The vast majority of dogs find it exciting to be able to use their nose.
Nose Work was founded in the USA and the idea was from the beginning to help dogs in kennels to a more tolerable existence by means of activation and mental stimulation. One of the founders, Ron Gaunt, who worked with service dogs, felt that many dogs have a great drive to hunt and search, and if they don’t get an outlet for that, people think the dog doesn’t fit in. Through Nose Work, the dog is given a chance to use its natural instincts such as hunting and searching. The result of this is a tired and satisfied dog.
What is Nose Work?
Nosework is primarily about having fun with your dog, but also about getting a dog that is tired and satisfied after a training session. You train the dog on the scent, for example in small cans that you teach the dog to sniff and then gradually increase the degree of difficulty. The scent source is placed on different surfaces, at different heights, in vehicles and in boxes, and the dog must search for the specific scent together with its handler.
in Sweden, three scents are used, eucalyptus, bay leaves and lavender. The search is done in different environments both indoors and outdoors.
Who is Nosework for?
If you have an outgoing or insecure dog, it can get an outlet for its energy, and at the same time strengthen its confidence through nose work. A reactive dog learns to focus on the search instead of other dogs. The sport is also suitable as activation for older, or “sick”, dogs because it is a calm activity at the dog’s own pace.
How do I and the dog learn Nose Work?
A good way is to take a course for a certified NW instructor/Scent Test judge. All clubs within the Swedish Kennel Club’s organization can arrange courses and competitions. The training is based on joy and interaction between dog and handler. It is not based on obedience, but on the dog becoming independent in its search work. The dog leads and you follow. There are NW 1, NW 2 and NW 3 where you work with the different scents in different search phases.
What equipment is needed to start with Nose Work?
No special equipment is needed other than that you have a harness or fixed collar and a leash on the dog. If you are going to compete, collars with a strangulation function, nosebands or so-called “go nice” harnesses, whose function is to tighten, are not allowed. The dog must search on a leash such as a fixed leash, tracking line or flexible leash unless otherwise decided.
Can you compete in Nose Work?
Nose Work is a general dog sport where all dogs can participate and all clubs within the Swedish Kennel Club’s organization can arrange courses and competitions. Before you can compete, you and your dog must have completed an approved scent test for the class in question. To participate in the official Nose Work competition, you also need to be a member of a club within the SKK organization.
You can participate in unofficial or official competitions. There are two different versions of official competitions, TSM (Competition in all stages) and TEM (Competition in single stage), and both consist of four different quests. TSM means that you do a container search, an indoor search, an outdoor search and a vehicle search. TEM means that you carry out all the searches in one phase, for example four different indoor searches.
Do you also want to take a course in nosework?
Podengo Friends can organize courses in nosework together with a certified instructor, for example Superima Dog Training or Räkna med hunden, and Svante’s owner Charlotte Larsson. All are certified NW instructors and Scent Test judges.
More information about Nose Work
You can find more information on the Swedish Nose Work Club’s website. SNWK is an club in the organization of the Swedish Kennel Club.
