Glossary of terms used on this site
Term | Definition |
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PLS |
Glossaries: K9 SAR Glossary
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POA |
Glossaries: K9 SAR Glossary
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POD |
Glossaries: K9 SAR Glossary
POD (Probability of Detection): The chance that an object or missing person will be detected if present.
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VSRDA Glossary
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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