Bailie and I have been attending an advanced nose work class for a couple months now. Some of our classmates already have their nose work 1 title, some are just doing nose work for fun. I thought I would bark a bit about nose work in general and let you know what we do to practice and really polish up our skills. Since we are in an advanced nose work class, we work with birch, anise, and clove. They are in our hides either by themselves or in combinations.
The odors we use are all on Q-Tips and we keep them in jars. For our nose work 1 title, we only need to find birch, but we continue to work with all three as we need to recognize them all eventually. The Q-Tips are placed often in metal containers with 2 per container. These containers can sit on things, be stuck to things or used with magnets to hang in places.
We also use a straw type thing to hide the odors. This tubing comes in a long piece which Mom cuts into smaller pieces and hides the Q-Tips inside. These “straws” are then fixed with a sticky substance wherever the hide is.
Our supplies are really pretty simple, odor, containers and straws. Remember there are 4 types of searches, interior, exterior, container, and vehicle. Yes, we do search outside in the winter as well. The odor travels differently in the cold, so we need to work on that as well. In our advance class we have been working really hard on hard to access or inaccessible hides. Every dog has issues with something. I have trouble making myself go under things. Bailie doesn’t like to work too hard and often gives up too early. Each class is challenging and we are totally worn out after class.
In the above video, the first part is my search. There were four hides and the entire search took 3 1/2 minutes. I edited it down a bit to show you how hard I was working to find the one hide that is under the middle chair in the middle of the seat. This is where I have trouble figuring out how to get myself under there by the hide. Even though I didn’t find it exactly, I really worked hard to get pretty close to it. Interior searches can also be done off leash. Off leash is challenging because it is harder to control us for the handler. Bailie demonstrates a quick off leash interior search and she does find the hide. In both videos you can see how we alert Mom when we find the odor. Note we always get rewarded at the actual hide so we associate the pay with the job done. We also get high value soft rewards as it is not allowed to leave crumbs or pieces behind as they “contaminate” the search area and would cause you to get a fault in competitions.
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That is amazing. I loved watching the video. You ladies are pawsome!
Thank you. Mom loves to watch us work and we just keep getting better!
You rock. The nose really knows. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
Thank you. We love using out noses.
Fascinating! Love the video, Emma!
Mom always thinks it may be boring for my readers, but everyone seems to like it and Mom finds it fascinating to watch as well.
So interesting. Great job!
Thank you. Mom finds it fascinating to watch.
Oh I just love watching you in action!!! I’m not sure my huskies will ever be as good at nose work as you! I do like to play with it though on rainy days. I just use a couple different boxes and put treats under a few of them, and they love finding them!!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
That is how we all got started and then it moves on to odor and more difficult stuff. We learn that finding equals rewards.
I think that is so interesting. I would get Torrey into that if I could.
I bet she would love it. You just need the basic classes and then you can train on your own. Training with an instructor is best if you want to compete, but for fun not necessary once you have the basics down.
WOW! You and Bailie did great. Emma, you are beautiful. Bailie sure does work quick. I do nose work here and found a pair of the mom’s new boots…and chewed on them. I also ripped up a new bed for me that I had for ONE day. I did all my naughty work last night, XOXO Sparkle the Naughty Teenage PBGV
Oh boy. Bailie is still complaining about her bed being too small. She ruined her nice bed, so she has her old puppy bed until Mom finds a new bed she likes for us. Don’t ruin your own valuable things!
We know who we will call if someone ever steals our forest 🙂
We will sniff it out and Bailie can do the tracking work too.
you have the bestest noses! Bravo. Are visitors allowed while you work or is it better when peeps and pets stay away from your search area?
The more distractions the better. We have to learn to focus on our work, so we practice in parks and places where there are lots of people, animals and stuff happening. I’m pretty good about going into my own bubble and working, but, no surprise, Bailie has trouble concentrating.
We really liked your SEARCH video…. you worked very much hard to be SURE you got it right.
