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N101J: NW101 - Introduction to Nosework

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N101J: NW101 - Introduction to Nosework

 

Course Details

Nosework is easily the hottest new sport around, and it’s easy to see why!  It’s fun for humans, dogs love to participate, and it’s good for building confidence and focus in dogs that have issues like shyness, reactivity, aggression, or a simple lack of confidence.  Any dog can participate; from puppies to very old or retired dogs.  In a matter of weeks, you’ll see your dog confidently ignoring distractions and focusing on the target scent; and by the end of the course, many of the dogs will be ready to compete for their ORT. 

This course is unique in that your dog will NOT learn to search for food; instead, we start with your target odor on DAY ONE! We use the proven training method that produces the nation's top drug and bomb detection dogs! Our backchaining method is effective on almost all dogs, from insecure and unfocused dogs to highly driven and intense workers. The proof is in the pudding; dogs going through only one or two levels of our courses are earning their ORT and NW titles in record time! Even if your dog has failed using other methods, we can help you succeed!

In this class, you will learn about the basic concepts in searching for odor, proper use of equipment, how to handle odor, how to make and place hides, and how to teach your dog the importance of odor obedience.  You will also learn how to make the search for scent extremely important to your dog.

Get a head start by conditioning your dog to odor using the sample lecture below.

Teaching Approach

This class provides written lectures and videos of varying length. Any video lectures that include verbal information/instructions are accompanied with written steps. Lectures are designed to be watched and follow the ideas presented in the lecture. Lecture videos may run from 1 to 4 minutes long, with the average between 1-2 minutes. The lectures are designed to help a student understand the purpose of the exercise and how it might vary by dog. Pre-lectures are available before the class starts so that teams can prepare before we begin. Since most lectures are sequential, there may be weeks were two batches are rolled out each week - the night before each week and a few days into each week. A 1 minute unlimited homework video option is available, along with the standard 6 minutes option per week. This class will work best for students who learn by reading text lectures, watching videos and who like having structured lesson plans.

This class will have a Teacher's Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook study group to help the Bronze and Silver students! Directions for joining that Facebook group will be in the classroom after you register.

Julie SymonsInstructor: Julie Symons

Julie Symons (she/her) has been involved in dog sports for over 30 years. Starting with her mix, Dreyfus, in flyball, she went on to train and compete in conformation, agility, obedience, herding and tracking with her first Belgian tervuren, Rival. Rival was the first CH OTCH MACH Belgian...(Click here for full bio and to view Julie's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

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This class will focus on building value for target odor and reinforcing clear criteria at source. We'll also develop core skills such as hunting, generalization, and odor discrimination - all through fun and engaging games.

** The outline and content have been update starting in the August 2025 term.**

Week 1:

  • What is Nosework and Training Approach
  • Preparing and Handling Odor
  • Setup and Mechanics
  • Odor Conditioning
  • Generalizing: Odor Conditioning Location
  • Handling: Food Scatter
  • Criteria At Source: Capturing Duration
  • Hunting: Intro to Hunt Games

Week 2:

  • Handling: Handling Basics
  • Handling: Marker Cues & Reward Delivery Mechanics
  • Hunting: Container Area Search
  • Generalizing: Type of Containers
  • Discrimination: Shell game
  • Sourcing: Tin Targeting (From Floor to Fridge)
  • Concept: Reverse Luring for Duration (Non-odor)

Week 3:

  • Hunting: Box Acclimation Part 1 (Non-odor)
  • Handling: Search cues and Other cues
  • Criteria at Source: Building Duration, Reverse Luring
  • Behavior at source (TFR vs RFR) - Lecture
  • Hunting: Decoy, Loner and Outta my way
  • Discrimination: Novel Odor
  • Hunting: Intro to Interiors

Week 4:

  • Handling: Gear and Leash Handling
  • Handling: Startline and End Routines
  • Discrimination: False Alerts
  • Hunting: Box Acclimation Part 2
  • Discrimination: Assembly Line, LeapFrog, .Matrix, Hi/Low
  • Hunting: Hides on Chairs / Tucking Hides

Week 5:

  • Criteria: Intro Trial Containers / Addressing Antics
  • Generalizing: Introduction to Aging
  • Generalizing: Interior in new familiar location
  • Generalizing: Containers in novel location
  • Criteria: Emotional Regulation with Containers
  • Discrimination: Trial Container Acclimation & .Games

Week 6:

  • Generalizing: Hide in novel Interior Location
  • Discrimination: Intentional Interior.Distractors
  • Hunting: Blind Container and Interior Searches
  • Hunting: Objectless Search Area

Prerequisites & Supplies

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Prerequisites: Open to All. 

