K9 Nose Work®: Is your dog ready for trial?
By Sue McKinney, MSW, CNWI, CPDT-KA
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You have a K9 Nose Work® dog. You have taken classes for months or years. You
feel your dog is ready for trial, but how do you really know? There is more to being
ready than understanding the odors and being a good searcher. Here are some
questions to ask.
1. Is my dog comfortable around strangers?
a. If the answer is no, does my dog bark at strangers?
b. Does my dog lunge at strangers?
c. Would my dog bite a stranger under duress?
2. Is my dog comfortable around other dogs?
a. If the answer is no, does my dog bark at other dogs?
b. Does my dog lunge towards other dogs?
c. Would my dog bite another dog (or redirect to me) under duress?
3. Is my dog able to search in all environments?
a. Tight spaces?
b. Open fields?
c. Smelly buildings?
d. With strange noises around?
e. On slick or shiny floors?
f. With a camera staring and clicking near him?
g. If strangers have on ponchos or big hats?
h. In the rain? Snow? Sleet? High wind?
i. Near water?
4. Can my dog rest in the car all day long (without walks)?
5. Is my dog relaxed in a hotel (if travel is required)?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no” (or “yes” to questions 1a. – 1c. or 2a. –
2c.), reflect on whether this is a good idea for you and your dog or not. Not every
dog is appropriate for a competitive environment. The best dogs for competition are
unflappable. Not stressed by strange environments and comfortable around people
and dogs they do not know. While this sport builds confidence and decreases
anxiety, competition adds lots of stress to the activity and that may not be good for
your dog. Always think about your dog first!
Remember, you will be nervous at the event, even if you think you won’t be. Even if
you tell others you are not. Everyone who competes is nervous. Everyone
Copyright 2017 Sue McKinney, MSW, CNWI, CPDT-KA, Whole Dog Institute. All rights reserved. No
part of this document may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission.
experiences a biochemical change in this environment – even the least nervous
person there. There is the excitement of the event for everyone - even volunteers. I
have heard volunteers say they are nervous to do new jobs or just make sure they
do it right for the competitors. So your dog will be around nervous people even if
you are cool as a cucumber. This type of environment really bothers some dogs.
If you answer “yes” to questions 1a.-c. or 2c. , your dog is NOT appropriate for
competition. Even if you tell me, “but my dog just barks at people, he would never
bite, “ I say, “he is not appropriate for competition.” A dog that is anxious enough
around people to bark at them, is not appropriate for competition. This is a dog
under stress and stressed dogs do not make “good” decisions. A dog that is barking
is starting to adrenalize and when under the influence of adrenaline many dogs
make poor decisions – they exhibit behavior not seen under other circumstances.
NACSW has a zero tolerance for human aggression. If your dog does bite another
person, that dog will be suspended or banned from competition. Why put your dog,
the person who got bitten, and yourself through this? If you choose to enter, you are
putting your need to compete above your dog’s needs and the safety of others.
Remember, just because your dog is a nose work rock star, it doesn’t mean that
competition is the right place for him or her. There are lots of outlets for nose work
including classes and possibly sniff and go’s (if they are prepared to handle a more
difficult dog behavior situation and some are). You don’t have to prove to the world
that your dog is amazing or that you are a great trainer. You are loved by your
friends and family whether you have a ribbon or not (and, let’s get real, many nondog people think our obsession with ribbons and awards is pretty silly).
Advice:
Go to some events on your own (without your dog) to volunteer so you can see what
it is all about and figure out how to prepare your dog. What can you do at home and
in class to prepare yourself for this type of event?
Find some friends and spend a Saturday training, having lunch, and training some
more. Have everyone put their dogs in their cars and work some odor problems,
stop for lunch, and then work some more. The key is to have the dogs in the car
coming out only to pee (not to play) and making them wait all morning/afternoon
for 1-4 searches. Get them used to this process.
Going to trial can be a lot of fun but it won’t be fun for your dog if you haven’t taken
the time to prepare.
Copyright 2017 Sue McKinney, MSW, CNWI, CPDT-KA, Whole Dog Institute. All rights reserved. No
part of this document may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission.