Nose Work, Scent Work & Tracking

Updated: 7/1/24

One of the newer dog sports... Taps into your dog’s natural instinct and desire to use his nose. No previous experience is required. Any dog and any person can participate and have fun!

While we cannot teach dogs to scent (they do it naturally), we can tap in to their natural instinct and teach them to find what we want them to find, when we want them to find it, and to tell us when they have found it. Scientists estimate that canine olfaction is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than human’s.

K-9 Nose Work

K9 Nose Work® Started in June 2006 by Amy Herot, Ron Gaunt, and Jill-Marie O’Brien. They created the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW™) which is the governing body for K9 Nose Work® (NW). NACSW trains and certifies Instructors in their training methodology, for the activity and sport of K9 Nose Work®. They use the method that is most beneficial to the dog. I strongly recommend you train with a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI).

This sport that mimics the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent and communicate to the handler that the scent has been found. Working detection dogs are trained to search for a variety of things–drugs, explosives, human remains, currency, other contraband, living humans (such as for Search and Rescue).

Scent Work

The American Kennel Club (AKC) added Scent Work (SW) to their performance events in Sep 2017. The two activities (SW and NW) are very similar with just a few minor differences.

• Age Requirements:
  • NACSW – Odor Recognition Test (ORT) 6 months, Trial 1 year
  • AKC – Trial 6 months
• Disabled dogs can do Scent Work and compete
  

Photo courtesy: M. Kitzrow

Image 1 - Chili searching Containers at a National Association of Canine Scent Work trial.

Photo courtesy: C. Dreyfus

Image 2 - Willie working through a practice session.

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Tracking

Tracking requires very little equipment... You need a harness, a 20-to-40 foot lead, a few flags to mark your track, and an open grassy area free of obstacles such as roads, ditches, or woods.

Want to test your dogs tracking ability? You can test his abilities in a Tracking Dog Test (TD). The test is non-competitive where your dog follows a path to find article(s) dropped along the way. There’s no time limit as long as your dog is “working.” Learn all about Tracking on the AKC - Tracking Information webpage.

Photo courtesy: C. Jurey

Image 3 - Jedi tracking on a non-vegetative surface on a VST (Variable Surface Track) on a ten-foot lead.

Photo courtesy: C. Jurey

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Image 4 - Jedi tracking down a long, tall, vegetated leg of a Tracking Dog Excellent test on a twenty-foot lead.

Photo courtesy: C. Jurey

Image 5 - Jedi tracking on a non-vegetative surface on a VST (Variable Surface Track) on a ten-foot lead.

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Related Links

• NACSW™ - K9 Nose Work® (NW)
• AKC Scent Work Information
• AKC - Tracking Information
  

Events

All-Breed AKC Scent Work Trial:
Bouvier National - October 2024, Purina Farms, MO

Committee

Corrine Dreyfus - Chairperson
[email protected]