MINIMUM EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

  1. Odor kit supplies (see below for vendors)
    1. Pre-scented Qtips -or- below for makingy your own qitips
      1. Qtips, cut in half
      2. Essentional oil
    2. Tweezers
    3. Small metal tin with holes (vessel to hold scented qtips)
    4. Quake Hold or Glue Dashes
  2. (Optional) Disposable gloves, for handling odor
  3. Odor Conditioning Container
    • Medium/Large Dogs: Three (3) sturdy 5 quart colander and/or deep bowl with a wide rim. Two will stay cold and one will be "hot". Recommend one of these sturdy colandars below for the initial conditioning. You can get cheaper ones at the dollar store when adding in cold colanders.
      • Target - stainless still figmint
      • Amazon - Stainless Steel Professional Strainer 
      • Walmart - Pioneer Woman Enamel
    • Small Dogs: Can use a smaller colander or a pie pan. I also like these "pavlov" plates from K9 NW source. I would get the set of 5. You'll get 5 tins with magnets as a bonus! I keep one hot and the rest cold for discrimination. Later on you can turn some of the cold tin vessels to be hot when adding new odors. 
      https://k9nwsource.com/shop/pavlovs-classical-conditioning-introduction-plate/
  1. Game Containers - any one or two of the following sturdy and open top "conatiners":
    • Ceramic Mugs
    • Shoes
    • Metal Switch boxes, comes in 2 pieces (qty 3-6)

      4" metal box bottom
      Round mud ring top
      metal box 1
    • PVC drain caps (qty 3-6). The part without the holes is a drain cap. The drain grate should fit inside the drain cap.
      Drain cap bottom
      Drain cap top
      drain
  1. Assorted cardboard boxes that you have around the house (Needed for Week 2). 10-15 of varying shapes and sizes - roughly 10x8x4 - single fold or 4 fold flap. Start saving all your amazon delivery boxes! 
  2. Single Flap Mailer Boxes: Optional but VERY useful to have throughout NW career - used for NACSW Odor Recogniiton Tests (ORT) boxes and all levels of container trial searches (Needed for Week 5 and 6).

    To order online, they come in a 50 pack and ship in a small unassembled stack. Split with friends or you will find you'll go through them as they get damanged/used and always nice to have "new" ones to pull out.
    white mailer box
    Uline - 9x6x3
    Amazon: 9x6x3
  1. Three (3) Plastic 6 Quart/5.7 Liter Storage Box (Dollar stores).  Put a few dime size holes on sides to allows encourage dogs to work the seams for odor and not the top.

   IMG 0371 

Sources for Pre-Made Odor Kits in the US:

  • At http://k9nwsource.com/product-category/containers/odor-kits/ - the minimum you would need is the "student starter kit". Located in the east/PA.
  • At http://www.paws4fun.net/target-odor-kit - the minimum you would need is the "labeled jar". This kit only comes with 5 scented qtips. The "target odor kit" includes the dram bottle of oil, more scented qtips and a cute case! Located in the west/CA.
  • At http://www.thek9nose.com/ - the minimum you would need is the "starter travel kit". The "Beginner Starter kit" includes a bottle of oil and some additional qtip holders. Located in the mid-west/MN!
  • At http://www.allgooddogs.biz/products - the "Travel kit starter with Birch" or "Student kit with single odor" are good options. (Specific to NACSW).

Internatinoal Orders

Check with your country organization to confirm the correct target scents.  If you're training strictly for fun, you may select any scent that is available to you and safe for your dog! Order early, sometimes the scents are back ordered.

