Canine Nose Work: A Fun Sport for All Dogs
I found the sport of Nose Work aka Scent Work a few years back when one of my dogs Ducky was getting older. He loved attending classes but couldn’t participate in sports like agility any longer. Lucky for us, our local dog training club offered Nose Work. And so the fun began!
Nose Work is an activity that a dog of any size, breed or age can participate it in. Your dog will learn specific scents and how to find them. It starts slow and builds. After learning the scents, they will learn to find it in places such as a container, on a vehicle, an outdoor area (exterior) and also indoors (interior). And not only does your dog have to do something but you will too. It is a team sport! Your dog will find the scent, give you a clue and then you will have to identify it with the word “Alert”.
Canines and their Nose
Did you know that dogs have a sense of smell that’s between 10,000 and 100,000 times stronger than ours?
And, the part of a dog’s brain dedicated to interpreting scent is about 40 times larger than ours. Amazing! A nose work instructor of Ducky and I had a great way to describe it. When we smell a beef stew, we smell beef stew. When your dog smells beef stew, they smell beef, carrots, potatoes, celery, seasonings, etc. Their nose is so focused they can separate everything. Check out this excellent TED-Ed video that explains the fascinating nose of your dog.
Benefits of Nose Work
There are so many benefits to Nose Work. Firstly, it creates a bond with your dog since you work as a Team. Many people report that it builds their dog’s confidence. It also stimulates your dog’s natural senses, allowing them to do what they love. And yes, the sport of nose work can be very tiring so even the most active dog will feel like it was a workout!
What you need to start
The great thing about Nose Work is you can do it anytime and anywhere. You can set a scent in boxes that you have. Or put a scent in a room, outdoors on your patio or even on the tire of your car. Whether you are taking classes or waiting for the next session to start, you can order scents on line to use at home. The most popular and common scents to learn is Birch, Anise, Clove and Cypress. You can order them from companies such as All Good Dogs. 
Where to find classes
Local Clubs are the best place to find beginning Nose Work classes. They are becoming very popular and common so you shouldn’t have to go very far. For those unable to attend a class, there are fantastic on line courses from Fenzi Dog Sports Academy that will provide direction and practice/homework for you and your dog.
Trials/Competing
Like any canine sport, there are organizations that hold trials for Nose Work. They do require a small fee to join. All organizations are a great source to learn from and find trials.
The largest organization is the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW). They have many trial levels, each building and becoming more challenging then the next. NACSW trials are excellent but can be difficult to get in due to so many levels and not enough local trials.
The American Kennel Club AKC has recently entered into the world of Nose Work and has many local trials for beginners. Your dog does not need to be an AKC registered dog to compete. All dogs are welcome.
Another fantastic group is Canine-Work and Games C-WAGS . They have more trials and are easy to get into. Their mission is to incorporate work and fun at each event, creating an atmosphere that makes it less stressful.
Final Thoughts
Nose Work is an exciting and challenging sport for you and your dog. I have found that it is a much harder sport for me than my dog Ducky. He is doing what he loves and naturally knows how to do. It is me, as the human, that has to figure it out!
Ducky has taught me something since we have entered the sport and attended trials. And that is… sometimes you walk away with a ribbon, other times not. But if truth be told, your dog doesn’t care, they just want to use their nose and have fun!
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