K9 Nose Work® 101
by Sally H. Frankel, August, 2011
Want to feel the thrill of watching your dog excel at using one of Mother Nature’s most phenomenal survival tools? Want to learn to read your dog’s body language when he has found the item for which he was searching? Want to bond with your dog as you both stimulate your minds? Then K9 Nose Work® is the sport for you and your BFF!
I started learning K9 Nose Work® with both my Danish/Swedish Farmdogs about eight months ago. It took guts to feel so inadequate and stupid while I learned how to read my dogs. But with an excellent trainer, a lot of practice, two very smart dogs, and a lot of laughter we are beginning to enjoy a bonding experience like no other. The joy of working as a team with your dog is an amazing experience. The dogs love doing what is their natural instinct; It stimulates their minds and is very rewarding for both of us.
I became interested in K9 Nose Work® because I wanted something that I could continue to do with my dogs for many years. The ugly monster of old age is rapidly taking over my body and I find that the active sport of Flyball is beginning to take its toll. I first learned about K9 Nose Work® from an article in the Whole Dog Journal. I found Ramona Audette, CNWI, a local K9 Nose Work® trainer, and enrolled in her classes at the California Academy of Dog Behavior. Ramona volunteered to introduce K9 Nose Work® to the Danish/Swedish Farmdogs at the 2010 National Breed Specialty. Some of the pictures in this article are from that introduction event.
This is a story of what I have experienced as a beginner. I hope it will be entertaining and inspire you to enjoy working with your dog. I guarantee it will be a rewarding adventure and give you the opportunity to be amazed at the power of your dog’s nose.
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