Scent sports
The dog searches for a target odour hidden somewhere in a room, on a vehicle or across a patch of ground, and indicates it. The most accessible scent sport: you can start in your kitchen, with a few cardboard boxes.
About the discipline
Nose work began as a sporting adaptation of detection dog work. Instead of dangerous substances, the dog learns to search for harmless odours - usually essential oils such as clove or bergamot.
It is worked across four elements: interiors, exteriors, containers and vehicles. The dog searches freely while the handler follows and reads the moment it finds the source.
The great advantage is accessibility. It needs no ground and no physical condition, and an anxious or reactive dog can work alone in a hall without meeting other dogs. For many, it is the first activity they are actually good at.
How it works in practice
The most common handler mistake is leading the dog to the hide. In a correct 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 the scent of a specific person and follows the route that person took. The first is a search in space, the second a pursuit through time.
It is one of the best options. Work is done individually, dogs do not meet, and scent work has a calming effect. Many teams with reactive dogs start precisely here.
The first successes come surprisingly fast, often in the first session. What takes time is generalisation: searching just as well in a new place, with distractions and difficult 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
Searching for and indicating predetermined odours.
Finding small articles carrying human scent.
Locating a protected rat in a course built of 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.