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Scentwork:
The sport of Scentwork is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. In AKC Scentwork, dogs search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. The cotton swabs are hidden out of sight in a pre-determined search area, and the dog has to find them. Teamwork is necessary: when the dog finds the scent, he has to communicate the find to the handler, who calls it out to the judge.
In so many dog sports the handler is in control, but this isn’t true in Scentwork. Neither the dog nor handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The handler has to rely on the dog and follow the dog’s nose to success. In Scentwork, it is the canine who is the star of the show.
Click here to learn how to get started in AKC Scentwork
The sport of Scentwork is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. In AKC Scentwork, dogs search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. The cotton swabs are hidden out of sight in a pre-determined search area, and the dog has to find them. Teamwork is necessary: when the dog finds the scent, he has to communicate the find to the handler, who calls it out to the judge.
In so many dog sports the handler is in control, but this isn’t true in Scentwork. Neither the dog nor handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The handler has to rely on the dog and follow the dog’s nose to success. In Scentwork, it is the canine who is the star of the show.
Click here to learn how to get started in AKC Scentwork