  • Canadians, you may order here:  http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/
  • Australians, you may order here:  https://k9pro.com.au/nosework-kit/ and https://www.puppingtons.com.au/store/p110/Scent_Work_Mini_Kits_-_Matchy_Matchy.html#/  
  • For Poland, you may order supplies directly from Nosework Polska / Nosework Poland: https://noseworkpolska.pl/

The specific scent for the ORT (NACSW), Pre-trial (UKC), or the Novice (AKC) title is:  BIRCH: (aka "Sweet Birch" or Betula Lenta).  Make sure you buy this specific one!  Wyndmere brand is Available at Whole Foods, but is not always in stock.  You can also order online at: http://www.wyndmerenaturals.com/ 

NOTE for Canadians:

Odors required for Sporting Detection Dogs Association (SDDA) are: 

  • Wintergreen (Gaultharia procumbens), Pine (pinus pinaster or sylvestris) and Red Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
  • It may be quickest and cheapest to put together your own kit.  You will need to start with Wintergreen unless you are planning to train all 3 odors together.  You can get these Essential Oils at your local health food store.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL  SUPPLIES will be listed in class material)

 

Sample Lecture

More
 

From Week 1: Odor Conditioning

We condition our dogs to respond to a target odor by associating it with a primary reinforcer - usually food. The process is simple: we pair the odor with a reward by giving the dog some treats whenever it encounters the odor. There are several effective ways to do this. You can hold out the odor vessel in your hand and feed your dog directly at the source. You can pair the odor with mealtimes so that it becomes associated with something positive. You can even offer your dog a choice between food and the odor, then reward it when it chooses the odor. All of these methods help reinforce the dog’s interest in and focus on the odor.

Another method is to put the target odor in a large rim bowl or colander and feed “over odor”.  

There are many benefits to this method:

  • It keeps the dog’s nose down and their eyes off the handler - especially off the handler’s hands.
  • It allows for a steady rhythm, with treats dropping one at a time in a continuous flow.
  • It leverages the dog’s anticipation of that predictable rhythm, which can then be used to shape a sustained nose freeze at source.

A sturdy, wide-rimmed bowl works best, as it allows us to keep our hands above the dog’s head while delivering treats. The moment our hands get too involved, dogs start focusing on our "food hands" and quickly learn to watch us instead of working independently. By keeping our hands high, dogs learn to wait for treats to "drop from the sky". 

For some dogs using a flat plate or pie pan will work better. Some dogs may worry about pushing into the deep bowl. Whether it's a bowl, colander, or pie plan, they all allow for dropping treats near odor.

When you first start out, you don’t need to mark any behaviour. In fact, we don’t want you to mark anything yet. Just focus on your mechanics of dropping treats directly over the source.

Here is an example of using a bowl with the loaded qtip tin. You can also use a colander, and place it inside a big bowl like this with the hot tin under the colander.

Deep wide bowl  Deep wide bowl with tin

 colander in bowl  metal colander in bowl

Homework 

  1. Prep before training:
    1. Select a wide-rimmed colander, bowl or pie pan. From this point forward, I’ll refer to any of these as the “OC Container”. 
    2. Prepare your tin vessel with 3-6 qtips inside. Use a lower number if your dog is sensitive to smells or shows apprehension to check out the odor.
    3. Place your tin inside your chosen OC Container.
    4. Have small soft HIGH VALUE treats available in a nearby dish or in an accessible pocket or treat pouch. 
    5. Soft treats are best for quick consumption like cheese, cubed meat, and freeze-dried treats. If your dog will quickly swallow other treats like kibble, that is fine too.
  2. Sit on the floor/on your knees or in a chair. Preferably not standing as that puts you too far away and can draw your dogs attention up.
  3. Have some treats in both of your hands.
  4. With your dog in place, put your container in front of you. Your dog should check it out. If your dog is in front of you, it’s easier to drop the treats over their nose.
  5. Drop treats one at a time by alternating which hand you drop a treat out of. This helps create a nice predictable rhythm. Drop treats at a pace so that your dog never lifts nose/head up. No need to mark any behaviour as we are just feeding over odor.
  6. When you are finished rewarding (or run out of treats), say “ok” (or a release word of your choice), and pick up your container.
    1. If you EVER HAVE TO RELOAD TREATS, just end this round and pick up the container. 
    2. The release cue will be applied later in your training when searching multiple hides. Note: some of my videos below are older and I say "good girl" when I pick up the odor - I would use a release word instead. 
  7. Pick up your container between reps as this is an important step when introducing odor. We want our dog to build a strong habit of staying at source. Every repetition should reinforce that staying at odor is the right choice. 
  8. Load up with more treats and place your container back down and do another repetition.