I really worked hard and that was just my first search. I fell asleep in class waiting for my turn towards the end I was so worn out!
Dang, I am totally impressed!!!
Thank you!
Emma, we might tease you about being a diva with an attitude, but we are so impressed this morning with how diligent and hard working you are!! I know humans who couldn’t get under that chair and would have just given up completely!! You did not give up and were so directed! Does mom say stuff to you during your search or does she have to stay quiet? (and, yes, Bailie is a cute puppy!) your doodle friend, Dash
The less said the better. I get my search command, and now and then a word or two if necessary, but it is best to let me do my thing and if I need direction, do it with body language. Speaking breaks a dog’s though train, so Mom tries to stay quiet. That chair hide was really hard for me because I was not sure how to get under the chair. Often times simple stuff for humans is hard for us and vice versa.
The video was fabulous. I love seeing how each dog has a different style of searching.
Honey runs around like a whirlwind. And when she catches the scent from another direction, she stops and turns on her heels. Honey finds it hard to find hides higher off the ground.
Thanks so much for sharing your work. It looks like you’re really getting good.
Bailie is our whirlwind and because she really is more of a tracking type, she takes longer to find hides that are not down low too. She also breezes by stuff but then catches the scent and hangs a fast U turn. I am very methodical and in no rush. I take nose work very seriously and really love it whereas we thing Bailie finds it a bit boring at times. Glad you enjoyed the video. Speaking of different searches, the first one with the chairs had four hides I found two before time was up and so did Bailie, but we each found two different ones. We search so very differently, and Mom needs to read us both.
That’s so cool! I have a friend who does scent training with her dog. I’ve always been so amazing at how dogs can do this kind of thing. Keep up the pawesome work, pups!! 🙂
Mom is always amazed at what we can do too!
Great job, Emma!
I could tell that you were thinking a lot and working really hard in that video. Nosework is quite a bit of work — I can see why you’re probably tired after class!
I’ve done a bit of nosework (with birch) with several of my ratties. Hoping I’ll have the time in 2015 to do some nosework with my mom’s Brittany, Ginger. Ginger’s getting a bit older, but I think she would just love nosework!
Nose work is excellent for older dogs. Lots of the dogs that do it are seniors. Just because they can’t race and chase doesn’t mean their noses don’t work. All of us are usually exhausted after class! That is great that you work with birch. Once you have that down, it is easy to add the anise and clove by combining them with the birch at first.
Your nosework posts are always some of my favorites. I love the “working tail” you guys get when hunting. It’s a perfect combination of focus and excitement.
That is a good reason why we need to watch videos of our searches as Mom needs to focus on our nose while we search, so she misses the tail action. By watching the videos she can see the change in our tail movement when we find a hide which she can then check for if we signal with our faces. Glad you enjoy seeing us in action.
Great video and really interesting to learn more about nose work. They really look like they’re enjoying it too. Haley is amazing at finding hidden treats, this looks like something she would love to do.
It all starts with treats and then moves on to odor. It is a wonderful sport for dogs and their humans that can be done and entire life long. At the trial in September a 13 yr old dog got his title.
Its fascinating to learn about nose work. I am happy you are educating us on it. This can also help to train medical alert service dogs too. Especially those who are diabetic alert dogs. They smell a difference in the persons chemistry. Look forward to learning more.
The nose work we do uses birch, anise, and clove, but we can be trained to search for any scent you might want which is super cool!
That is so cool Sweetie! I was barking for your teacher to help you get that darn middle chair hide. Was she waiting for you to raise your paw or something? A blind man could see that you’d found it. I give you an A+☺ *paw clapping and howling praise! XXOO Bentley
Awww, thanks, Bentley. I have to really show Mom exactly where it is, even if I can’t quite reach it. The judge can always ask where and she needs to know. It is hard, but learning to communicate with each other builds bonding.
