Authors: Shari L. Forbes, PhD1; Clifford Samson2; Rushali Dargan, PhD3

1University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada; 2Ontario Provincial Police Canine Unit, Ontario, Canada; 3University of Quebec – Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Canada

Human remains detection (HRD) dogs are trained to search for and locate human remains in all stages of decomposition from recently deceased to skeletonized or preserved. The greatest challenge in training HRD dogs is sourcing the material required for training their target odour, namely having legal and ethical access to human remains. As a result, HRD dog handlers are often required to train using alternative materials such as biological fluids, animal tissue, or chemical formulations which may not accurately represent the odour of human remains [1-2]. This presentation will discuss the ongoing research of the Forbes lab which aims to understand the volatile profile of a variety of training aids often employed for training HRD dogs. Our research uses comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography to understand the volatile profile of cadavers and human remains, and pairs it with the training responses of certified police HRD dogs to contrast the accuracy and sensitivity of chemical versus biological detection. Recommendations will be provided for HRD dog training aids that have been chemically confirmed to act as suitable representations of human decomposition odour. This research is ongoing through our collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police Canine Unit and other police agencies in Canada and Australia.