How to cover the area to scent and see. How to avoid other searchers. To learn the boundaries of the assignment. Zigzagging into the wind on small areas.
Parallel sweeps across the wind on larger areas.
Often along ridges and downhill with normal daytime updrafts. Often up canyons and uphill, in morning and evening shadows when there are normally downdrafts. More than most searchers, search dog teams are often on their own. Many Search Managers will send a tracking aware searcher with the handler for safety, and to keep track of location and handle communications. This person can check an area when, for instance, a dog is working a scent pool.