No dog activity comes more naturally to dogs than scent-based pursuits. Man has long worked with dogs in scent based activities such as tracking game, criminals, search and rescue, and finding dangerous substances - i.e. drugs and explosives. Recently a new scent based dog sport (nose work) has been developed to provide fun and excitement for both the dog and the trainer. Here dogs are trained to locate harmless odors such as anise, birch, and clove. This sport comes naturally to dogs and this is one activity where dog is superior to man, let's face it your nose does not hold a candle to the dog’s nose. In most other dog sports the dog is trained to read man - i.e. follow the handler’s directives. In nose work the roles are reversed and the handler needs to learn to read the dog: where is the dog leading?; is the dog signaling that he has found the odor and where? This results in a very close bond between the handler and the dog. The combination of doing what comes naturally to the dog and the bonding has an unexpected benefit in that shy and fearful dogs have found themselves and come out of their shell to become self assured companions.
Come and join us in this new sport to have fun with your dog.
