Scentwork & Tracking
Give your dog something to use their brain for.
Scentwork is one of those activities that can work for almost any dog.
It gives them a job, teaches you how to work together and, most importantly, lets your dog use the one thing they are already incredibly good at, their nose.
At Paws 'N' Claws we offer everything from weekly scentwork classes and scent walks through to official Nosework Games classes, NNA trials and tracking, so there is plenty of room to start at the beginning and keep progressing.
Weekly Scentwork Classes
Our weekly scentwork classes are where you can build the foundations, develop your dog's search skills and continue progressing as things get more challenging.
Your dog learns how to search independently, work through different environments, solve problems and communicate with you when they have found what they are looking for.
Classes are suitable for different experience levels, whether you are completely new to scentwork or already training and want somewhere to keep building your skills.
Expect to work on things like:
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Building search motivation
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Introducing and developing target odours
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Different search areas and environments
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Handler skills and reading your dog
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Building independence
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Problem solving
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Increasing search difficulty as you progress
National Nosework Association Trials
Chelsea also hosts National Nosework Association (NNA) trials.
Trials give you and your dog the opportunity to take the skills you have built in training and use them somewhere completely different.
You'll work through a variety of search elements in new environments, with unfamiliar distractions and setups that are difficult to recreate in your usual classes.
For us, that is one of the best things about trialling.
It isn't just about whether your dog finds the scent. It shows you what holds up when the environment changes, where your training is strong and what you might want to work on next.
Whether you're working towards your first trial or already competing, they give you clear goals to build towards as your scentwork progresses.
Official Nosework Games Classes
Our monthly Nosework Games sessions give you the chance to work through official Nosework Games exercises and challenges.
The games give you different problems to solve with your dog and a clear way to progress your skills, with opportunities to work towards rosettes and progress into further levels and league points.
You don't need to be aiming for competition to enjoy them either. They're simply a really good way to test your training, try something different and give your dog another job to get stuck into.
Tracking
Follow the trail.
Tracking is another way to let dogs properly use their nose, but rather than searching an area for a target odour, the dog learns to follow a specific track through the environment.
Michael runs our tracking sessions, helping dogs and handlers learn the foundations before gradually increasing the difficulty.
It's brilliant for dogs that love to work, owners looking for something they can continue practising together and anyone who wants to explore another side of scent-based training.
Not sure where to start?
You absolutely do not need a dog with previous scentwork experience, however if you've never done anything like this before, you do need to start with an introduction session in either scentwork or tracking, which will teach you the foundations.
If you're already training, competing or working towards something specific, get in touch and we can point you towards the most suitable class, game or trial.
There is always another layer to scentwork, and that is exactly why we love it.
Scentwork
with Chelsea
Chelsea has been running scentwork classes for over four years and is actively involved in the sport beyond weekly training.
She is:
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SWUK Tier 1 & 2 TTT qualified
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SWUK Tier 1 Judge
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NNA Judge up to Entry Level
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NNA ORT Assessor
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Host of National Nosework Association trials
So whether you’re looking for something fun to do with your dog or you want to work towards Nosework Games, ORTs or NNA trials, there’s plenty of room to progress.