Scent Work

Pre-requisites: Basic Obedience (Dogs must be obedient, quiet in class and not dog aggressive)

Begin the exciting game of scent work! This is a sport for just about everyone.  It’s easy on the handler and the dog.  Equipment needed is inexpensive.

The course will focus on odor imprinting, building a solid foundation while creating value for odor, basic concepts in searching for odor, proper use and handling of odor, playing games to build confidence and focus. Building drive for searching for food, effectively teaching to stay at source and strengthening skills.

Handlers will be working on skills throughout the class. Sitting on the floor or a chair will be part of the class session the first 2 weeks. To ensure you are able to give your dog the focus needed, we ask that there be only one dog per handler.

Teams will move to L2: Advanced after taking the full 4 weeks of Beginner.   This is a very progressive class. Teams that miss any of the first 3 classes or have not been diligent about homework, will need to repeat the Beginner Class.

This class offers no drop-in classes

Elements covered in this course: Imprinting odor, building a solid alert, creating value for odor, game playing and FUN!

Elements covered in this course: Various AKC and CPE

Pre-requisites: Basic Obedience and completion of Scent Work 1: Beginners or another equivalent class with another instructor. Dogs must understand and alert to odor.  If needed, Teams will be moved to L1 Beginner after the first week,  based on the instructor’s evaluations. 

The course will begin the journey of searching.  As we continue to strengthen your dog’s searching skills by building on and expanding the dog’s knowledge of odor in different environments, we will begin to build a stronger team relationship.    The stronger the team’s skills are at this level, the more success the team will have in scent work.   Building on the foundation will give the dog and handler confidence and motivation to move forward and be successful.

Elements covered in this course:  Reading Your Dog, Leash handling, Start Line Routines, Interior and Container Searches.  

Teams will move to L2.5 after the 4 weeks session with instructor’s approval

This class offers no drop-in classes

Elements covered in this course:  Various AKC and CPE

Pre-requisites: Basic Obedience and completion of Scent Work 2: Intermediate or another equivalent class/workshop.

As the name suggests, the course will offer a transition between Novice/Advance to Excellent/Masters continuing to strengthen the skills learned in L2- Intermediate building a stronger team relationship and accurately reading your dog in seek and source mode.

Broaden your dog’s ability to hone into a skill it already possesses.   Goal to include, fine-tuning the teams for Excellent/Master Level competition.  Strengthening skills such as learning to read your dog, knowing when to assist the dog, and learning to trust are important skills for scent work.   Learn how to analyze the environment to handling lingering odor, converging odor, and airflow.   

Elements covered in this course:  Introduction to Completion Error Free Handler Discrimination, Interior, Containers, Exterior and Vehicles (Exterior and Vehicles are weather permitted)

Teams will be moved to L3 at the instructor’s approval.  No drop-in classes are offered.

This course is open to dogs who are actively trialing at the Advanced or higher level.  Teams who are not ready for this class will be moved to L2:Advanced after the first week

Pre-requisites: ​Completion of Scent Work 2.5: Transition or an equivalent class from another location. Dogs must understand odor and search independently. Dogs not meeting the requirements will be moved to Scent Work 2.5 or Scent Work 2 based on dog’s level.

Interested in taking the sport to the next level?  Interested in competition scent work?  Dog and handler teams will train to search odors on a higher level of intensity.  Teamwork and trusting your dog is essential for a team to be successful in Scent Work. We will focus on the balance between dog and handler to define true teamwork. Become confident at reading your dog and learn how to read a search area.

The class offers a variety of elements and each 4-week session will vary on class lessons.

This class offers no drop-in classes.

Dogs must understand, search and alert on odor.  This class is for handlers interested in getting a stronger, more confident working relationship while tackling more challenges. 

Elements covered in this course: Various AKC and CPE ( Handler Discrimination, Interior, Container and weather permitted, Exterior and Vehicle Searches