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In a high-tech age, bloodhounds still lead the way in missing-person searches

On Feb. 27, the North Dakota Highway Patrol introduced Beau, a 12-week-old bloodhound puppy joining their trailing unit across the upper Midwest; photos show Beau with Trooper Dustin Pattengale outside the Fargo office.
Despite aerial assets, Jones said, 'To actually get a direction and start moving in a direction, you're going to need a dog on the ground to start that trail, and that's the difference between the technology and actually having a dog such as a bloodhound on the ground.'
Training begins with potty, kennel, basic commands, and socialization, then ramps up to scent articles and trails, and Pattengale describes Beau as energetic and eager to sniff.
The state force handles about 70 calls a year and crosses state lines, including a 10-hour trip to Montana last year to track a man suspected in a four-person killing.
Handlers are a special breed, Mayer said, and 'These dogs are just specifically bred to search for people,' reflecting 14 years of ongoing skill development and international mentoring plans.

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