Beginning Nosework

Description: Nosework is an up-and-coming dog sport that has been spreading rapidly across the country. It is based on detection dog training. Nosework dogs search out various odors (such as Birch, Anise and Clove) and are rewarded when they find the odor. Searches start out easy at the beginning level and progress in difficulty as the dog becomes "odor obedient". Beginning Nosework will teach your dog how to recognize the first odor, Birch, and how to progress from finding that odor in your hand to finding it in various containers (types of boxes). Building drive and speed will be part of the practice as the class progresses.

This is a six week class with 1 hour lessons.

Prerequisites: Dogs should have basic obedience training like sit, down and come, but all practice is done on leash.

Cost: $120.00 Inactive members/non-members, $90.00 Active members

Beginning Nosework 2

Description: Beginning Nosework 2 is a continuation of the Beginning Nosework 1 class. Focus will be pairing food and odor, building value for searching and introduction to additional odors.

This is a six week class.

Prerequisites: Beginning Nosework 1 or instructor approval.

Cost: $120.00 Inactive members/non-members, $90.00 Active members.

Beginning Nosework Skills

Description: This class continues the training begun in Beginning Nosework 2. Training will focus on exterior (outdoors) and vehicles while also continuing interiors and containers as needed. The goal is to expose dogs to different search environments and types of vehicles in various outdoor conditions.

This is a six week class with 1 hour sessions.

Prerequisites: Dog must be able to find and alert on Birch and Anise on a container.

Cost: $120 inactive members/non-members and $90 active members

Buried Hides - New Techniques for Training Buried Hides

Description: Develop an understanding and put into practice a new technique for training buried hides. This concept is based on sourcing the puzzle before adding sand or water. The technique starts with a bunch of cardboard food boxes placed in tubs with odor buried under the boxes. As the dogs learn to accurately work out the sourcing puzzle this way, we transition to tubs with sand and water.

This is a six week course. It will be held in the 4RK9s Parking Lot.

Prerequisites: Odor obedience on birch, anise and clove.

Cost: $85.00 Inactive members/non-members, $63.75 Active members

Exterior Nosework Skills (Novice/Advanced)

Description: Training will build skills for trialing at the Novice and Advanced level. This class will be focused on improving ability for dogs to focus on searching in outdoor environments, and preparing to trial. Class will meet at different outdoor locations to be determined by the instructor, mainly parks around Cedar Rapids. The 4RK9s building will be reserved in case of inclement weather.

This is a six week course with 1 hour sessions.

Prerequisites: Odor obedience on birch, anise and clove.

Cost: $120 for non-members/inactive members; $90 for active members.

Nosework Foundations Seminar Part 1

Description: Nosework is an up-and-coming dog sport that has been spreading rapidly across the country. It is based on detection dog training. Nosework dogs search out various odors (such as Birch, Anise and Clove) and are rewarded when they find the odor. Searches start out easy at the beginning level and progress in difficulty as the dog becomes more "odor obedient". This 3-hour seminar teaches you the fundamentals needed to start training a dog for Nosework. You will learn the technique of pairing food with odor to start training your dog for Nosework.

This is a 1 day 3 hour Seminar.

Location: 4RK9S Training building

Cost: $56.00 Inactive members/non-members and $42.00 Active members

Nosework Foundations Seminar Part 2

Description: This is a continuation of Nosework Foundation Seminar Part 1. In this 3-hour seminar you will introduce odor (Birch) and you will transition from pairing food to only using odor in your searches and food will be the reward for finding the odor. This seminar prepares you and your dog for Beginning Nosework.

This is a 1 day 3 hour Seminar.

Location: 4RK9S Training building

Prerequisites: Completion of Introduction to Nosework Seminar Part 1

Cost: $56.00 Inactive members/non-members and $42.00 Active members

Advanced/Intermediate Nosework

Skills trained will be based on NACSW nosework skills challenges but being an NACSW member is not a class requirement.

Description: Training will continue to build skills for trialing at the Novice and Advanced level. This is a six-week class with 1 hour sessions.

Prerequisites: Dogs must be able to find Birch, Anise and Clove.

