Scent sports
The dog hunts for a target odour hidden somewhere in a room, on a car or out on a patch of ground, and indicates it. It's the easiest scent sport to get into: you can start in your kitchen with a few cardboard boxes.
About the discipline
Nose work started out as a sport version of detection dog work. Instead of dangerous substances, the dog learns to find harmless odours, usually essential oils like clove or bergamot.
It's worked across four elements: interiors, exteriors, containers and vehicles. The dog searches freely while the handler follows and tries to catch the moment it hits the source.
The big plus is that almost anyone can do it. You don't need a field or a fit body, and an anxious or reactive dog can work alone in a hall without bumping into other dogs. For plenty of dogs, it's the first thing they turn out to be really good at.
How it works in practice
The mistake handlers make most is walking the dog to the hide themselves. In a proper search, the dog decides where it goes.
Frequently asked questions
In nose work the dog searches for an abstract target odour hidden somewhere in an area. In mantrailing it searches for one specific person's scent and follows the route that person took. One is a search through space, the other a pursuit through time.
It's one of the best options going. Each team works alone, dogs don't meet, and sniffing has a calming effect. Lots of teams with reactive dogs start right here.
The first finds come surprisingly fast, often in the very first session. What takes time is generalisation: searching just as well somewhere new, with distractions and tricky hides.
The rule figures on this page come from NACSW - National Association of Canine Scent Work. Rules change and federations differ - always check the rulebook of the competition you are entering.
From the same category
Finding and indicating odours set in advance, under rules close to real detection work.
The dog hunts out small articles that carry human scent.
The dog finds a protected rat hidden in a course built from straw bales.
Following a track left on the ground, step by step.
This page is informational. We work in mantrailing, search and rescue and preparation for the TSAC and BH exams - but if you want an honest opinion on what would suit your dog, write to us anytime.