Cadaver Dog
Definition
A dog trained to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by human decomposition. Can alert to buried remains at depths of several metres and at considerable post-burial age. Alert indicates a search area, not a confirmed finding; excavation is required for confirmation.
- Detects
- Volatile organic compounds from human decomposition
- Capability
- Can alert on remains buried several metres deep
- Alert meaning
- Indicates a search area, not a confirmed find
- Next step
- Excavation required to confirm
Common questions
Why can't a cadaver dog alert alone be treated as confirmation of remains?+
Dogs can alert to residual scent from a body that was previously present and later moved, to decomposition fluid that leached into soil, or occasionally give a false alert, so the alert defines where to excavate rather than proving remains are actually present.
How does a cadaver dog differ from a general search-and-rescue dog?+
A cadaver dog is trained specifically on decomposition scent compounds and works to locate remains, while a search-and-rescue dog is typically trained to find living persons by scent trail, which is a different training regime and target odour profile.
Related terms
- 5 Cm Spit Excavation
- The standard forensic burial excavation unit: fill is removed in horizontal layers of 5 centimetres or less, each spit separately bagged and...
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR)
- A geophysical method that transmits electromagnetic pulses into soil and records reflections from subsurface discontinuities. In forensic burial detection, it identifies the...
- Phosphate Survey
- A geochemical search method that measures soil phosphate concentration at regular sample points. Decomposing organic matter, including human remains, raises local phosphate...
- Photogrammetry
- A technique that uses overlapping photographs to reconstruct three-dimensional geometry from two-dimensional images. In forensic engineering, photogrammetry and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) software allow...
- Primary Burial
- A burial in which remains were placed at the recovery location at or shortly after the time of death, and decomposed in...
- Secondary Deposition
- A burial or scatter in which remains were moved from the original death location after some decomposition, then deposited at the recovery...
- Sieve Mesh Recovery
- The recovery of small bones, fragments, and associated material by passing grave fill through wire mesh of 6 mm and 2 mm...
- Total-Station Survey
- A surveying instrument combining a theodolite and electronic distance measurement, used in forensic archaeology to record three-dimensional coordinates of bone elements and...