All Live Human scent samples are placed on the abdominal area of a living person for exactly 20 minutes, then placed in unused plastic bags and double sealed in the same manner as the post-mortem samples. All trials are done on a hard surface, either asphalt, cement, or hard packed dry dirt ground. The dog is then asked to choose and indicate to the handler which gauze contains post-mortem scent. Dogs are given only a single choice per trial. Any dog that appeared unwilling to commit to a single sample was removed from that trial and the choice was recorded as Incorrect.
All samples are properly disposed of after each trial.
We emphasize our inability to control all variables during our project. It has been impossible for us to obtain scent samples and carry out the trials under strictly controlled conditions. We had no control over the environmental conditions under which our samples were gathered, manner and cause of death, nor could we exercise tight regulation over the quantity of samples of any one given time interval. Since there are periods in which our samples are few and far between, this project has no set deadline and will be ongoing for a time. Our intention is not to offer an absolute answer to the questions posed, but to initiate an ongoing dialogue and offer what we hope is a point of departure for other exciting research projects.