The area search is by far the most common usage of the canines.  An area search may be conducted on a long line or off line where the K9 can roam unrestricted.  Using the canines on an area search is not always done to locate criminals.  At times we may use the area search to look for missing people.  However, the majority of the time when you see a canine team working in your neighborhood conducting a yard-to-yard area search they are looking for a suspect. 

The canine is using air scent while doing an area search.  The canine is looking for the scent cone of the suspect to help them centralize the source of the odor. The scent cone is made up of the suspect’s body odor which the canine can detect and forms a cone shape away from the suspect as the odor moves through the air. The canine is trained to work the scent cone back to its point of highest concentration and to alert the handler of this. A good handler will notice subtle changes in their canine’s behavior. These behavior changes may lead the handler to direct his canine partner a certain way to hopefully catch a stronger portion of the scent cone.

Wind conditions, temperature, the search environment are all considerations the handler has to think about to help his/her canine become successful.  The canines work hard to locate the odor, but it is up to the handler to get the canine near the odor so that he is able to detect it and begin working the scent cone back to the suspect.

The handler can achieve this by getting concise updated information from officers on scene of an event where a suspect has run.  The handler must know where the suspect was last seen, which direction he/she ran, and how much time has gone by.  A solid team effort involving all officers will help increase the likelihood of a successful apprehension.