Lyne Gagné

♥ Changer le monde un humain et un animal a la fois ♥

The Sporting Detection Dogs Association

Providing registration, education and titling in Sporting Detection

All Dogs Can Play

Canada embraces the new canine sport of Sporting Detection

By Karin Apfel

It’s one of the fastest growing new canine sports and it’s one that offers far-reaching benefits for dogs and their owners. Nose work, or as it is becoming increasingly known in Canada, sporting detection, has opened doors for a vast variety of dogs and people, some of whom have never been involved in dog sports. The reason? Pretty much any dog and any person can do it. Is it easy to do well? Like any other sport, practice, dedication and good training make for the top performers at the higher levels of competition, but the introductory levels are welcoming to all.

Sporting or sport detection is an activity inspired by working detection dogs. These are the dogs that find explosives, narcotics, gas leaks or bed bugs for law enforcement, the military and civilian companies. It involves the dog using its superior ability to smell things and natural desire to hunt to find a designated odour and earn its favourite reward. The search scenarios start out simple; perhaps five or six small boxes with the target scent – and the favourite reward – placed in one of them and they gradually progress to more complex ones with a larger number of containers of varying materials, whole rooms, outside areas and vehicles.

While based on the important and, often life-saving, work service provided by working detector canines, sport detection uses easily purchased, legal odours and no particular breed, size or type of dog is excluded from participating. Not surprisingly, terriers and other breeds with a strong hunting instinct often excel.

Who Can Play?

Dogs that are…

Shy
Lacking manners
Completely untrained
Uneasy around other dogs
Recovering from injury
Elderly
Disabled
Not much into treats
Really, really into treats
Not much into toys
Really, really into toys
Have fancy hair-dos
Overweight
Leaping out of their skins

…can do sport detection.

People that are…

Shy
Lacking training experience
Overweight
Uncoordinated
Short of cash
Reluctant to leave the house
Brand new to dog ownership
Looking for a new challenge for their pooch

…can do sport detection.

If you want to have fun with your dog, let him use his or her natural gifts and want to learn more about canine body language you should try sport detection. If you need to build up your dog’s confidence (while not having to worry about your own) or give an elderly or retired dog a new lease on life, you should try sport detection. Reactive dogs with space issues are even welcome. Each dog works by itself and they can do something enjoyable with their people and have a successful, stress-free experience outside of their yards. (Finally!) And even if cash is limited or you don’t like to miss too much TV, you can take an online class or go to a teaching workshop and come home with enough knowledge so that you can start training on your own schedule in your own living room. Does your timing suck or you frequently drop your leash or get tangled in it? Even you can do this! Introductory classes and workshops set up the training scenario so that the handler has to do only two things: keep the leash from dragging and reward the dog when prompted by the teacher. Easy, peasy. Your dog does most of the work and you get to cheer him on!

Further Scenting Opportunities

Once you and your dog are addicted and ready for a challenge, there are several routes to take. You can make searches more difficult at home (for example, put a dab of essential oil on your car keys and have your dog find them for you!) or at the park. Or, you can try some classes or workshops in different locations to give your dog even more new, positive experiences. You can even compete against other dog and handler teams in competition.

The competitive sport is overseen in Canada by the Sporting Detection Dogs Association. The not-for-profit organization debuted its first Designated Odour Tests (DOTs) and trials in January of 2013. By the end of 2014 trials had been held in nearly every province in Canada. The DOT is a pass/fail test (no

scoring) in which each team must locate a single “blind” (unmarked) hide holding a scented swab in a container. It is ideal for dipping your toe into the dog sport pool or prepping a young or nervous dog or handler for competition. Teams may also enter SDDA trials which require them to find the hidden odour in three components for a title: a set of containers, in a room such as an office or hotel room and in an exterior search, either on vehicles or an outside area such as a patio. The odours used in competition in Canada are: wintergreen, pine and thyme essential oils, but if you don’t plan on competing you can use any (legal) odour to train your dog.

Have Fun

The operative word in sporting detection is fun. Fun for you fun for the dog. It is a stress-relieving, enjoyable experience that builds confidence in both members of the detection team, handler and dog. The camaraderie at trials is warm and welcoming with ideas and tips for training being exchanged freely. Training classes and workshops are springing up around the country and are widely available. Get your dog started today on an activity that not only appeals to the natural hunting instincts in her but helps her build self-control, gain confidence and learn to work in partnership with you.

Give sport detection a try!

Karin Apfel is the President of the Sporting Detection Dogs Association, teaches sport detection classes and has given workshops around the country. Look for trainers and events at www.sportingdetectiondogs.ca and join the Facebook page to ask questions and find out about upcoming events. https://www.facebook.com/groups/189479194526179/

Congrats to Reynard’s Folly Gretel and owner Lyne Gagné who got there diploma for the

4 weeks Odor detection workshop

4 semaines de cours a raison de 1h par semaine
Odor detection 4 weeks workshop 1 hour per week

1er cours contenant pas couvert avec nourriture
Photos de Gretel et moi et les autres prisent par Marie-France merci xx
Saphira nous accompagne pour voir Marie-France

2e cours 1ere essai contenant couvert avec nourriture et odeur huile essentielle thé des champs, 2e essai sans nourriture et Grete a quand meme trouvé la boite YES bonne fille.
wow super cours de detection d'odeur encore aujourd'hui Gretel est super bonne. odor detection 2nd course today Gretel is amazing

3e cours fait sentir l'odeur au chien et il doit donner marquer offrir une position quand il trouve l'odeur, coucher ou assis etc. Gretel elle se couche.

4e cours paufine le marquage d'odeur mais aussi avec un objet ''clé'' fait sentir clé et attend le marquage. Ensuite troue les clé :D