Are you looking for fun activities that can be done indoors or outside? Try nose work!
Learn How Your Dog Navigates the Environment
Dogs use their noses all the time to process their environment. Watching a dog use its nose is lots of fun, improves your observation skills and helps you better understand your dog.
Become a Searching Team
Your dog enjoys using its natural hunting ability and you observe your dog in new ways. Nose work builds a dog’s confidence, work ethic and strengthens dog/handler bond.
Fran Smith’s GOLDRUNS BRING IT ON, TD SCA (Tori) OTCPBC AKC Scent Work Trial, Advanced Containers, November 2021. Photo courtesy of Club Member Lindsey Smith.
Just for Fun or For Competition
While our nose work classes prepare dogs for competition, you can enjoy and participate even if you never want to enter a trial. Companion dogs of all ages love using their noses. These classes are appropriate for puppies, and great for senior dogs too.
Club members and instructors participate in several nose work venues, (e.g., AKC, NACSW, PSD, USCSS). OTCPBC is licensed to offer AKC Scent Work trials. OTCPBC has also hosted National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) Odor Recognition Tests (ORTs) and trials.
In addition to offering classes and hosting trials the club periodically offers “Sniff ‘n Go” practice events that are open to the public. Information about these events may be found using the “Trials and Seminar” tab.
Class Format
In all Nose Work classes dogs work one at a time. When dog is not working, dog must be securely and calmly crated. Each handler must provide a crate for use during class. Handlers are encouraged to observe each dog/handler team work. Handlers may be asked to help with moving equipment before and after class.
What to Bring for all classes:
Please bring a crate for your dog, a chair for yourself, closed toe shoes and small, easily consumed high value treats. Please bring a smartphone or small video camera so that your session may be recorded for your review after class. Buckle or flat collar or non-restrictive harness; 10-15 foot line. No Flexi leashes.
Introduction and Foundation Classes
Class Name | Description | Prerequisites and Participant Requirements |
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NW Basic Nose Work | What: Learn more about canine olfactory abilities. Allow your dog to take the lead in enriching activities involving their natural scenting abilities. Engage in foundation work for the sport of canine nose work. How: Initially dogs will search independently for food or a toy while handlers focus on their observational skills. Teams will work at their own pace. Handlers will learn from observing all dogs in the class. Class and homework exercises will use the environment to provide learning experiences for the dogs. We will use self-reward to build dogs’ independent hunting and problem solving skills. Timing for the introduction to or the use of target odor in searches will depend on the level of the dog’s independence in searching and the level of the handler’s observational skills. At any one time, there may be a mix of some dogs searching for primary (food/toys) and some for target odor. Teams typically enroll in this class over multiple sessions. | In this class dogs work one at a time, so dogs must be able to rest quietly in a crate when not working. Dogs must be under handler control in the parking lot and when coming into or leaving the building. Completion of a puppy or obedience class is recommended. Participant Requirements: Teams will be expected to video their searches and share with instructors and classmates. Handlers may have to help with set-up or break-down of equipment. |
NW Intermediate Nose Work | Continuing foundation work in nose work skills for dogs early in nose work career. Exercises will focus on strengthening the dog’s odor obedience and the handler’s ability to read the dog. Birch, anise and clove will be used in hides. Searches may include the various odor elements used in competition nose work. Elements emphasized will be adapted to the needs of the class participants, upcoming event opportunities and weather. Hide puzzles will include multiple hides, elevations, thresholds, corners, blocked hides and non-productive areas. Searches will take place indoors at the OTCPBC clubhouse and outdoors in the parking lot, weather permitting. Teams will be expected to video searches and share with classmates. This is a class appropriate for a team to take on an ongoing basis. | Dogs must be confidently searching for birch, anise or clove. Dogs must be able to rest quietly in a crate when not working. Handlers may have to help with set-up or break-down of equipment. Use and sharing of videos is encouraged. Participant Requirements: Teams will be expected to video their searches and share with instructors and classmates. Handlers may have to help with set-up or break-down of equipment. |
Class Name | Meets | Instructor | Click Button to Register |
NW Basic Nose Work (8209) | Saturdays 3:30-4:30 pm 1/4-3/1/25 No Class 1/11/25; 1/25/25; 2/22/25 | Judy McPartland, CNWI and Lynda Bowes | |
NW Intermediate Nose Work (8208) | Saturdays 2:15-3:15 pm 1/4-3/1/25 No Class 1/11/25; 1/25/25; 2/22/25 | Judy McPartland, CNWI and Lynda Bowes | |
Extending Foundation Skills
Class Name | Description |
