, pulling on toys – anything they can get their teeth on. The barking between two four-legged friends could be construed as communication. 

This may be a typical late spring day, but these aren’t your typical canine companions. They are training to assist law enforcement officials in search situations.

911BC K-9 Search & Recovery, a non-profit search and rescue K9 team based in Dousman, held a seminar on human remains detection May 30 and 31 at Country Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Waukesha. The dogs there got help from one special pooch that was involved in recovering debris from the recent space shuttle crash.

The seminar’s purpose was to help develop canine detection resources to assist in search operations and other legal investigations.

Dousman resident A.J. Marhofke, a canine search specialist with 911BC, has been working with dogs for 10 years. He said the organization has held other seminars in the past, but this was the first year they had a well-known professional attend to provide insight.

Adela Morris of the Institute for Canine Forensics, Northern California, is a human remains detection canine handler and instructor who has been involved in the field since 1986.

Last week, she helped residents and their dogs with detection techniques and offered her knowledge of the subject.

She traveled with her dog, which has been featured on Animal Planet. The two were part of the search following the Columbia shuttle crash.

Approximately 30 people and their pets attended the two-day seminar, with some traveling from Missouri, Illinois and Iowa.

These pets ranged from the smaller breeds such as basset hounds, to larger ones such as German shepherds and Doberman pinschers.

It’s not the size of the breed that matters; rather, it’s the personality and drive that are important, according to 911BC member Julie Lentz-Andrus. Her border collie, Nikki, currently is in training.

“Any dog can basically do it, but they need a drive,” Lentz-Andrus said. “If their favorite toy would go under the couch, would they keep trying to get it or would they give up? You want a dog that keeps trying.

“You want a dog with good temperament, since they will be working with people and other dogs.”

A part of the seminar included a demonstration in which scents were placed to represent human scent. The owners then took their dogs to locate those scents.

When a successful find was accomplished, owners had special ways of praising their dogs for a job well done. Each way varies from owner to owner, with some giving treats and others providing verbal praise.

Whether it was a treat or words of encouragement, the result was the same: a happy pooch wagging its tail to show it was just as pleased as its owner.

Marhofke said he receives two to three calls per month, as he has the only forensic certified trained dogs in the area. Others in 911BC are in training right now.

Marhofke said that many times, law enforcement officials would need to know if a discovered gravesite is human or not. That’s where trained dogs come in to help.

“Instead of spending the time and money to dig it up, they bring in a dog,” Marhofke said. “A dog with a high degree of accuracy can tell you if someone is buried in there.”

Other aspects of the seminar included lectures and other field exercises.

Lynn Fredericks traveled from Kansas City, Mo., for the seminar with her two dogs, Tyler and Jasmine. She said they have been involved in 30 successful searches.

Fredericks explained that when they drive by a cemetery where a recent burial took place, her dogs can pick up the scent and bark as they drive by.

Fredericks said she saw Morris five years ago at a seminar and wanted to see her again to get some more experience for the dogs. Seminars also give Fredericks the opportunity to see what other people do with their pets.

“These are very special skills,” Fredericks said.

Not everyone was at the seminar with a dog. Detective Cris Harnisch from the city of Oconomowoc Police Department said he was there to see what services are available for the department to use.

“It’s one of those things you might not think is available, and then you come to find there’s many different individuals in the area that can help,” Harnisch said, adding that individuals involved in 911BC are volunteers.

Harnisch watched as one dog picked up a scent.

“The ability for the dogs to pick up on that scent, it’s just priceless how valuable that is,” Harnisch said.

With a large area to cover in a search situation, a dog’s nose may become the most valuable tool in an investigation.

“If the dog can pick up on a scent and bring you to the area, that saves so much time,” Harnisch said. “Nothing is 100 percent, but it’s one more tool to help out in those cases.”

For more information about 911BC, visit www.911bc.org.

©Oconomowoc Focus 2004