Contact Us!Nose Work Class. The next beginning nose work class will start Saturday December 10th at 11 am
Nose work provides an opportunity for your dog to have an outlet for their natural hunting and scenting abilities. Nose work engages the dog in the game and teaches the handler how to read their dog and build a team relationship all while having fun. Nose work is a great skill to develop in your dog that can build your dogs confidence. It can reduce environmental sensitivity and provide mental and physical exercise through teamwork with you, their handler. We are building in the dog a desire to search for something we want them to find, a willingness to search for it when we want them to and an ability to communicate to us that they have found it, knowing that there is a great reward at the end of that search.
Nose work is fun for the dog and handler.
Nose work: This is the fastest growing dog sport in the world right now and requires nothing but your dog’s nose and some very good smells. Your dog’s nose is 2000 times more sensitive then yours and is more then equipped for the task of finding the hidden treasure and its fun. Your dog does not have to do anything but search. This is the perfect class for dog aggressive dogs or shy dogs as they are by themselves while performing the task. We start out with teaching your dog to find very smelly treats then move on to odor recognition using three different scents Birch, Clove and Anise. It is so much fun watching our dogs succeed on many levels. Pam Bigoni Certified K9 Nose work instructor and her girl Meika below.
Pam Bigoni and Meika.
We do not require the use of masks nor do we require our students to be vaccinated or show proof of covid 19 vaccinations. If you would like to wear a masks while in class that is a personal choice. We ask that you respect the students that choose not to wear a mask as well as the students who choose to wear masks.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE CANINE NOSE AND SCENT
Average amount of scent receptors in a dog’s nose: 200 million (Dachshund -125 million; Fox Terrier -147 million; German Shepherd Dog -220 million)
Average amount of scent receptors in a human nose: 5 million
Dogs inhale through the front of their nose and breathe out of the sides (nares) of their noses.
The sniff is actually a disruption of the normal breathing pattern. Sniffing is accomplished through a series of rapid, short inhalations and exhalations.
Dogs are used to discover drugs, termites, explosives, diseases, humans (dead and alive), bed bugs, cancer, gas pipeline leaks, mold, truffles, contraband (e. g. foods, plants, animal parts), endangered species, diabetes, agricultural pests, guns, drugs, gold ore, sea turtle eggs, traces of flammable compounds used in arson, brown tree snakes hiding in cargo bound for Hawaii, gypsy moth larvae, estrus in cows and underground water leaks, and many more.
The dog’s limit of detection for nitroglycerin has been determined to be in the tens of parts per billion (ppb).
Tracking Dogs track to the source by following the ever-increasing density of the odor molecules.
Human and canine noses can become saturated with particular odors – this is called "olfactory fatigue". This loss of sensitivity to the odor is only temporary.
Dogs (and other animals) have another "smell receptor" in their mouth – the Jacobson’s Organ, also called vomeronasal organ - which detects pheromones.
Viral and bacterial infections, fungal disease, allergies, trauma, tumors, exposure to toxic chemicals and possibly certain medications can impede the sense of smell.
The sense of smell is closely linked to the emotional state of mind. Smells can evoke strong emotional reactions in both dogs and humans.
The dog’s body temperature rises during an intense sniffing session. The average body temperature of the dog is 101.5° F. Normal recorded temperatures of working dogs are between 100° F – 108° F.
Compiled by Silke Wittig, CPDT-KA