Nearly 50 dogs are in Meridian this weekend staying up to date on the skills needed for working with law enforcement. Officials say training is critical to saving lives.

If two heads are better than one, then four legs are definitely better than two. At least that's the approach used by K-9 handlers when it comes to search and rescue operations.

"It's been proven that one properly trained Search and Rescue dog can do the work of up to 20-30 human searchers," said Jason Purgason - Instructor, Highland Canine Training.

The keen senses of a canine give it the ability to cover ground more quickly than person, but being able to see, smell and hear better than their handlers is just one of the advantages held by the dog.

"Their speed, their size, their agility does allow them to check in places that are, number one, unsafe for humans and also inaccessible for humans," said Purgason.

Throughout the three-day seminar, instructors are teaching the handlers new ideas and concepts that have been learned from disasters in the last ten years. Master Sergeant Bob McFadden has been working with dogs for 35 years and knows just how important it is for dogs to never stop training.

"I've seen it progress to a stage that we never would've dreamed in those years as far as it has come. And that's the detection capability of the dog," said M/Sgt Bob McFadden - Mississippi Highway Patrol.