Methods of Searching

Tracking- Tracking is what you see Bloodhounds doing in movies.  Basically the K9 uses his nose to follow directly in the tracks of whomever they are following.  Sometimes this will literally be footstep to footstep.  Other times it will be a few feet off, but not much more.  The dogs head will be down and he will be scenting off the ground.  Often dogs that primarily track will be worked on leash and on a harness.  This allows the handler to stay close and watch for alerts or clues.  A tracking dog is not very affected by wind, but tends to work slowly.

Airscenting- An airscenting dog holds his head high and checks the wind for the scent.  He tries to catch the scent directly from the victim and then goes straight to them.  This is a very fast method, but if they loose the scent, they may be completely lost.  Also the wind can swirl the scent around and confuse the dog.

Trailing- this is a method that falls in between tracking and airscenting.  Generally a trailing dog hold his head in between and follows both the airscent and ground scent if available.