Police bloodhounds train for the real hunt

Jill, an 11-month-old bloodhound, rushed around an empty field near Algonquin and Golf roads in Arlington Heights on Wednesday, leading Naperville police Officer Mike Buckley on a search for a "missing person."

It was all part of training exercises for Jill and Buckley conducted by the Cook County sheriff's office K-9 Unit.

Buckley and Jill just started working together about one month ago.

"She did well. She had a couple of puppy distractions, but she found the person in the long run and that's all that matters is bringing people home," Buckley said after completing the course. "We try to train and try the make the dogs fail in training so that we can do better in the field when it's a real call."

Bloodhounds are used to search for missing persons, including people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and dementia, officials said. The dogs must go through training periodically to improve their skills.