From the article that Aj was nice and helpful in researching for me, I see there is little info concerning what type of training the dog and handler had in this case. However, if the dog was a dual or triple trained police dog (drugs plus apprehension, drugs plus search, search plus apprehension, etc..), they are often trained to trail or air scent for a criminal who has a strong fear scent on him/her. Police dog/handlers are generally well trained and proficient--for what that team is trained to do only.
If the dog and handler didn't have training in either air scenting or trailing for a case like Brianna's both could have made mistakes. The dog may have been trying to hit, but the officer might not have recognized it. The dog may have indicated differently because it would have been a very different search from chasing a criminal's fear scent minutes after a hasty escape. Or the dog could have missed the scent altogether.
If the dog has not been trained to to a specific scent search than the dog may not have indicated even if the dog did pick up her scent.
But, I don't know. That particular dog/handler team may have had all of the training needed to do the job, so I mean no disrespect at all. Police K9 dog/handler teams do a world of good, and I respect them. But, at the time LE may only have had access to a team that doesn't generally do the type of search that was needed. There are not enough skilled dog/handler teams anywhere in the country, so sometimes a dog/handler team is called in if they are the only ones available. But, they may lack skills or training.
Two basic types of searches would have possibly yielded a hit or two. One would have been a well trained handler/bloodhound team that had been given a scent article from Brianna. The search should have started where Brianna was last reported to having been seen. If that yielded nothing or the dog lost the trail, they should then start the trail again in likely places Brianna would have been just prior to her disappearance(i.e. the front door, the back door, near her car, etc..).
The second type of dog that could have been used would have been an dog that was trained to air scent and article scent. The bloodhound may have been more useful initially, though. Bloodhounds trail only. They trail human scent. Microscopic flakes of skin fall off consistently, so if someone carried Brianna from the couch to a car or to any other place, the bloodhound could have easily trailed her.
I haven't had time to read through the whole case, so I am sorry if I am not fully up to date. But, is it an acceptable, known fact that Brianna was on that couch that night? This has me stumped--unless the dog used was not a trailing dog where the trail was hours old. It is likely too late to get a bloodhound in there now. There a a few trailing dogs known to be able to trail a very old trail, but they are far and few between.
Lion
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325313,00.html
FUHRMAN: Greta, what is really odd about it is that it is kind of a college, residential area. It was very cold out.
And I talked to a police officer that said they swept the area with a canine dog. The canine dog is not keying in on her sent anywhere outside. They went even into the abandoned buildings and apartments, and nothing.
So I think that is a greater indication than any speculation that we can make. If a canine can't pick it up, we certainly can't by even looking at it.
