Sniffin Around STL Scent Work Club
- What is Scent Work -
The canine sport of scent work replicates the job of a working detection dog, in that the dog needs to locate a specific odor and communicate to it’s handler that the target odor has been found. The handler has to rely on the dog and it's keen since of smell to succeed. Scent work is designed for all dogs, regardless of the breed, size or age and for all levels of handlers from beginner to expert. Scent work can be done in different locations, from inside your home and backyard, to a park or local pet-friendly store.
Whether you participate in scent work with your dog for fun or for competition, either way it is a great means to building and strengthening your bond.
American Kennel Club "AKC"
The Elements
Searches in AKC Scent Work are completed in a variety of environments, known as “Elements.” The Elements in AKC Scent Work are:
Container: The target odor is concealed within a container (such as a cardboard box or briefcase), and the dog must indicate in which container the scent is hidden.
Interior: The target odor is concealed on or in an object in an indoor search area.
Exterior: The target odor is concealed on or in an object in an outdoor search area–this requires the dog to locate the scent despite changing airflow patterns, weather conditions, and natural distractions.
Buried: The target odor is concealed within a small container and then buried beneath sand or water.
In AKC scent work specifically, essential oils of either Birch, Anise, Clove or Cypress is placed on a q-tip and hidden within a specified search area. There are four different types of search areas offered, called elements, including containers, interiors, exteriors and buried. Neither the dog nor the handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The dog and handler then has to search the specific area to find the hidden target odor, in which the dog must communicate to the handler where the odor is located at.
The Difficulty Levels
Each element in the Odor Search Division, and the Handler Discrimination Division, has four difficulty levels: Novice, Advanced, Excellent, and Master. Dogs will begin with the Novice level classes and move up as they earn titles, and may progress through the elements at different speeds (i.e., a dog may compete in the Novice Interior class and the Advanced Container class). Factors such as the size of the search area, the number of hides, whether the number of hides is known or unknown to the handler, and the maximum height of the hides will change with the difficulty level.
The Detective Class is the highest level competition in AKC Scent Work–it offers an integrated search environment with an unknown number of hides in a variety of elements.
