Week 1:

• Considerations with other scent divisions/sports
• Building value for your scent on a glove/sock
• Reading your dogs change of behaviour for adding duration

Week 2:

• Introduction to containers
• Criteria at source / rewarding at source
• Search games
• Developing start line routine and cues

Week 3:

• Review AKC and UKC Handler Discrimination container level class rules
• Find scented glove/sock in room
• Introducing scented glove/sock in vented cardboard boxes
• Setting up "clean" training environments

Week 4:

• Adding novel odor distractors: other handler scent, non-food, food
• Reducing venting on cardboard boxes.
• Gear and Leash handling
• Mild proofing for staying at source
• Addressing False Alerts

Week 5:

• Working threshold hides.
• Adding multiple human discrimination scents (UKC Excellent and Advanced level)
• Play search games with cardboard boxes
• Intro to using cotton balls/swabs for scent discrimination

Week 6:

• Intro what's next at the advanced levels; review AKC rules for advanced Handler Discrimination classes
• MOCK test with blind container searches
• Adding more distractors; spectators; working outside
• Placing some simple interior hides with cotton balls

** Syllabus details are subject to change.

Prerequisites: Open to All. No previous nosework experience is required.

Equipment needed:

• Bag of new cotton (or mostly cotton) socks or gloves (6+). A bit sturdier the better if you plan to use it for tugging as a reward. Also, what you start on may be different what you end up competing with. Check Pharmacy stores also in the medical aisle.

- link to pure cotton socks, if they are not in stock, search for 100% cotton sock: https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-Socks-Womens-Diabetic-Cotton/dp/B013KOBIH6/ref=cts_ap_3_vtp

- link to pure cotton gloves - found them light and thin, but may work with smaller dogs: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KRY6IGY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

• A big airtight jar to store your scented items so they stay nice and smelly. I ordered this, but doesn't need to be as large.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FMVSXHS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

• 6-8 "Game Boxes" or open bowls . Plastic sandwich boxes with holes drilled in the top work great. Any sturdy plastic box will work well. I like these from the Dollar Tree with a soft lid (easier to put holes in top).

• Start saving/collecting small empty food/snack/creacker boxes ... cut out one end or keep the end open to allow plenty of venting. Some boxes even come naturally with an opening with the perforated opening to pull snacks out like these muffin ones (minus the muffins!) or keurig coffee boxes!!

• Up to 10 cardboard boxes - can be these "NACSW ORT" type mailer boxes with one flap tops and venting on the sides, or the 4 flap fold down shown in the AKC scent work rulebook (save those "used" shipped amazon/mailed boxes you get in the mail). You can use any cardboard boxes - as they can use any kind of boxes at trials that fit the dimension with different amount of venting.

https://www.amazon.com/Bauxko-10-Literature-Mailers-12-Pack/dp/B01B9XXA30/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1490754056&sr=1-1&keywords=bauxko+mailers+8x10x3

• A few bags of cotton balls - try and get 100% cotton!

*Note: For those that do NW with oils, I would designate new "handler scent" only hot boxes.

WEEK 3-2: INTERIOR HIDE SEARCHES

We'll take a break from container work and use our sock/glove game for searching a room for our scented item. After the novice container level, the rest of the Handler Discrimination searches are outside of boxes except for the Masters class which may include containers along with interior, exterior, or buried.

Also, the scented item when hidden outside of containers will be cotton balls or cotton swabs. We will touch on the advanced skills at end of class. For now we will continue to use the scented sock/glove.

Here are some searches to get started with interior hide placement.

1. First search uses cold containers as context. Place them a few feet from the hidden scented sock. If you place them too close, they can "blame" the container on odor.
2. A bit of a challenge placed on a shelf. One box out for context (out of view of camera).
3. Hide placed near the start to work on some "threshold" hides. Also using other cold socks for context instead of containers. This acts as a discrimination proof, not of scent but of visual/same objects.
4. Next 2 searches hiding sock a bit more out of view.

Not to worry if they retrieve it. They won't be able to at a trial.

Once found, get in fast, wait for nose back and reward generously.