What is Nosework / K9 Nose Work?
Will it work for my dog?
Dogs are already really amazing sniffers. This is a skill that we do not have to teach dogs. They are born with a brain designed for processing odor. Dogs are great at finding the source of a specific odor. They are really good at identifying a unique odor signature and finding that odor even when it is mixed up with other smells. They are able to tell how long ago a particular odor signature was laid down in a particular area. They can trace odor through air, water, soil. This means that dogs can do remarkable jobs such as: detection of explosives, drugs, illness, hormonal changes, even an ear infection. They can trace the path that a person or animal took through the environment, determining what direction they went and what they touched. They can find lost or valuable items even if they are buried or far away - your keys, or truffles, or a glove.
Take a look at the dog’s nasal design and sniffing skill
If you want to get some visuals of what odor does in air, check out this video
How can you learn?
You can learn through classes online, with a certified instructor in a group class, in a 1:1 coaching setting, or in workshops. NACSW, AKC, many sporting options if that it what you are looking for! GHK9 teaches Nosework for enrichment (that means just for fun, not competition). Contact us to find out if GHK9 classes are right for you and your dog - we are happy to provide local referrals as well.
Why Nosework?
Confidence…Cooperation…Communication…Enrichment
Because dogs are natural scavengers, teaching them to apply their talent in a structured odor-based game is an easy and fun thing to teach. By teaching dogs a structured searching game, they get to “scratch that itch” in a safe way, cutting down on problematic behavior.
This can open the door to teaching your dog other skills that make less sense to the dog, but are useful for you. Skills such as separation confidence, loose leash walking, focus, waiting, leave-it, and a release cue are built into the game.
Nosework games are great for building your dog’s confidence, and for strengthening your relationship with your dog, and for improving your dog’s focus and attention. You are the one opening the door to their fun, so they want to work with you!
If you are worried that your dog’s basic needs for exercise and enrichment, Nosework games are an easy way to tire your dog out. It is good for older dogs with mobility issues, and for young dogs with energy to burn. It can help with reactive and anxious dogs. This is a game that burns energy without getting them overstimulated.
If you would like to learn to read your dog’s body language and develop better leash handling skills, Nosework will help with that, too.
Nosework is just super fun, affordable, and easy to learn to do.
If you are interested in how dogs’ sense of smell is different from humans, watch this video
And more here about how the dog’s sense of smell works!
