About K9 Nose Work®
What is K9 Nose Work®?
K9 Nose Work® is an engaging and rewarding activity where dogs are encouraged to use their natural desire to hunt and search. Dogs are trained to search for specific odours, hidden in various environments. K9 Nose Work® allows all dogs, regardless of breed or age, to access skills previously reserved for specialised working dogs, such as those used by the military or police.
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K9 Nose Work® can be enjoyed on many levels. Some people engage in the game purely for enrichment and fun, only ever using food or toys in their searches. However, for those who want to expand their skills further, K9 Nose Work® can be done competitively, where dogs search for the specific odors of Birch, Clove, Anise. This type of competition takes the skill of odour detection to a more advanced level, often including complex search scenarios.
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Is K9 Nose Work® the same as Scent Work?
It absolutely is. However, there are many different ways to teach and train scent work and K9 Nose Work® is instructed by a qualified instructor who has trained using the K9 Nose Work® methodology. Here at Canberra Canine Training, our instructors teach with this methodology in mind.
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​​Why Teach Your Dog K9 Nose Work®?
K9 Nose Work® taps into a dog’s natural hunting instinct, giving them a fulfilling way to burn off mental and physical energy. It’s especially beneficial for shy or fearful dogs, as it can help them build confidence. Overactive dogs can benefit as well, as scent work provides an outlet for their excess energy while engaging them in a fun and productive activity. The game encourages independent thinking and problem-solving, all while strengthening the bond between dog and handler.
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Since K9 Nose Work® requires little equipment and can be done almost anywhere, it’s a flexible and accessible activity. It’s also an obedience-free game that dogs can participate in without needing any prior training or formal commands.
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How Do We Teach K9 Nose Work®?
We approach training with an emphasis on creating positive learning experiences for our dogs. Rather than forcing dogs to search in specific ways, we allow them to use their instincts to explore, search, and solve problems independently. Our goal is to learn from the dogs, observing how they naturally approach a search.
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We start by teaching dogs the foundations of K9 Nose Work® by hiding their favorite food or toy in cardboard boxes. As the dogs progress, we introduce more varied search environments and gradually increase the difficulty of the challenges. When dogs find their favorite thing, they self-reward by playing with or eating the item, reinforcing the searching behavior.
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As they become more comfortable, we introduce the four ‘elements’: containers, interiors, exteriors, and vehicles. During the early stages, dogs continue searching for food or toys, allowing them to hone their scenting skills before moving on to more complex odour-based tasks.
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It’s important to us to allow our dogs to build their desire to hunt, their stamina, and their problem-solving skills before introducing odour-based searches. After several months of food or toy only searches, we gradually transition to working with odour, starting with Birch. At first, we pair the odour with the reward the dog is familiar with, and over time, the dog learns to search for the odour alone.
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The Path to Competition
For those who wish to take their sniffing skills to the next level, competition trailing is the ultimate goal. In this aspect of the sport, dogs search for "blind hides" where the location of the odour is unknown to the handler. They also learn to search for multiple hides within a single area, and in higher levels of competition, they search for an unknown number of hides in larger environments.​
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When it comes to the sport as a competition, here in Australia teams can trial in both ACSW and ANKC competitions, no matter how they have learned their skills.
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Whether for fun or competition, K9 Nose Work® is a fantastic way for dogs and their handlers to bond, build confidence, and enjoy the process of discovery together. And most of all, it’s fun!
