Welcome to Balto™

The Search and Rescue Canine Handler Training Log App

Introduction

This app will help you keep track of your training exercise details and generate the text for use in your training log forms. The database is stored locally on your iOS or Android device. No connection to the internet is required.

Several different types of logs are available depending on your needs and capabilities of your dog(s). These include Air Scent (Live Find), Human Remains Detection (HRD), Trailing, Articles, and GSAR (General Search and Rescue). In addition, a simple log for documenting search missions is also available.

The workflow is as follows: At the beginning of each training session, you open a new Mission. Each Mission contains one or more Exercises. Each Exercise has conditions such as the weather and environment. Set the conditions at the time you work the Exercise. Subsequent Exercises during the course of a single training session might have different conditions e.g. raining vs. not raining so you can adjust them as you go along. Each Exercise has a discipline log associated with it. Pick the discipline you are working on and then set the details of that discipline. For example, if you are working an HRD Exercise, you would specify things such as how the source is positioned and what type of source it is. You then work the exercise with your dog. When you complete the Exercise, you can enter information about you and your dog's performance along with notes for what went well and what you need to work on going forward. After you finish the Exercise, you can create additional Exercises. The software pre-populates the user interface with the previous Exercise's settings (which you can adjust as needed) to make the process faster. Finally, when you are finished the training for the day, you would close out the Mission.

Once you have a Mission with Exercises associated with it, you can review and edit the information. You might not have some piece of information at the time you worked the Exercise. For example, if you are working a blind HRD problem, the person who put the source out would know when it was placed, where it was placed, and the type of source but since it's blind, you would only get this information later.

When the logged information is complete, you can export the information to the mobile device's clipboard which you can then paste into whatever app or document form you use for long-term log keeping. For example, you could paste the log text into an email or a PDF form.

Getting started

You'll need to set the Handler Name to your name in order for the system to automatically fill this in to each Mission. You'll also need to add a dog to the Canine list. You can also have a list of often used training locations. This information becomes available in the associated popup menus. This information can be accessed by tapping on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

Entering Missions and Exercises

The above view is the starting screen. From here, you can create a new Mission along with associated Exercises of various discipline types.

The view on the left shows the Mission setup screen. In here, you set a mission number which is usually a tracking number issued by the agency overseeing Search & Rescue operations in your area. Any unofficial training can be indicated by clicking the Unofficial button. This button simply replaces the text in the edit box with the word "Unofficial". Internally, this field is plain text and anything can go in there.

In the Training Location section, the popup menu presents a list of your usual locations set up in the Locations Editor. Again, picking a choice from that menu simply inserts the text into the edit box. Clicking the GPS button will insert your current location in UTM format.

The Log-in Date/Time can be quickly filled in with the current time and date by clicking the Now button. The same applies to the Log-out edit box. Note, when you end the training for the day by clicking the button at the bottom of this screen, the time and date of the Log-out edit box will be updated to the current time and date.

Clicking the "Start a new exercise" button will bring up the Exercise Setup screen. Here you can set the overall information about the exercise such as the dog you were working, any human flankers who were with you, and the weather/environment/terrain conditions. At the bottom is a popup menu where you select the discipline you will be working on. Clicking the "Set discipline details" button will bring up one of several screens. Note that these discipline screens are all scrolling views to accommodate all the information and lets you fill in information as you get it easily.

Important: By scrolling all the way to the bottom, you will see a Finish button. You must click this button to complete the exercise and save it in the database. If you click the circle-X in the upper left corner, you will cancel this discipline and it won't be saved. This allows you to undo adding an incorrectly chosen discipline.

Training Disciplines

Each discipline has its own set of editing screens.

Air Scent

Here are the Air Scent screens:

HRD

Here are the HRD screens:

Trailing

Here are the Trailing screens:

GSAR (General Search & Rescue)

Here are the GSAR screens:

Articles

Here are the screens for Article work

From the Gear Menu in the upper right corner, you can access the Article editor which modifies the choices available in the Specific Articles popup menu.