Practice 2-4 times a day for about 3 minutes each. Make sure to reset your dog every 30s so they can take a breath. This will align to about 5-6 repetitions.

Wide-rimmed Bowl Example

Watch the steady rhythm using both hands. At first, my hands are moving too low toward the bowl and then I get more comfortable holding them higher and dropping treats from above. You can also hold your hands in one place above the bowl instead of pumping your arms like I was doing. 

Colander Example

Here's a student video showing good mechanics over the colander. She is using Bocce's Bakery Say Moo Beef & Cheddar Training Treats. I mention this as the type of treats/texture can make all the difference! 

Pie Pan Example

 

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this course...

This course was recommended to us as part of a rehab program for my dog who had surgery and needed a lot of crate rest and quiet time. Best thing we could have done ! We found a new sport that we love and will continue to take other nosework classes here. Outstanding individual attention from the instructor and an incredibly dynamic group of students, with lots of positive energy. Great way to strengthen your relationship with your dog and tap into their natural skills ! Loved it ! Ana C.         


This was my first gold at Fenzi and I haven't regretted a second. :) We (me and my dog) had so much fun on the course and we got so much helpful feedback and positive encouragement from the instructor. Super course.             


I had hesitated to try Nosework because it didn't seem as exciting as other sports, but as a novice handler with an independent, reactive dog, I wanted to find an activity that might come more naturally to us as a team...we are hooked! It is a special kind of thrill to see my dog starting to understand and search for odor, all in just 6 weeks.               


One of the best online courses I have taken. The material provided was helpful, but best of all was looked after by the teacher. She provided feedback really fast and comprehensive. Thanks a lot, looking forward to the next course, you got me and my dog hooked on Nosework!               


My dogs have developed good, independent hunting skills as well as value to stay at source. They are confidently completing container and interior searches. Now we are working on transitioning to ORT boxes. I look forward to the next level of nosework classes!                 


The progression was logical and systematic, but with the flexibility to tailor to the strengths and preferences of each dog. Feedback was timely and very supportive. It was educational to see the variety of breeds of dogs in the class mature in their skills during the course. As someone who has a non-traditional work schedule, finding a quality on-line class is the perfect fit! Thanks FDSA! Kyla S                    


This was a great course. The written material was excellent as were the videos. Shortly after the course began, I found myself unable to continue due to illness in the family. However, knowing that the material would be available after the course finished, allowed me to relax & focus on the crisis at hand, without stressing about missing out on the course. During this time, I read the lectures & viewed the videos & am confident that I will be able to pick up where I left off, as the lectures & videos were so well done. Having access to the lecture material for a full year, strongly influenced me to sign up for the course when I did, as I knew this would give me time to work through it with my 3 dogs. I also knew that even if I was unable to give a constant 6 weeks to it, I would be able to do it as time was available. I look forward to finishing this course & progressing onto the next level with my dogs. If your other courses are as well done as this one, I will be taking many more. Thanks, for making it possible for us to have top-notch instruction online. Karen H.    


This has been a great class. The lectures were easy to follow, and even though I was only at the bronze level, I still have great confidence that with a little more proofing in distracting environments, my dog will have no problems completing an odor recognition test. All of the exercises were straightforward, nicely demoed, and something I could easily do. The feedback given to the gold students was invaluable, even to me who wasn't one of those students! I really enjoyed this class, and cannot wait to take the next level! Brittany L.

 

Registration

Next session starts: August 1, 2025
Registration starts: July 22, 2025
Registration ends: August 15, 2025

Registration opens at 12:00noon Pacific Time. 

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