Nosework: Great For Dogs!

[The Spotted Devil]

Is there a victorian Noseworks club or something? How would you get started? ☺

PM me swain and let me know where you are located. I can put you in touch with the right people :)

[Papillon Kisses]

Hmmm, no I think I understand, they don't have a Noseworks class and you're just waiting until you can do tracking with the teacher you want?

I only know of one place that regularly runs Noseworks classes in Vic, Helping Hounds in the Mornington Penninsula. The Spotted Devil might know more. It looks like Scent Dogs Australia run workshops in Melbourne. Once you have the basics you can play Nosework in your house or anywhere you go.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Papillon Kisses

[The Spotted Devil]

Hmmm, no I think I understand, they don't have a Noseworks class and you're just waiting until you can do tracking with the teacher you want?

I only know of one place that regularly runs Noseworks classes in Vic, Helping Hounds in the Mornington Penninsula. The Spotted Devil might know more. It looks like Scent Dogs Australia run workshops in Melbourne. Once you have the basics you can play Nosework in your house or anywhere you go.

Yes Jennifer is great! I have another contact who works with Jennifer too. Noseworks can be taught differently too - eg Fenzi classes teach it differently to K9 Noseworks which does effect how easy it is to transition to competition.

[corvus]

Incidentally, CCD actually impairs olfaction. Dogs with dementia can have difficulty locating a treat on the ground or buried in shallow sand. Problem solving exercises are known to improve symptoms, though. Just thought I'd flag that in case people do start it with a dog with dementia and are disappointed with the results. Dogs are individuals, and it's hard to tell how far along they are with CCD and what it affects.

[Scottsmum]

Incidentally, CCD actually impairs olfaction. Dogs with dementia can have difficulty locating a treat on the ground or buried in shallow sand. Problem solving exercises are known to improve symptoms, though. Just thought I'd flag that in case people do start it with a dog with dementia and are disappointed with the results. Dogs are individuals, and it's hard to tell how far along they are with CCD and what it affects.

Yeh - in the original link they actually said they had to elevate the hides for the CCD dog :) But good to point out in case people don't follow the clicky link :)

[silentchild]

Helping Hounds, K9 Nose Fun and Scent Dogs Australia are the ones I know of who hold training classes locally (VIC).

I do Nosework with the Fenzi Academy as I hate attending classes and personally for me I've found their method to be the easiest to transition to competition and makes the most sense to me. Not saying the other organizations aren't great also, just this one works best for me.

But Nosework in general is a quite 'safe' sport no matter how it's taught - it's very hard to get it 'wrong'. :)

[Scottsmum]

Hmmm, no I think I understand, they don't have a Noseworks class and you're just waiting until you can do tracking with the teacher you want?

I only know of one place that regularly runs Noseworks classes in Vic, Helping Hounds in the Mornington Penninsula. The Spotted Devil might know more. It looks like Scent Dogs Australia run workshops in Melbourne. Once you have the basics you can play Nosework in your house or anywhere you go.

Yes Jennifer is great! I have another contact who works with Jennifer too. Noseworks can be taught differently too - eg Fenzi classes teach it differently to K9 Noseworks which does effect how easy it is to transition to competition.

This!

I've done Nosework classes with the group in Sydney who are (pretty much) leading the way (https://www.facebook.com/K9NoseTime) , I also did a round of classes with an organisation which shall not be named :) and I did some of the Fenzi classes - which as much as I love the idea of I cant follow along (I did conditioning and nose work with fenzi and really flunked out in all cases - I found I needed someone to show me what to do with Scottie - I struggled to comprehend the notes, figure out "how to make my dog do it" and then get the desired result)

But - that said - we did the classes at the first organisation and went on to scent there. Then after a break of about 3 months when they weren't running scent 2 - I found Marion at k9 nose time and asked her about it - she put us back in basic and we started from scratch and I don't think there were any ill effects ... Basically Thistle (well, Thistle's mum) you can't really stuff nose work up - you let the dog take control and you're just the transport to the game ;) You'll be amazed how good it is for them :)

[SpikesPuppy]

For the Victorians, I can vouch for the girls at Scent Dogs Australia for both tracking and Noseworks and also highly recommend the Theory (tracking or noseworks) sessions they also offer. Sonja and Emma have both worked with SAR & detection dogs in a professional capacity and have a very positive "let the dog learn" approach. I have taken 7 different dogs to various SDA workshops over the last few years and love how every dog is treated as it's own individual, confident happy dogs and fearful or timid dogs are equally welcome. Even reactive dogs as everything is done individually (which I also love as I get to observe all the other dogs and handlers and pick up things that way as well).