Water HRD

Water Human Remains Detection (Water HRD) is a discipline for canines trained to detect human remains in water. Balto's Water HRD log type captures the unique environmental factors and behaviors associated with this discipline, including platform type, water conditions, source characteristics, and behavior changes specific to water work.

Starting a Water HRD Exercise

From the Welcome page, press and hold the begin training button to start a new mission
Configure the mission details (date, location, DR number) and tap Continue
On the Exercise Configuration screen, select Water HRD as the training type
Tap Continue to begin the exercise

The Water HRD exercise screen has three sections that scroll vertically: the Logger (initial entry), the Config (source and behavior details), and the Review (rating and notes).

Logger Section

This section captures the platform and water conditions for the search.

Activity

Select the type of activity being performed:

Known — Handler knows the source location
Single-blind — Handler does not know, but someone else does
Double-blind — Neither handler nor person directing the search knows
Boat acclimation — Familiarizing the dog with boat operation
Odor imprinting in water — Teaching the dog the target odor
Extending working time — Building endurance
Current reading — Practicing reading the dog's behavior
Other — Any other activity type

Platform

Select the type of platform being used:

Boat — Working from a boat (enables Boat type and Motor type)
Shoreline — Working from the shore
Dock/Pier — Working from a dock or pier
Bridge — Working from a bridge
Wading — Wading in shallow water
Other — Any other platform type

Boat Type

If the platform is Boat, select the specific type:

N/A, Flat-bottom, V-hull, Canoe/Kayak, Pontoon, Rigid inflatable, Paddle board, Other

If the platform is not Boat, this field is disabled and set to N/A automatically.

Motor Type

If the platform is Boat, select the motor type:

N/A, Outboard gas, Electric trolling, Other

If the platform is not Boat, this field is disabled and set to N/A automatically.

Water Type

Select the body of water being searched:

Lake, River/Stream, Pond, Reservoir, Swamp/Marsh, Tidal, Other

Salinity

Select the water salinity:

Salt water, Fresh water, Brackish

Water Clarity

Select the visibility of the water:

Clear, Slightly turbid, Turbid, Opaque, Other

Wave Action

Select the wave conditions:

Calm/Flat, Light chop, Moderate chop, Heavy chop, Other

Current Speed

Select the strength of any water current:

None, Slow, Moderate, Fast, Other

Current Direction

Select the direction of the current relative to wind:

With wind, Against wind, Perpendicular, Variable, Other

Relative Wind

Select the wind direction relative to the search area:

Into search area, Away from search area, Crosswind, Variable, Other

Water Temperature

Select Cold or Warm. This affects scent dispersion in water.

Config Section

This section captures the source details and search pattern.

Source Type

Select the type of source material being used. The list includes all standard HRD source types plus Multiple for combinations.

Source Amount

Select N/A, Large, or Small to describe the quantity of source material.

Source ID

Enter an identifier for the source material (e.g. "S-12" or "Sample A"). This helps track which specific source was used across multiple exercises.

Containment Method

Select how the source is contained in the water:

Mesh bag, Cage, Perforated container, Sealed container, None (bare source), Other

Source Placed

Enter the date and time when the source was placed in the water in YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm format, or tap the Now button to use the current time. This is important for tracking scent permeation time.

Depth

Enter the depth of the source in the water (free-form text — you can include units like "10 ft" or "3 m").

Distance from Shore

Enter the distance from shore to the source (free-form text — you can include units).

Search Track Pattern

Select one or more search patterns being used during the exercise:

Parallel lanes, Grid, Point-to-point, With wind, Against wind, Quartering, X pattern, Other

Multiple patterns can be selected for complex searches.

