Scentwork
Scentwork
Have you ever heard of scentwork?
It's a fun activity for pet dogs and their owners, and a competition sport created and sanctioned by the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) and has since been adapted by AKC and UKC as well.
The activity is similar to the training professional scent detection dogs ("sniffer dogs") receive. Elements of the training are used in scent work, but for fun only and for legal substances. Scent work encourages your dog to use his natural hunt drive and unique talent for picking up odor and locating the source. Scent work training teaches your dog to find one of three odors, wherever they are hidden. In competitions, there are four locations involved in searching: interiors, exteriors, containers, and vehicles. Scent work isn't an obedience-based activity. Instead, it works with your dog's natural instinct to hunt and track scents. There are few commands given during the activity, and the dog should work independently without needing the owner's input.
Even with no desire to complete in any trials, scent work is a fun game to play with your pet even at home and keeps your dog mentally stimulated.
Scent work doesn't require any agility course or even specific locations. It can be done in the comfort of your home (rain or shine) and even out and about at parks, stores and buildings the owner can have access to. Most common scents use are sweet birch, clove, anise and vetiver.
Although scent work is not difficult to learn there are some important details that need to be paid attention too.
During training we will educate you on proper handling of scent material, what and what not to use, how to store it, and of course...how to teach your dog to find it.
Contact us to join the fun of scent work.
Feeling competitive and like to be more serious in this new en devour? Contact Allison Andrews with Foothills Canine Academy.
AKC CGC, CGCA & CGCU (Public Access Test) $45
Not every client wants to participate in the CGC classes but has the skills to train their dog on their own.
We will be happy to schedule any CGC test for you. The CGC is the foundation and has to be passed prior to attempting the CGC Community Canine and/or the CGC Urban Public Access.
The tests are $45 each and does not guarantee passing of the test if not all 10 test points were checked off.
Additional AKC fees apply for certificate and/or title.
Ribbon is incl. upon passing the test, however any medals or rosettes can be requested in addition.
Passing the Urban CGC test or Canine Good Citizen test does not make a dog a service dog or emotional support dog. A key distinction of service or emotional support dogs is that the owner/handler has a disability. It is unethical to misrepresent a pet dog as a service or emotional support animal.