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TLDR: No Usually it's not a dogs sniff but the dog handlers evidence about the behaviour of the sniffer dog. And dogs are far too good at behaving to please t

TLDR: No Usually it's not a dogs sniff but the dog handlers evidence about the behaviour of the sniffer dog. And dogs are far too good at behaving to please their handler/owner sometimes and acting out of instinct or boredom in others - how many dogs that have gone on a murderous rampage have been said to be sweet, loving creatures all their lives. It's hard to see how a dogs sniff evidence can be treated with the same level of accuracy as fingerprints/DNA evidence unless tests had proved that it (perhaps even the individual dog) was accurate to 1 in 1000 or 1 in 10,000 or more cases.

Jon_Lowtek 5y ago
>> Corcoran had trained Molly to sit when the dog detected the odor of human remains ... the team went to Redwine’s cabin, which was unoccupied. Molly sat down in a nearby stream and indicated at five other locations outside the home, according to Corcoran. Then she saw her dog looking up at a window. An investigator climbed into the house and opened the door for Corcoran and Molly. Inside, the dog made its indication—a sit—near a wood stove, in a bedroom, on a brown sofa, by a washing machine, and elsewhere. insert "this is worthless" spongebob meme template here. Convicting someone of murder because a dog sat in their house is worse then fake science, it is worse than superstition, that dog handler is blatantly creating fake evidence. Has that dog ever cleared someone of an accusation their handler believes in by refusing to sit near their stuff? Edit: to clarify, a cadaver dog is useful, if one searches for a cadaver: when the dog indicates a specific place one should dig there. But that is not how the dog is used here.
- h2odragon 5y ago
  IMO, this discussion goes wrong when we involve the dog in the first place. The testimony is that of the handler; they are the party saying that they have reason to believe X, based on their interpretation of their dog's behavior... which might as well be a dowsing rod or any other scrying method for the repeatability it has. If a dog/handler leads them to evidence, then the evidence can stand (or not) on its own just as if they were led to it by a psychic or a "hunch".
- annoyingnoob 5y ago
  I had a security dog in an airport come and sit next to me while I was standing in line. Thought for sure my day was over, really freaked me out because of stories like this. Nothing happened, I think the dog just figured me for the dog person that I am. You are not supposed to pet working dogs while they are working but that didn't stop me.

Jon_Lowtek 5y ago

>> Corcoran had trained Molly to sit when the dog detected the odor of human remains ... the team went to Redwine’s cabin, which was unoccupied. Molly sat down in a nearby stream and indicated at five other locations outside the home, according to Corcoran. Then she saw her dog looking up at a window. An investigator climbed into the house and opened the door for Corcoran and Molly. Inside, the dog made its indication—a sit—near a wood stove, in a bedroom, on a brown sofa, by a washing machine, and elsewhere. insert "this is worthless" spongebob meme template here. Convicting someone of murder because a dog sat in their house is worse then fake science, it is worse than superstition, that dog handler is blatantly creating fake evidence. Has that dog ever cleared someone of an accusation their handler believes in by refusing to sit near their stuff? Edit: to clarify, a cadaver dog is useful, if one searches for a cadaver: when the dog indicates a specific place one should dig there. But that is not how the dog is used here.

h2odragon 5y ago
IMO, this discussion goes wrong when we involve the dog in the first place. The testimony is that of the handler; they are the party saying that they have reason to believe X, based on their interpretation of their dog's behavior... which might as well be a dowsing rod or any other scrying method for the repeatability it has. If a dog/handler leads them to evidence, then the evidence can stand (or not) on its own just as if they were led to it by a psychic or a "hunch".
annoyingnoob 5y ago
I had a security dog in an airport come and sit next to me while I was standing in line. Thought for sure my day was over, really freaked me out because of stories like this. Nothing happened, I think the dog just figured me for the dog person that I am. You are not supposed to pet working dogs while they are working but that didn't stop me.