Behavior Change

Select one or more behaviors the dog exhibited during the exercise:

Head dip over gunwale, Body lean, Freeze, Vocalization, Paw, Lip-licking, Mouth closing, Nose in water, Tail flicking, Other

These behaviors are specific to water work and help document the dog's working style. Multiple behaviors can be selected.

Review Section

This section captures the exercise results and notes.

Performance Rating

Select a rating from N/A through 0-10 to assess the dog's performance during the exercise.

TFR

Select TFR Unprompted (dog gave the trained final response on their own) or TFR Prompted (dog responded after handler cue).

False Alert

Check if the dog gave a false alert during the exercise.

Notes

Free-form text area for activity notes and any remediation plan.

Finishing the Exercise

When you're done recording the exercise:

Scroll to the bottom of the screen
Tap Finish && save exercise
The exercise will be saved and you'll return to the mission

If you tap the back button instead, you'll be prompted to confirm cancellation. Cancelling discards the exercise.

Editing a Saved Exercise

To edit a previously saved Water HRD exercise:

From the main menu, open the Logs view
Find the Water HRD exercise in the list
Double-tap the exercise to open the editor
The editor has tabs for Mission, Exercise, Conditions, Source, and Results
Make your changes and tap back to save

Tips

Use the Source ID consistently across exercises to track scent aging across multiple sessions
Record the Source Placed time accurately — water HRD scent behavior depends heavily on permeation time
Behavior changes are often subtle in water work — document any behavior you observe, even if you're not sure of its meaning
Wave action and water clarity significantly affect search difficulty — note conditions even if they seem minor
The boat-specific behaviors (Head dip over gunwale, Body lean) are particularly useful indicators when the dog is on a boat

Search Log

Here are the screens for a Search Log

Reviewing and Editing

Once you have Missions and Exercises recorded in the database, you can review and edit them as needed. By clicking on the Review button from the main screen, you will see a list of all of the Exercises, sorted by the date/time set in the Mission screen. To edit an exercise, double-tap on the desired item in the list.

All disciplines have a Mission editor and a Conditions editor.

To delete an exercise, swipe left on the item in the list you wish to delete and tap the trash can button to confirm. Note, when there are no more exercises for a given Mission, that Mission record is also deleted.

If you need to add an exercise to a Mission after the Mission has been closed, you can do so by tapping and holding on any of the other exercises in that Mission.

Exporting Information

To generate and export logs as a block of text for use in log forms, you first bring up the Review screen. From there you can select specific logs to export by checking the Select for export in the upper left corner. This presents check boxes for all of the exercises in the list. Check the logs you want to export and click the Export Logs button. The app will notify you that the clipboard now contains the log text.

You can also select a date range by clicking on the Filter icon button in the upper left corner. This will bring up the filter screen.

From here, you can specify a date range of logs and show them in the Review list or automatically export them to the clipboard.

Logs are exported in Rich-Text Format (RTF). You can paste that information into any app that supports RTF such as Microsoft Word.

If you are using an iPhone and a Mac computer, the phone's clipboard is automatically shared (via iCloud) to your Mac. Once on your Mac, you can paste the information into Word or other editor. Some editors don't retain the formatting by default so you may have to specifically choose a Paste command from the Edit menu. It may be handy to create a template document in Word that has a useful header and footer for a signature line or a unit insignia as a watermark. The paste operation will automatically add new pages as needed with the header/footer/watermark on each page.

Statistics

Each Mission has an edit box for entering the number of miles you traveled as well as the start and end times. You can have the app generate a report that includes the mileage, the number of hours worked, and the number of exercises for each log type in the specified date range. Note: the app expects dates and times to be in ISO8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss). If you entered dates by hand and use a different format, the calculation won't work.

Interactive Map

The Interactive Map is a powerful tool for visualizing search areas, planning grid searches, dividing areas into sectors, and analyzing trailing dog tracks. It supports importing geographic files from CalTopo and other mapping applications.