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NW Extending Foundation Skills — Emphasis for each six-week session: Searching Outdoors; Elevations; Inaccessible and Containers; NACSW Skills Achievement Challenge exercises. | This is a series of six-week classes reinforcing and extending skills. Teams will be presented with exercises that encourage independence, drive to source and problem-solving. Handler challenge will be to understand the scent picture that the dog is communicating. Exercises will include single and multiple hides using birch, anise and clove. Searches will be both indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Prerequisites: Dogs must be searching for birch, anise and clove, and have some experience with multiple hides. Participant Requirements: Dogs must be able to rest quietly in a crate when not working. Handlers may have to help with set-up or break-down of equipment. Use and sharing of videos is encouraged. |
NW Advanced Skill Development (8207) Continuing work to strengthen team skills for dogs that are competing in nose work. Teams will be presented with exercises that encourage independence, drive to source and problem-solving. Handler challenge will be to support the dog and to understand the scent picture that the dog is communicating. Search exercises will be designed to build a foundation for further growth as teams get ready to progress to higher levels.Searches will take place indoors at the OTCPBC clubhouse and outdoors in the parking lot, weather permitting. This is a class appropriate for a team to take on an ongoing | Prerequisites: Dogs confidently searching for birch, anise, or clove. Dogs must be able to rest quietly in a crate when not working. Handlers may have to help with set-up or break-down of equipment. Use and sharing of videos is encouraged. Participant Requirements: Dogs must be able to rest quietly in a crate when not working. Handlers may have to help with set-up or break-down of equipment. Use and sharing of videos is encouraged. |
Class Name | Meets | Instructor | Click Button to Register |
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NW Advanced Skill Development (8207) | Saturdays 12:45-2:00 pm 1/4-3/1/25 No Class 1/11/25; 1/25/25; 2/22/25 | Judy McPartland, CNWI |
Trial Practice
Class Name | Description |
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NW Trial Practice Beginner | Just beginning or early on in your scent work competition career? Join us for some practice searches, walk through and rule review. Weather permitting may include exterior search and crating in car to enable blind search in the building and practice resting in a vehicle. Prerequisites: Teams must already be searching for Birch. |
Class Name | When | Instructor | Click Button to Register |
NW Trial Practice Beginner | Judy McPartland, CNWI | ||
NW Trial Practice Beginner | Judy McPartland, CNWI | ||
Skills Focus Classes
Class Name | Description | Prerequisites |
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NW Skill Building | Grow your team by building skills in this class. Searches will be constructed to work on specific skills for both dogs and handlers. Skills include elevations, inaccessible, converging odor, thresholds, distractions, time management, leash handling and more. Teams will be asked to search blank areas and under blind conditions. Searches will be conducted both indoors and outdoors, weather dependent. | Teams must already be searching for Birch, Anise and Clove. |
Class Name | Meets | Instructor | Click Button to Register |
NW Skill Building (8210) | Tuesdays at 4:00 pm 1/14-2/18/25 | Lauren Walsh | |
NW Skill Building (8211) | Tuesdays 5:15 pm 1/14-2/18/25 | Lauren Walsh | |
NW Skill Building (8212) | Tuesdays 6:30 pm 1/14-2/18/25 | Lauren Walsh | |
NW Skill Building (8213) | Tuesdays at 4:00 pm 3/4-4/8/25 | Lauren Walsh | Registration opens 4 wks before 1st class |
NW Skill Building (8214) | Tuesdays 5:15 pm 3/4-4/8/25 | Lauren Walsh | Registration opens 4 wks before 1st class |
NW Skill Building (8215) | Tuesdays 6:30 pm 3/4-4/8/25 | Lauren Walsh | Registration opens 4 wks before 1st class |
NW Skill Building (8050) | Tuesdays at 4:00 pm 11/26/24-12/10/24 | Lauren Walsh | Registration Closed |
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Hold the dates: AKC Scent Work Trials
AKC Scent Work Trials and OTCPBC Sniff ‘n Go Events
NACSW EVENTS
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Instructor Bios:
Judy McPartland CNWI, OTCPBC Scent Work Coordinator, is a member of OTCPBC and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She is an approved AKC Scent Work Judge, PSD Judge and NACSW ORT Judge. She has competed with three English Springer Spaniels, Callie NW1 ORT, Kenzie ORT and Maggie NW3 NW3-C NW3-V, in NACSW, UKC and PSD nose work and AKC Scent Work.
Club member Marti Hohmann CPDT-KA, CNWI has been training dogs professionally for over 15 years. For several years she coordinated the Prison Pups training program offered by New Horizons Service Dogs at two area institutions. Marti is an approved NACSW ORT Judge. Both of her dogs, Lark and Fizz, have earned the NACSW titles, Lark the NW2 title and Fizz NW3 (2). Fizz is the recipient of multiple placements in AKC, UKC, and PSD trials, including several High in Trial awards.
Lauren Walsh Lauren Walsh trains and competes across the Southeastern US with her Cocker Spaniels, Raleigh ELT-CH, Cash Money ELT-CH and Swagger NW3-Elite. She is active in NACSW, AKC Scent Work, Performance Scent Dog and CPE Canine Scent Sports. With a professional engineering background in heat transfer and fluid mechanics Lauren is skilled at setting scent puzzles to challenge both ends of the leash. Through careful observation she can provide feedback to help teams continue to grow. She enjoys all aspects of teaching nose work from introducing new teams to fine-tuning teams competing at higher levels. Lauren is an approved AKC Scent Work, Performance Scent Dogs Judge and member of OTCPBC..