Balto/Water HRD

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

If you haven't already started a Mission, follow these steps.

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 Start a new task
On the Exercise Configuration screen, select Water HRD as the training type
Tap Set Task Details to begin the exercise

Otherwise, you'll be skipping steps 1 and 2.

The Water HRD exercise screen has three sections that scroll vertically.

Environment 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, 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.

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