Nose Work...you are probably saying to yourself "Oh, I know what that is. I do that with my dog all the time…Why do I need to take my dog to classes to teach them how to use their nose?"

Fair statements and questions.

Every dog has a nose. Every dog knows how to use it. Even when our dogs lose their eyesight and/or their hearing, their noses continue to give them information.

Many are familiar with professional detection work dogs, and how they use their noses to find various things like narcotics, explosives, arson, mold, detecting cancer, diabetes spikes/drops, and seizures.. Our companion dogs can enjoy that same type of “work” but structured as a game, and in a way that allows all dogs (and handlers) to participate. Nosework is one of the many options for that type of enrichment, along with activities like tracking, field work, hide and seek, and find it games.

K9 Nose Work® is a great sport for dogs! We all know that dogs have an amazing sense of smell. Couple that with their natural desire to hunt and you have K9 Nose Work®. This sport was developed in 2006 by a team of professional trainers in Southern California working with certified detection dogs. Amy Herot, Jill Marie O'Brien, and Ron Gaunt saw, through their dogs, how gratifying searching was. These professionals were aware of how scent-related detection activity focused their dogs and created a sense of calm and confidence. Herot, O'Brien, and Gaunt realized that not every dog can handle the physical demands of SAR (search and rescue), drug/narcotics, or bomb detection, nor do all people want to work in that field. That said, they knew that all dogs could enjoy and benefit from searching and scenting work.

K9 Nose Work® is perfect for any dog, of any age. K9 Nose Work® is designed to encourage your dog's natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt and their love of toys, food, and exercise. It is a wonderful means for letting your dog have fun, build confidence, and burn lots of mental and physical energy.

K9 Nose Work® can remain an activity to play with your dog or, if you choose, you can move into the competitive side of the sport. Either way, you and your dog will learn to work together in the pursuit of specific scents derived from easy-to-acquire (and legal) materials. The odors can be hidden inside a building, outdoors, on a vehicle, or in one of several identical containers.