This is a response in a discussion group that I saved because it does have a comment

that should be kept in mind in our training, one of those little pearls that you find ever so often.

Sorry I didn’t save the author so they could be given credit. Dan OC

Dogs who are used to locate subjects by scent (also successfully use their

eyes and ears) are capable, willing and able to take that scent from where

ever it happens to be - unless of course their handler messes them up.

Dogs do not need to be trained to find people; they are perfectly capable of

doing it without a handler if they so decide.

All of the dogs on the original D.O.G.S. team were "cross-trained" in

tracking and air-scenting. However, not all of them were equally motivated

to find people. It had absolutely nothing to do with their "cross-training".

I have had 5 "cross-trained" dogs and all have been "successful". (Granted,

often their successes have been in spite of their handler.) I would not

dream of permitting a dog to become operational unless he had "all the tools

in the tool box"! To do anything short of reaching for your particular

dog's potential in SAR risks the lives of your future subjects. And if you

are half training them, you are not allowing them to reach their potential.

However, as my last comment on this subject, (I HOPE), I would like to add

that we can teach a dog WHERE , WHEN , WHAT to track

--but not HOW to track!!!

[ Insert SEARCH, FIND, Whatever for TRACK ]