The sport of Scent Work celebrates the joy of sniffing, and asks a dog to sniff to their heart’s content; turning your dog’s favorite activity into a rewarding game. It is a terrific sport for all kinds of dogs, and is a wonderful way to build confidence in a shy dog.

In AKC Scent Work, dogs search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. The cotton swabs are hidden out of sight in a pre-determined search area, and the dog has to find them. Teamwork is necessary: when the dog finds the scent, he has to communicate the find to the handler, who calls it out to the judge. Unlike obedience and rally trials, where dogs respond to the handler's commands, in scent work the dog is completely in charge, for only he knows how to use his nose to find the hidden target odor.

In these events, any breed or mix can demonstrate useful capabilities to find and point out hidden target odors. The sport of Scent Work is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances.

Please note: Some search areas will be visible to spectators, while others may not be, so be sure to ask when and where the best spectator viewing spots are at an event.

This fascinating spectator sport is best enjoyed by leaving your pet at home.

Rose Gottung Memorial Silver Sniffer Award