Canadian Criminal Evidence/Model Examinations/Dog Tracking Experts

Qualifying Expert
Counsel will attempt to make two qualifications: the dogmaster in the field of interpreting the actions of the dog, and the dog in tracking human scents or drug scents.
 * duration the dogmaster has been member of force / duration the dogmaster has been with dog team / duration the dogmaster has been with
 * Dogmaster training course / duration / coverings tracking of human scents or drugs
 * prior experience qualified giving evidence in court as dogmaster / prior testimony with current dog
 * dog breed of / relevance of breed to tracking / ability of breed to track
 * method of tracking / method of communicating
 * whether training is needed / history of training of dog / whether with dogmaster or with others
 * performance on simulated and real cases
 * how dogmaster learns particular communication style of
 * on-going training / frequency
 * duration has been tracking / number of investigations used for
 * success rate / false positives

Subject to cross-examination, counsel will then request the dogmaster and dog be qualified as experts.

Methodology

 * how dogmaster communicates to dog (types of signals)
 * how dog communicates with dogmaster (types of signals)
 * dogs ability to follow scents
 * effects of environment (terrain, climate, obstacles, persons etc) / types of distractors
 * possibility of dog losing scent / reasons
 * possibility of dog catching scent of another track that crosses first track

Tracking Evidence

 * dogmaster responds to request for services / time of request
 * time and location that the dog was deployed (use map)
 * commands or signals communicated to the dog
 * response from the dog / interpretation of the response
 * route traveled during tracking (draw on map)
 * whether there were other people discovered during track
 * further signals given to dog during tracking
 * further signals given from dog during tracking
 * any item(s) or person(s) found / identification of person
 * opinion of relevance of item or person found / signals from dog relevant to discovery
 * what happened to item or person