Opening the Map

Tap the map icon in the toolbar to slide the map view in from the side. The map displays your current GPS position as a blue pulsing marker, with an accuracy circle and heading indicator. Tap the map icon again to slide the map view away.

Importing a Geo File

Balto supports importing GPX and GeoJSON files from other applications.

From CalTopo

Open CalTopo on your device
Select the map object you want to share (polygon, line, or waypoint)
Tap the share button
Choose "Balto" from the share sheet
The file will be imported and displayed on the map

From Other Apps

Any app that can share GPX or GeoJSON files via the system share sheet will work the same way. Tap the share button in the source app, then select Balto from the list.

After import, the map will automatically center and zoom to show all imported features. The status bar at the top of the map shows what was imported (number of polygons, lines, and points).

Generating a Grid Search Path

For area searches, Balto can generate a serpentine grid search path within an imported polygon.

Import a polygon defining your search area
Tap the polygon on the map to select it (it will highlight)
Tap the grid search button in the zoom column on the right
The Grid Search panel will appear at the bottom of the map

In the Grid Search panel:

Wind Direction slider: Set the direction the wind is blowing FROM. The grid path will start at the downwind corner of the area so the dog works into the wind. Tap the compass rose buttons (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) for quick wind direction selection.

Spacing slider: Set the distance between parallel lanes of the grid. Smaller spacing gives more thorough coverage but takes longer to execute. The slider range is from 10 metres to 200 metres.

Reverse direction: Tap to reverse the path direction if needed.

Chamfer corners: Tap to add rounded transitions at the lane endpoints instead of sharp turns.

Direction arrows appear at the midpoint of each segment showing which way to walk. Arrow size can be adjusted using the arrow size slider.

Exporting a Grid Search

To save the grid search for use in another application:

Generate the grid search as described above
Tap the export button in the panel
Choose where to save or share the GPX file

The exported GPX file can be loaded into Garmin devices, CalTopo, Google Earth, or other GPS applications.

Generating Sectors

For evidence searches or systematic area coverage, Balto can subdivide an imported polygon into a grid of square sectors with unique labels.

Import a polygon defining the area
Tap the polygon on the map to select it
Tap the sector generator button in the zoom column
The Sector Generator panel will appear

In the Sector Generator panel:

Sector size slider: Set the area of each sector in acres. Sectors are square and rotated together to fit the polygon.

Rotation slider: Set the orientation of the sector grid. Sectors are labeled with column letters and row numbers (A1, A2, B1, B2, etc.) that follow the rotation.

Each sector is drawn with a unique color from a palette of 12 colors that cycle through the grid for easy visual distinction.

Exporting Sectors

To save the sectors for use in another application:

Generate the sectors as described above
Tap the export button in the panel
Choose GPX or GeoJSON format
Choose where to save or share the file

GPX files include the Garmin DisplayColor extension so sector colors are preserved in compatible applications. GeoJSON files use the stroke and fill properties recognized by CalTopo and other web mapping tools.

Track Analysis

For trailing dog training, Balto can compare the dog's GPS track to the subject's track to compute deviation statistics.

Import a GPX file containing both the subject's track and the dog's track
Tap the track analysis button in the zoom column
The Track Analysis panel will appear

In the Track Analysis panel:

Select the subject's track from the first combo box
Select the dog's track from the second combo box
The analysis runs automatically when both tracks are selected

The dog's track is colored based on its deviation from the subject's track at each point:

Green: Less than 5 metres deviation

Amber: 5 to 15 metres deviation

Red: More than 15 metres deviation

The panel displays maximum and average deviation in metres.

Geofencing

When a polygon is loaded, you can enable geofencing to receive an audible warning if you walk outside the search area.

Import a polygon defining the search area
In the status bar at the top of the map, toggle the Geofence switch to On
Balto will speak "Warning, you are outside the search area" if you exit the polygon

Geofencing continues to work when Balto is running in the background, allowing you to put your phone in your pocket while working.

