Why Scent Detection?

You've probably heard of dogs that can detect drugs, or bedbugs, or missing people, but there are a wide variety of jobs dogs do that put their sense of smell to use, such as:

• Drug Detection - for illegal drugs, often hidden by people trying to avoid detection.
• Explosives - for explosives or traces of explosives in airports, luggage, or large buildings
• Currency Detection - for large quantities of hidden money being smuggled across the border or in criminal operations.

• Firearms Detection - for the scent of metals or gunpowder associated with hidden firearms or ammunition
• Electronic Media Detection - for a chemical common to digital devices such as hard drives, USB sticks, etc. to aid in investigations like child exploitation
• Search and Rescue - for people lost in the woods, or trapped under an avalanche or rubble.
• Human Remains Detection - for deceased people whose remains are buried, concealed or even underwater.
• Arson Investigation - for the residues of accelerants such as gasoline that can be used to start fires.
• Bedbug Detection - for the presence of bedbugs in a home or hotel
• Termite Detection  - for the pheromones or gases of termites inside wooden structures
• Medical/Disease Detection - for volatile organic compounds in the breath, urine, sweat or skin of people with certain diseases, cancer or altered metabolic states like in diabetes.
• Mineral Detection - for gases or volatile compounds emitted by certain mineral ores especially sulfide minerals
• Pipeline Leak Detection - for tracer odours or volatile compounds in substances being transported in underground pipelines.
• Water Leak Detection - for water leaks in water mains or wastewater pipes
• Conservation Detection - for live animals or animal signs of endangered species.
• Invasive Species Detection - for live animals or plants that are invasive to an area such as zebra mussels or Knapweed.
• Wildlife Trafficking - for smuggled animals or animal parts of protected animals 
• Biosecurity - for prohibited food, plant or animal products often at border crossings to avoid potential spread of pests or disease.
• Truffle Hunting - for truffles growing underground so that people can dig them up and eat them.  (Pigs were/are often used for this as well, but have a tendency to eat the truffles.)

Well, scent detection is a dog sport inspired by those amazing working dogs that allows people to give their dogs a chance to experience the fun of locating something hidden without the need for us to handle drugs or bedbugs!

The sport closest to Search and Rescue would be Tracking, where the dog learns to follow the path walked by a person and indicate any dropped articles on the way.  I was fortunate to get to do this with Reese, and it was a lot of fun, but I found it challenging to find large enough fields to train in, and the time to age them (a CKC TDX track can be 3 hrs old).  Scent Detection has been much more accessible for me because I don't need large fields, and the aging times are much shorter.  Plus, it's easier to set hides in a room in my house and run them an hour later than it is laying a track in a field and running it an hour later!

In The Nose Knows we introduce dogs to the first scent we want them to find, and begin teaching them how to indicate when they have found it to you by holding their nose still as close as they can get to the source.  This gives you an accurate, easy for you to read alert that isn't destructive, allowing you to place hides in a variety of fun spots.  The goal at the end of the class is for you to be able to do a container search without knowing where the scent is hidden and have your dog tell you where it is.  Then in the next level of classes we move the hidden scent outside of containers into area searches, add multiple odours and distractions!

You will be surprised at how scent detection can tire out a dog, as they are busy using their brains to interpret what they smell and where it is coming from.

There are so many reasons why I enjoy scent detection, including:

• Our dogs live in a world of scent, and this allows them to use their amazing abilities.
• It is fun and interesting to watch dogs work out a scent puzzle and source the origin of the scent.
• Most dogs love being able to use their noses and explore.
• A wide variety of dogs can play - young dogs, older dogs, dogs with physical challenges (my dog Hunter was blind and enjoyed playing, he didn't need to see to play).
• Sniffing and searching is excellent mental exercise and enrichment for the dogs.
• Dogs can develop confidence as they learn to lead their owners to the source of the scent.
• You don't need a lot of special or expensive equipment to play.
• You can start the training inside in your living room.
• Did I mention it's fun?

So if you are thinking you might like to try scent detection with your dog, please reach out and let me know!