That’s some video. Noses are very important, to bad ours is flat and does smell as good
Lily & Edward
Nose work is really a sport for all dogs, though some are better than others, but you flat nosers might have some difficulty. Bummer.
What a cool training exercise and program to do with your dog!
They just love it! It wears them out mentally and they get so excited about doing it. It’s awesome.
Really cool video! Nose work is so neat to watch in action.
Mom loves to see the videos because when we are working she is so focused on certain things she doesn’t get the whole picture.
That sounds like a lot of fun! I’d love to try it with my boys.
It is a wonderful sport for dogs and it works for dogs of all ages, lots of my classmates are seniors.
We do noseworks. We have birch down and will probably move to clove next. The dogs love it!
It is such a great sport and Mom loves watching us. In our area anise is the second odor since that is the level 2 trial additional scent, but we added anise and clove within a few weeks of each other. Happy sniffing!
Very Impressive!
Thank you!
Wow, this is fascinating!
We think it is fascinating and super fun, glad you find it that way too.
I just love how your tails are constantly wagging the whole time you’re doing your searches, Emma. Cricket is like that when she’s playing ball in the yard….she tracks the ball and where it’s been and her tail never stops going the whole time. It shows how much you are enjoying it!
We love it, but I really, really love it. Bailie is much more interested in tracking, but enjoys nose work, I love nose work. I get so excited when Mom just says nose work!
That is so cool, I didn’t know this is how you did it!
There is a lot of learning and training involved, but I try to show how we do it and how hard we work at it 🙂
We are sooooo impressed. Mom plays hide with us but we are not very decerning of what the scent is. Oh youbscent hounds are so smart.
You don’t need to be a scent hound for this sport, but for a scent hound it is especially fun!
Great job, Emma! You sure look happy while you are searching!
When Mom says nose work or photo shoot, I always come running all excited as they are two of my favorite things! I really love nose work and could search for hours I think.
I love how many things you all do together – so fun to follow your travels!
Thank you! Mom just wants us to get out and experience as much in life as we can. Dexter has it a bit better being an only dog. With just one it is much easier to go places. We rarely go anywhere with all three of us, usually just one or two. Mom loves taking us along and doing our nose sports with us.
The video is so cool! I wish we had nosework in our area. It looks like you all have a lot of fun 🙂
We have a Newfie in our class. He is the class clown as he is so big and playful and loves to demolish stuff! You fluffies would enjoy nose work for sure. It will come to your area, but it will take time since it is a fairly new sport.
Wow! That is great mental stimulation indeed!
I love it so much, but it does always wear me out!
Can you explain to us what nose work is for? You mentioned competitions. Is that why it’s done? Since I’m not a dog owner, I don’t know anything about this.
Just like dogs compete in agility or obedience, nose work is a sport for dogs where you can do it for fun or just compete. It is also a sport where we work with our humans so it also increases bonding. Since all dogs are into using their noses, it is a lot of fun for us. Being scent hounds, we really enjoy it and are good at it. Nose work as you move up in it, is quite challenging too.
That looks like so much fun! I know Riley would just love a nose work class 🙂
We’ve never met a dog that doesn’t love it. The search is so much fun, and the high value reward for finding is pawsome too. California is huge for nose work. I’m sure you could find some classes there.
That is very interesting. I think Bailie giving up too soon is just being a youngster. Freighter was like that when he was young when we were hunt test training or upland hunting. He is now really focused since he has matured. I actually plan to post on it this week. 🙂
We think it is partly her age, but she is also not as focused on nose work as I am. When she does tracking she is super focused and never gives up, so I think it also has to do with what she really loves to do
You’re making me want to take nosework classes again! Mr. N has tried it before and liked it.
I love it so much! I get all wild and crazy when Mom says those words! You should get him back into it, even just for fun!
Great explanation, thank you.
You inspire me. One day I want to get Rooney involved in Nosework 🙂
Thank you. It is a sport for all ages. We are some of the younger dogs doing it as many dogs are seniors in the sport. He would love it!