[skip]

I don't knowuch about either sport as beginning both thou my Kelpie could is better suited to NW.

We are playing with tracking and with two working dogs, its funny how each dog is different. The border collie is super competitive and will rush to find the hide (hidden scent). While she is super keen my Kelpie will move slower but with method to find the scent and get the hide first.

My Kelpie will try to use her sight as well and if the thing the food is hidden in during class is obvious she will zoom to the object not the smell. Not what u want but not usually a problem except in one class they used a stick on blue plastic pot which the Kelpie soon recognized by sight more than smell.

With tracking we started totally differently by leaving dog, walking out and leaving an object/toy. Once dropped we continue to walk away and return by another path. The dog is on lead and released to find it. If they follow the scent we move on, if they go off faster to zoom and find toy, we wait until they start sniffing the scent again before allowing them on.

The border collie has the idea but goes really fast, moving back and forth. My kelpie r

Might look like she isn't sniffing but generally she is where the scent is and as she gets closer she suddenly swoops on the object.

Is it normal that dogs work differently? Particularly dogs of different breeds. Some seem to go slowly but carefully, mine tends to do sweeps and then casually locks on. You do see that lovely head snap when she gets there.

Only learning but going to class as it helps motivate me.

Tracking might be too many dogs out for my Kelpie. And she would rather run herding than sniffing but worth a play.

[Papillon Kisses]

Love the head snap. :D

[Papillon Kisses]

Oh look

[Scottsmum]

Is it normal that dogs work differently? Particularly dogs of different breeds. Some seem to go slowly but carefully, mine tends to do sweeps and then casually locks on. You do see that lovely head snap when she gets there.

Only learning but going to class as it helps motivate me.

Tracking might be too many dogs out for my Kelpie. And she would rather run herding than sniffing but worth a play.

I) Yes it's absolutely normal for dogs to work differently. Scottie is slow and methodical - he takes his time and even though he moves at a snails pace when he's on scent he puts the breaks on and does a little handstand. It's adorable.

I've learnt so much from sitting in and watching other dogs in class.

Here are two nice, very different styles.

I believe technically the pounce on the box is frowned upon but ...

Don't discount "just sniffing" - a big sniff day is 100000000% tiring - Scottie slept the entire afternoon after his first ever nosework class - it was the very fist time since we'd owned him when he didn't demand an afternoon walk! Nosework or scent work uses so much of their brains and tire and lots of people say that too :) Not just me

[westiemum]

Does anyone know if there a scent work class in Adelaide? I'd love to try something like that with Sarah and Andy even though we'd all be absolute novices!!

[Scottsmum]

Does anyone know if there a scent work class in Adelaide? I'd love to try something like that with Sarah and Andy even though we'd all be absolute novices!!

We all start somewhere!

If there isn't anything - I can step you through "chicken in a box" LOL - otherwise known as "starting on primary" ;)

Scottie and I often go back to "chicken in a box" even though you're not technically suppsoed to go back after you've gone onto an odour.

[Rebanne]

Oh look

Yes I saw this but am working that weekend

[swain]

Oh look

Ooohhhh.....thats not far from Ballarat. Thanks for posting!!!

[Little Gifts]

I'm going to read up on this and see if we have an option near me in South East Queensland. Tempeh is a nervous nelly who gets all worked up leaving the house even to walk. I started doing treat dispensing puzzles with her for all her meals to busy her mind. It took her a few days to work out why I was hiding her perfectly good food under things but now she enjoys it and the stimulation is positive for her behaviour. Maybe if she had an out of the house activity she actually enjoyed she wouldn't be so scared? She finds nothing positive about walking - doesn't sniff or look at anything and just keeps walking till she can see home again. It's sad because Stussy loves a romp in the park and now has noone to do that with.

[skip]

Thanks Scottsmum

Those videos were interesting. I would have to check with my instructor first but I'd love to share a video of my kelpie.

LOve to see some videos of DOL dogs too?

[Scottsmum]

Thanks Scottsmum

Those videos were interesting. I would have to check with my instructor first but I'd love to share a video of my kelpie.

LOve to see some videos of DOL dogs too?

No videos of Scottie that I know of ...

[Papillon Kisses]

Here's some excerpts from a beginner's class:

I set up some boxes in our living room tonight (thanks Bunnings!) and I was amazed at just how much more difficult it was for Malcolm to complete a search with the gas heater on. I wasn't sure whether it would be easier or harder, it was definitely a lot harder!