Rio working his sniffer
Want a good confidence-building activity for your dog but don’t have much time? Try K9 Nose Work. Any person can do this activity, and any dog will enjoy it!
Don’t worry about the time commitment– your dog will be happy if all you ever do is beginner level. Just in case you ever decide to advance, you should be in good shape – these methods follow my own training in the practice of official K9 Nose Work.
If you are interested to advance, this can be foundation work to eventually track a variety of scents in different environments.
Preparation before you start:
- Gather 6-10 boxes of various sizes. In beginner level, you can work up to more boxes and other containers such as planters and bags.
- Mark and separate the boxes that will hold the food. The other containers are decoys and should not be contaminated with the food.
- Prepare treats – say 20 per session per dog. Try various treats. One good (smelly) option is salmon treats!
- Plan on 5-10 minutes per session per dog (about 3-5 finds).
Nose Work (Watch the video and here’s what you’ll see):
- Work one dog at a time. Control your dog while you set up. You can crate him, tie him, keep him in another room, or have someone hold him. It’s no problem if he watches you set up.
- Set up. The set-up doesn’t matter much, except it should look different each time. If the dog is watching, I like to start by placing the food, and then continue placing the decoys in various positions.
- Set 4-5 treats in the food box.
- Get started with a cue of “Find It!”
- Act invisible. Don’t let your dog see you looking at him. Don’t move too fast, and don’t stand too still either! Watch your dog (out of the corner of your eye).
- BE THERE (to give him more food) when he finds the food. First, let him eat and enjoy the food he finds (4-5 treats). Lean in and give him 1-2 more treats. Keep your treat hand very close to where he found the food.
- Remove the container, and go back to step one. It’s important for you to remove the container (rather than asking your dog to leave the container).
TIPS:
- As with all new learning, start super easy and slowly advance. If your dog gives up or gets distracted, you have not made it easy enough.
- Advances in the beginner level can include: different foods, different rooms, garage, paved area outside, other buildings (off your property), different types of containers.
There is no question this will be a good experience for your dog and you. The only question is exactly how will it benefit you??? There’s only one way to find out…
Sharing is caring! 
