Nose Work for the Companion Dog

Congratulations and thank you,

for enrolling in this fun Online Self Study Course about Nose Work/ Scent Work.

This Course should not be a substitute for attending a class with an Instructor, this course is built to give you a better view and understanding of what Nose Work/ Scent Work is all about.

The Introduction to Nose Work/ Scent Work class can be repeated many times as the level of difficulty will be adjusted as the dog gains better skills.

This course is great for newly adopted dogs and helps them become more confident in new environments, it is also a great class for dogs that need a lot of mental and physical stimulation or dogs that are retiring from other dog sports due to age or injuries.

Nose Work/ Scent Work brings out and uses your dog's natural hunting instincts.

Training generally starts by getting a dog excited about hunting for hidden treats or a favorite toy. The dog is immediately rewarded when he finds the treat or toy building even more excitement for the game.

As a dog becomes more skilled training advances to interior, exterior, container, and with some venues vehicle searches.

In advanced classes, dogs perform searches that build endurance as well as discrimination between the odor "source" and other environmental distractions. In such situations, dogs seek specific odors, (in NACSW nose work three odors are used: birch, anise, and clove. In additional to these odors, the United Kennel Club (UKC) uses myrrh and vetiver, and the American Kennel Club uses cypress) infused on cotton swabs and hidden inside tins, straws or other objects. Once the dog has found the object they must signal to the handler and the handler must be trained to recognize the dog's signal.

Class level 1

Introduction to Nose Work/ Scent Work - Overview

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and natural desire to hunt, this class focuses on teaching you how to encourage and develop your dog's natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt and their love of food, toys, and exercise.

It's a great class for your dog to have fun, build confidence, and burn lots of mental and physical energy and to find out just how good your dog's nose is.

The list of Organizations that offer Scent Work for dogs is growing, here are some Organizations listed if you are interested in learning more about this great sport for you and your dog.

National Association of Canine Scent Work www.nacsw.net

American Kennel Club www.akc.org

United Kennel Club www.ukcdogs.com/nosework

United States Canine Scent Sports www.uscaninescentsports.com

Performance Scent Dogs www.performancescentdogs.com

K9 ABC Games http://k9abcgames.net/index.php?r=site/page&view=about

Glossary of possible Nose Work/ Scent Work Terminology used during our Introduction Course:

Container - Inside a box.

Cold box - A box or object without target odor

Hide - Hidden food treat or odor

Hotbox - The box containing the hidden target odor is called "hot".

Kibble - A slang term for dry commercially available dog food (as opposed to moist diets, raw food, etc.)

Odor - The smell of treats or essential oils used in competitions and training: birch, clove, anise, cypress

Primary - Things your dog likes the best: food or toys (food preferable for beginner dogs)

Source - The exact location of the hidden primary or the odor source. (Used primarily in reference to target odors).

Target Odor - The odor the dog will be searching for.

Thresholds - A threshold is a location where every search starts, going from a non-search area into a search area.

Happy Sniffing,

Anke King, CNWI

AKC Scent Work Judge,

K9 Bondz, LLC