Clearing the Map

To remove all imported data from the map, tap the Clear button in the status bar at the top of the map view.

Mission Summary

The Mission Summary provides a quick formatted view of all completed exercises for your current training mission. This is useful for reviewing what you've already documented during a long training day without having to navigate through individual exercises.

Opening the Mission Summary

Tap the Options menu in the toolbar
Select Mission Summary
The summary will appear with all exercises from the current mission

Availability

The Mission Summary menu item is only enabled when:

A mission is currently open
At least one exercise has been completed and saved
No exercise is currently in progress

If you start a new exercise but have not yet finished it, the menu item will be disabled. Finish the current exercise first to access the summary.

Display

The summary shows all completed exercises in reverse chronological order, with the most recently completed exercise at the top. Each exercise is displayed in the same rich-text format used by the log export, including:

Mission identification and date
Exercise type and timing
Discipline-specific details (Air Scent, HRD, Trailing, GSAR, Search, Article, or Water HRD)
Performance ratings and notes

The summary is read-only — you cannot edit exercises from this view. To edit an exercise, use the Logs view from the main menu.

Scrolling

If you have many exercises in your current mission, use the scrollbar on the right side to scroll through the summary.

Tips

Use the Mission Summary to verify all exercises have been logged correctly before ending a training day
The summary updates automatically each time you open it, reflecting the current state of all exercises in the mission
For a permanent record, use the Log Export feature from the Logs view instead

Graham Tools

The Graham Tools provide search planning calculators based on the methods developed by Hatch Graham for canine search and rescue operations. They help handlers estimate scenting conditions, plan grid spacing for area searches, and compute coverage rates.

Opening the Graham Tools

Tap the Options menu in the toolbar
Select Graham Tools
The Graham Calculator screen will appear

The screen contains four sections that work together to plan an area search.

Section 1: Scenting Conditions

This section computes the estimated Probability of Detection (POD) based on the current conditions where the search will take place.

Location

Enter UTM coordinates for the search location in the format "12S 0379774E 3821798N", or tap the GPS button to use your current location. Balto validates the UTM format and shows red text if the format is invalid.

Date and Time

Enter the date and time for the search in YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm format, or tap the Now button to use the current time. This is used along with the location to compute the sun angle and shadow length.

Shadow Length

Balto automatically computes the expected shadow length in feet based on the location and time. This serves as a quick visual check — you can compare against an actual shadow you measure on a 6-foot stick to verify your inputs.

Check the Night box if the search is at night or in deep shade, which significantly affects scenting conditions.

Surface Type

Select the dominant ground cover from the dropdown. This adjusts wind speed based on the vegetation in the area.

Get Current Weather

Tap this button to fetch current weather conditions from the internet (when available) for the location coordinates. After the weather is fetched, a dialog displays temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and cloud cover at different altitudes. The wind speed and cloud cover dropdowns are automatically populated based on the weather data.

Wind Speed and Cloud Cover

These dropdowns are automatically set by Get Current Weather but can also be set manually. They feed into the POD calculation.

Estimated POD

Displays the estimated Probability of Detection at 100 meters based on the current conditions. This represents the percentage chance that a dog will detect a subject when working at 100m spacing.

Cumulative POD at Distances

A grid showing cumulative POD at decreasing grid spacings: 100m, 75m, 50m, 25m, and 12.5m. As grid spacing decreases (more thorough coverage), POD increases. Use this table to choose a grid spacing that meets your target detection probability.

Section 2: Required Grid Spacing for Target POD

This section calculates the grid spacing needed to achieve a target Probability of Detection.

Target POD

Set the target POD percentage using the slider or text field. Typically you'd choose a value that matches your mission requirements (e.g. 70%, 80%, or 90%).

Grid Spacing Result

Balto displays the required grid spacing in meters and in paces (based on your configured pace count in Settings). Use this spacing when planning your search lanes.

