Fascinating fact: Dogs have a sense of smell that’s between 10,000 and 100,000 times more acute than ours! The sport of Scent Work celebrates the joy of sniffing, and asks a dog to sniff to their heart’s content; turning your dog’s favorite activity into a rewarding game. It is a terrific sport for all kinds of dogs, and is a wonderful way to build confidence in a shy dog.
In so many dog sports the handler is in control but this isn’t true in Scent Work. Neither the dog nor handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The handler has to rely on the dog, and follow the dog’s nose to success. In Scent Work, it is the canine who is the star of the show.
The sport of Scent Work is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. In AKC Scent Work, dogs search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. The cotton swabs are hidden out of sight in a pre-determined search area, and the dog has to find them. Teamwork is necessary: when the dog finds the scent, he has to communicate the find to the handler, who calls it out to the judge.
AKC Scent Work makes a rewarding game out of your dogs favorite activity – sniffing. It’s a terrific sport for all kinds of dogs and a wonderful way to build confidence in a shy dog. All dogs, purebreds and mixes can participate. Blind, deaf, handicapped dogs can participate and are very welcome in classes and trials. We currently have a blind and deaf dog who loves nose work and is doing a fantastic job. No prior training is needed.
For more information:
Contact INSTRUCTOR Mariah Johnston & Kirsti Lavoy
Tuition: $150 per 6 week session
All MD regulations for COVID-19 will be followed to keep everyone safe.
Location: Washington County Ag. Ed. Center, Rt 65 Sharpsburg Pike. Classes are either outside in a totally fenced in area or in a climate controlled building with full matting.
Classes are limited to 6 dogs and the Advanced Class is limited to 8 dogs. Age appropriate vaccinations required. Classes fill quickly so reserve your spot today! Plus We are working towards holding an AKC scent work trial in the near future – watch for the announcement.