Cadaver Dogs
Human Remains Detection K9s & Handler Training
Highland Canine Training provides cadaver dogs and handler training to law enforcement agencies, search-and-rescue teams, and private handlers worldwide. Our human remains detection (HRD) program combines careful dog selection, practical training, and continued handler support to prepare teams for demanding search work.
Purpose-trained dogs for demanding operational environments
Recovering deceased victims at accidents, natural disasters, crime scenes or at scenes of terrorism is always a difficult and challenging task. It is, however, a critical part of helping to bring closure to families affected by tragedy.
In many missing people cases, locating deceased individuals is not a straightforward process and can even take years or decades. Whether someone was a victim in a civilian search and rescue missing person deployment, or was the tragic victim of a homicide case, it may be difficult to locate their body. Cadaver dogs are an incredible tool for locating difficult to find victims, and can make the process of locating these victims significantly faster and more discreet than other recovery methods.
Effective training begins with a suitable dog. We evaluate each cadaver dog for job-specific suitability, environmental stability, and physical soundness. Human remains searches can last minutes or hours and involve difficult terrain. Our selection process considers these demands, while obedience and practical agility training help prepare dogs for operational environments. We offer German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers. Other breeds are available upon request.
Land, Disaster or Water: We provide effective solutions for all.
Land Cadaver Dogs
All of our cadaver dogs are trained to locate human remains on land, whether the target odor is at ground level, suspended or buried. Odor responses can be tailored to the needs of the agency.
Disaster Cadaver Dogs
Disaster cadaver dogs are trained to locate human remains at natural and man-made disaster sites, including collapsed structures. Dogs are prepared to search a variety of rubble and debris.
Water Cadaver Dogs
Additionally, we also offer water cadaver dog training-the most complex of all cadaver dog disciplines, and we effectively train dogs to locate remains in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
Why Choose Highland Canine Training
Purchasing an HRD dog is an investment in a working partnership. Our process supports both ends of the leash—from evaluating the dog to preparing the handler and maintaining the team’s skills.
Careful selection: We assess working suitability, environmental stability, and physical soundness before training ever begins. For water cadaver prospects, we ensure their suitability around water, unstable docks and boats.
Unmatched cadaver detection capability: Our Odor First training process is like no other. We have spent more than two decades developing a detection program that produces real-world results that are unmatched in the industry.
Preparation beyond odor detection: Obedience and practical agility help handlers manage their dogs during searches.
Exceptional handler training: Your purchase includes a two or three-week course covering handling, training maintenance, documentation, canine care, and human remains detection fundamentals taught by experts who are part of successful teams.
Health assurance: Every cadaver dog includes X-rays and a two-year health guarantee against congenital health defects.
Continued support: Free in-service training, annual recertification, and refresher training provide ongoing opportunities to maintain and strengthen your team’s skills.
For buyers, this means a more complete training package, a clearer understanding of the dog’s preparation, and access to support throughout the life of the dog.
Cadaver Dog Handler Training Courses
Our courses are taught by former law enforcement K9 handlers and expert instructors with real-world operational finds. Beginner handlers receive comprehensive instruction in working with and maintaining their HRD dog. Experienced handlers can receive customized instruction to strengthen existing skills. Housing is also included for all of our handler training courses.
Handler courses cover:
Detection fundamentals: Basic odor theory and human decomposition
Handling skills: Proper handling techniques and training maintenance
Training aids: Obtaining, handling, storing, and maintaining detection training aids
Search operations: Crime scene management and cadaver dogs in aquatic environments
Documentation: Record keeping and report writing
Canine care: First aid and CPR
What Your Cadaver Dog Purchase Includes
Each human remains detection dog purchase includes:
A two or three-week Cadaver Dog Training Handler Course
Lodging at our dog training center
Certification and course materials
X-rays and a two-year health guarantee
Free in-service training and annual recertification
Free refresher training for as long as you own the dog
Cadaver Dogs Available Worldwide
Whether you represent a law enforcement agency, a search-and-rescue organization, or work as a private handler, Highland Canine Training can help you explore dog and training options for your intended work.
Contact us to discuss available cadaver dogs, handler courses, and your deployment needs.
Call 800-406-3243
Cadaver Dog Statistics
Due to their proven accuracy, the work of human remains detection (HRD) dogs is necessary and valuable to help assist law enforcement and bring closure to families.
Cadaver dogs are scientifically proven to be accurate.
One of the most recent studies on the accuracy of cadaver dogs was performed in 2008. This study concluded that a well-trained cadaver dog is capable of locating fresh and aged human remains with an accuracy rate of between 95%-98%.
Source: Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg, Germany
Annually, over 500,000 people are reported as missing in the United States.
According to the National Crime Information Center, the United States has one of the highest numbers of missing persons in the world. In 2021 alone, they reported 521,705 missing, with 93,718 still missing at the beginning of 2022.
What Are The Benefits Of Cadaver Dogs?
Helps locate forensic evidence necessary to close court cases
Cadaver dogs are able to locate minute amounts of physical evidence that would be nearly impossible to locate, as well as locate bodies buried several feet under the ground. This makes them a valuable resource when searching for victims of murder and homicide cases.
Their incredible olfactory systems can detect well concealed target odors, and very faint odors which would otherwise be undetectable. Cadaver dogs provide a highly accurate method of detecting the evidence necessary to close court cases and bring justice to victims who were tragically lost at the hands of another.
Accurate and efficient
Studies have demonstrated that most well-trained cadaver dogs have an accuracy rate of between 95%-98%, making them the most accurate tool available in locating human remains. In cases where the location of a body is not known, these dogs often mean the difference between successfully finding a body and not finding it.
Cadaver dogs are also the most efficient method of locating human remains in instances where their exact location is not already known. They can cover a significant amount of ground in a relatively short duration of time, while being able to detect bodies which are buried or otherwise undetectable. One handler and their dog often attracts significantly less public attention than a large number of human ground pounders physically searching for visible signs of a body.
Brings closure to loved ones
When an individual goes missing, their family typically suffers the most intensely. It can be tormenting and traumatic to lose a loved one and not know what happened to them, or if they are still alive.
Cadaver dogs are often the most effective – and fastest – method of locating deceased individuals. Finding a family’s lost loved one as soon as possible provides the closure necessary to heal, while also allowing them to put their loved one to rest.
Non-invasive and cost effective
Cadaver dogs provide a highly non-invasive method for locating bodies which are buried or unaccessible. In cases where a body is buried, other methods require physically altering the environment in order to locate a body. Sometimes this process requires significant excavation efforts which may or may not be successful. In instances where probing or excavation are not necessary, many people may be used to search for a body. This technique often attracts a great deal of attention and can be very disruptive for people living in the local area.
Cadaver dogs are also more cost effective than many other forms of locating difficult to find bodies. Since olfactometers are incredibly expensive and cannot easily be moved, they are not often used to locate bodies. Other methods can be highly invasive and expensive. A cadaver dog is a highly cost-effective method of locating deceased individuals in an effective and non-invasive manner.