Section 3: Grid Area Time Calculator

This section helps you understand the relationship between acres covered, hours spent, walking speed, and grid spacing.

Acres

Set the area to be searched in acres using the slider or text field. Range is 1 to 200 acres.

Time (hours)

Set the time available for the search using the slider or text field. Range is 0.1 to 4.0 hours.

Speed (mph)

Set the realistic walking speed for the search terrain using the slider or text field. Range is 0.5 to 3.0 mph.

Grid Spacing Result

Balto calculates the grid spacing in meters (and paces) that fits within these constraints. If the spacing is too small for adequate POD, you'll need to either increase available time, increase walking speed, or reduce the area.

Using the Speed Monitor

The realistic speed value can be measured in the field using the Speed Monitor feature. Walk a typical section of the search area and use the average speed reading.

Section 4: Acres Per Hour

This section computes search productivity given speed and grid spacing.

Speed (mph)

Set the walking speed using the slider or text field.

Grid Spacing (m)

Set the grid spacing using the slider or text field.

Acres Per Hour Result

Balto displays the acres covered per hour for the given speed and spacing. Use this to estimate how long a search will take given the area and desired coverage.

Tips

Run Get Current Weather just before the search to use the most accurate conditions in your POD calculations
The pace count used for converting grid spacing to paces is set in Settings under Handler Information
Save your scenting condition assessment as part of the exercise notes so you can reference it later when reviewing logs
For best results in the field, set up your Section 1 inputs at the start of training, then use the other sections to plan specific exercises

Speed Monitor

The Speed Monitor measures your walking or movement speed using GPS, displaying real-time speed, average speed, distance traveled, and elapsed time. Periodic speech announcements let you keep track of your pace without looking at the screen, even when the phone is in your pocket.

This feature is useful for determining how quickly you can move through different terrain types, which helps in planning grid spacing for area searches and estimating coverage time.

Opening the Speed Monitor

Tap the Options menu in the toolbar
Select Speed Monitor
The Speed Monitor screen will appear

Display

The Speed Monitor screen displays four metrics:

Current Speed: Your current speed, smoothed to reduce GPS noise. Displays 0.0 when you are stationary.

Average Speed: Your average speed since starting the monitor, computed over the total elapsed time including any stopped time.

Distance: The total distance you have traveled since starting the monitor, accumulated only when moving.

Elapsed: The total elapsed time since starting the monitor, formatted as hours:minutes:seconds.

Starting and Stopping

Start: Tap the Start button to begin measuring. The button changes to Stop while the monitor is running.

Stop: Tap the Stop button to pause measuring. All metrics retain their current values. Tapping Start again will resume from where you stopped.

Reset: Tap the Reset button to clear all metrics and start fresh.

Configuring Units

The Speed Monitor supports three unit systems:

mph: Miles per hour with distance in miles

km/h: Kilometers per hour with distance in kilometers

kts: Knots with distance in nautical miles

Select your preferred units from the Units combo box at the bottom of the screen. The display updates immediately.

Speech Announcements

The Speed Monitor can periodically announce your current speed using your device's text-to-speech engine. This lets you keep your phone in your pocket while working.

Set the announcement interval using the "Announce every" combo box:

1 min
5 min
10 min

The announcement says "Current speed: [value] [units]" — for example "Current speed: 2.5 miles per hour".

Background Operation

The Speed Monitor continues to measure speed and make announcements when:

The phone is locked
Balto is in the background
You are using another app

To ensure background operation works, grant Balto the "Always" location permission when prompted.

Tips

Walk for at least 30 seconds before reading the speed value to allow the internal filter to stabilize
GPS accuracy varies with terrain — heavy tree cover or urban canyons may reduce accuracy
Distance accumulation requires GPS accuracy better than 15 metres to filter out noise
The Speed Monitor uses battery when in the background since it relies on the same GPS updates used by other Balto features