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Change of Behavior
Glossaries: K9 SAR Glossary

Change of Behavior (COB): A characteristic pattern of behaviors, as interpreted by the handler, that occurs when the dog detects a trained odor.  

Author: Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal detector Guidelines (SWGDOG)
Chimney
Glossaries: K9 SAR Glossary

Chimney Effect: Warm air rises from the source, cools, then drops a distance away from the source.

 

VSRDA Glossary

  • Rafts
    Rafts (skin rafts): dead or dying skins cells that have left a human body. They are composed of 1 or more cells, carry bacteria, and are microscopic. An average human sheds around 40,000 cells each mi
  • Diffusion
    Diffusion (of scent):  the even distribution of air in all directions.
  • Laminar Air Flow
    Laminar Air Flow: a straight flow of air without and interference.
  • Turbulent Air Flow
    Turbulent Air Flow: When flowing air hits an obstacle/object and causes airflow chaos.  
  • Scent Cones
    Scent Cones: movement of scent away from subject/source -in the shape of a cone.
  • Looping Scent
    Looping Scent: when scent travels upwards from a source, and settles down away from the source. Occurs with little to no wind at the source.
  • Chimney
    Chimney Effect: Warm air rises from the source, cools, then drops a distance away from the source.  
  • Fanning Plumes
    Fanning Plumes: When air hodls at the same elevation, without rising or falling. Occurs at night, and in valleys. Visualize the air like a thermocline.
  • Eddying
    Eddying: When flowing air moves along/over a large linear obstacle, like a treeline, and the air curls around the edges and swirls.  
  • Fumigating
    Fumigating: When scent from the source disperses evenly, and saturates the area. For example: a closed room.  
  • Thermal
    Thermal: Layers of air, separated by temperature (and humidity).  
  • POD
    POD (Probability of Detection): The chance that an object or missing person will be detected if present.  
  • POA
    POA (Probability of Area): The chance that a missing person (or clue) is in the search Area.  
  • PLS
    PLS (Point Last Seen): a point where a witness actually saw the subject. The PLS is usually the IPP (Initial Planning Point).  
  • LKP
    LKP (Last Known Position): the last location of the missing subject, substantiated by evidence or clues. The LKP changes with the discovery of clues/evidence.  
  • Air Scent
    Air Scent (Dog): A dog that searches for the source of human odor. They are typically "Nose Up" when they work, and are usually non-scent-discriminating. Air scent dogs do NOT require a scent artic
  • Tracking
    Tracking (Dog): dogs are able to follow a human scent, by following the footsteps. Tracking dogs may also be following the odor of crushed vegetation and soil bacterial action.  Visualize the dog's
  • Trailing
    Trailing (Dog): dogs are scent specific and require a scent article, with a track. Visualize the dog's Nose Down and Up, working some distance from the actual footsteps.
  • Target Odor
    Target Odor: (aka Source) odors which detector dog are trained to detect. 
  • Temperament
    Temperament: The general consistence with which the animal behaves. 
  • Stimulus
    Stimulus: A change in the environment. Dog Training focuses on discriminative stimuli, which causes a change of state in the dog, causing it to perform a specific behavior.   
  • Shaping
    Shaping: Building new behavior by selectively reinforcing variations in existing behavior, during the action rather than after completion, to increase or strengthen the behavior in a specific manner o
  • Back-Chaining
    Back-Chaining: A teaching methodology, where the training of the chained behaviors occurs in reverse order. The final behavior is taught first, and the second-to-last behavior is added and taught next
  • Behavior Chain
    Behavior Chain: a series of learned behaviors, carried out, after one command. 
  • Agility
    Agility: A character trait which describes the natural (running) speed, surefootedness, and coordination, and the ability of the dog to correct and recover 
  • Change of Behavior
    Change of Behavior (COB): A characteristic pattern of behaviors, as interpreted by the handler, that occurs when the dog detects a trained odor.  
  • Blank Search
    Blank Search: A training or certification exercise in which the target odor is not present  
  • Blind
    Blind: A training exercise is considered Blind if the person person searching does not know the location of odor(s), and/or if any are prescent, BUT the accompanying Instructor/Evaluator DOES know.
  • Double Blind
    Double Blind: A training exercise is considered Double Blind if the person person searching does not know the location of odor(s), and/or if any are prescent, AND the accompanying Instructor/Evaluator
  • Agility
    Agility: A character trait which describes the natural (running) speed, surefootedness, and coordination, and the ability of the dog to correct and recover