AKC Scent Work VS. K9 NACSW Nose Work (Dog Sports)

AKC Scent Work VS. K9 NACSW Nose Work (Dog Sports)

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KNOW THE DIFFERENCE:

Depending on where you live, Scent Work trials with certain competition venues may be offered more regularly, and if you are an active handler or dog team, you may even have two trials offered on the same weekend and you will have to choose which one to enter!

The Approach

K9 Nose Work and AKC Scent Work are modeled after the training and search methods many handlers use to train drug and explosive detection dogs. Organizations design these events for class activities and competitive sport.

There are two main organizations which provide events for competition:

1. The American Kennel Club (AKC)

2. The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW)

K9 Nose Work – National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW)

In the sport of K9 Nose Work, the dog and handler search four elements in a trial, and the team must qualify in all four elements of individual competition to title

For K9 nose work, you have four elements of individual competition

1. Interior Search

2. Exterior Search

3. Vehicle Search

4. Container Search

Note: for most trials, each search area's time limit is typically between two and four minutes.

You will not use any boxes for the vehicle search because the vehicle itself is considered a large container.

At NW1 competition, the target odor is birch. The critical point is that the source of odor is accessible to the dog at this level.NW2 and NW3 add new scents and increase the search's complexity, but the four essential search elements remain the same.

Nosework Accommodation

It’s no secret that NACSW is one of the most accommodating organizations when it comes to reactive dogs - let me explain. You see, it is a basic tenet in all K9 Nose Work activities that dogs are kept apart. The separation allows all dogs to enjoy the sport. Dogs are not in the search area at the same time. They do not pass through doorways at the same time. They are crated or, weather permitting, in their vehicles when waiting to work.

By allowing the dog to work without other dogs present, one can develop focus and confidence. Many Nose Work classes with a local trainer follow this SAME philosophy.

Unique to NACSW, an ORT (Odor Recognition Test) is required as a prerequisite for Trial. The ORT is a box drill. Your dog must indicate which box out of 12 boxes, usually in two rows of six, pending on the space, has the birch, anise, or clove odor in it. The search will be “blind,” meaning you will not know which box contains the smell, and you must be able to correctly identify when you think your dog has found the odor box. It is a 3-minute, on-leash test, with one target odor per test. Each additional odor at the test event will be a separate test.

For trials held on or after April 1, 2021, one must pass all three odors at ORTs. You and your dog are then eligible to compete at a NACSW Trial at the Nose Work 1 (NW1) level.

Odor Recognition Title

In NACSW, the Odor Recognition Title is earned by successfully passing all three odor recognition tests (Birch, Anise, and Clove). There is no requirement to pass all three odors at the same event, but you will not earn the ORT title until you pass all three odor tests.

K9 Nose Work also has “Element Trials.” And an ORT is required for these, too.

An ORT Title is required for eligibility in NW1 and Level 1 Element Specialty Trials

Element Specialty Trial Titles

• L1C (Level 1 Containers)

• L1E (Level 1 Exteriors)

• L1I (Level 1 Interiors)

• L1V (Level 1 Vehicles)

• L2C (Level 2 Containers)

• L2E (Level 2 Exteriors)

• L2I (Level 2 Interiors)

• L2V (Level 2 Vehicles)

• L3C (Level 3 Containers)

• L3E (Level 3 Exteriors)

• L3I (Level 3 Interiors)

• L3V (Level 3 Vehicles)

For the Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Element Specialty titles, the dog/handler team must qualify in all the searches at the same trial or earn a qualifying score with no more than three faults at two separate trials for the same level/element.

Handlers must be members of NACSW and renew annually (Membership runs from August 1 to July 31 of each year.). Dogs are enrolled for life.

Checkout my Guide to Choose Which Scent Detection Organization is Right for You and Your Furry Friend Below:

AKC Scent Work Trials

AKC Scent Work trials will often have dogs lined up in the sight of each other, but dogs will work alone. Unlike NACSW, AKC Scent Work is NOT designed to accommodate dogs who are fearful or reactive to other dogs. In general, dogs must be AKC registered to compete. However, AKC has a program for registering mixed breeds and purebred dogs without registration papers.

AKC Scent Work has two Divisions:

1. The Odor Division

2. And the AKC Handler Discrimination Division

In the Odor Division, Dogs search 4 Elements:

1. Containers

2. Interiors

3. Exteriors

4. Buried Hides

There is no requirement for a “pre-test” to enter a trial; All AKC trials are entered by each ”element” individually.

Both the AKC and NACSW challenge dogs to detect hidden odors, but there are some key differences in the details. For example, NACSW includes vehicle searches, whereas AKC Scent Work has a buried element and a handler discrimination division, where the dog learns to find the scent of its handler.

Hi, I’m Geryah! I am a dog lover and enthusiast whose life is enriched every day by the company of my furry friend. I started training dogs in 2017, when I decided to make my passion a reality. I film, edit, and post training and pet photography videos with my GSD, Disney on my YouTube Channel: Dingle Days. My mission is to train dogs and teach people to enable pets to best share in our lives.