Cost: $120.00 Inactive members/non-members, $90.00 Active members

Master/Elite Nosework

Skills trained will be based on NACSW nosework skills challenges but being an NACSW member is not a class requirement.

Description: Masters Nosework will use all five odors dogs must learn for UKC and NACSW searches. This class will introduce distractions to the searches and hides placed higher than the Novice/Advanced/Superior levels. Your dog will be training for NACSW NW3 and Elite levels, or UKC's Master or Elite levels. Inaccessible hides may be used. Your dog will be challenged to find hides in areas that increase in difficulty from the previous classes. More blind hides will be presented, and multiple blind hides may be placed in an area. This is a six week seminar with 1 hour sessions.

Prerequisites: Dog must be able to consistently find hides that would be placed in NW1, NW2 or UKC Novice/Advanced/Superior levels. Dogs must be able to alert on all five odors used in UKC -- Birch, Anise, Clove, Myrrh and Vetiver. (Please note that Myrrh and Vetiver will not have been used prior to Masters, so you will need to train your dog on those two odors outside of class.)

Cost: $120.00 Inactive members/non-members, $90.00 Active members

Intermediate Handler Skills

Description and Prerequisites: Dogs must be working all 6 nosework odors -- birch, anise, clove, myrrh, vetiver and cypress -- all 6 odors will be used in class. Class is not limited to dogs that are trialing in nosework, but will focus on the skills needed to trial. Some skills that will be worked on include converging odor, covering the search area, blank areas, and inaccessible hides.

This is a six-week class with 1 hour sessions.

Cost: $120 for non-members/inactive members; $90 for active members.

Intermediate Nosework Skills

Description: This class continues the training begun in Advance Nosework. Training will continue to build skills for trialing at the Novice and Advanced level.

This is a four-week class with 1.5 hour sessions.

Prerequisites: Dogs must be able to find Birch, Anise and Clove.

Cost: $120 for non-members/inactive members; $90 for active members.

Nosework Skills

Description: Nosework Skills classes are 4-week one-hour classes which will focus on a specific nosework skill. For Student's Choice class : Everyone who enrolls must submit an exercise or skill they want to work on and instructor will come up with exercises for it. Up to six odors may be used in the class (NACSW, UKC and AKC odors).

Prerequisites: Open to dogs of all levels that are already on odor and can work in all four elements (containers, vehicles, interiors, exteriors).

Cost: $56.00 Inactive members/non-members and $42.00 Active members

Nosework Skills Level 1

Description: Goals for this level are introducing additional odors, improving ability for dogs to focus on searching in outdoor environments, and preparing to enter novice competition classes.

Class will meet at different outdoor locations to be determined by the instructors. Class will be cancelled in case of inclement weather. Arrangements will be made for make-up dates. This includes the possibility of a make-up session at the building on Thursday nights in the regular nosework time slot.

One handler with one dog per level. If you want to alternate multiple dogs during your class that is permissible, but only one dog per turn.

Prerequisites: Team must have completed at least one beginning nosework class and be able to reliably find birch hides in containers, exteriors and on vehicles.

Cost: $85.00 Inactive members/non-members and $63.85 Active members

Nosework Skills Level 2

Description: Class will focus on building skills for challenges that handlers and dogs will find at trials - thresholds, corners, elevated hides, etc. Searches at this level will contain multiple hides using all three odors - birch/anise/clove odors.

Prerequisites: Teams currently competing at novice through elite levels. Must know and be able to source birch, anise and clove.

Cost: $85.00 Inactive members/non-members and $63.85 Active members

Advanced Nosework

Description: Advanced Nosework will teach you and your dog the skills needed to trial at the Novice, Advanced and/or Superior levels of UKC, or the NW1 or NW2 level of NACSW. Your dog will practice searching all four elements -- Containers, Interiors, Exteriors and Vehicles. Skills to work on in this class will include working corners and working threshold hides, building speed at finding odor, and building drive. Clove will be introduced as your dog will need to alert on that odor in levels past Advanced. Multiple hides in one element may be placed for the dog.

This is a four week class with 1.5 hour sessions. Use the Nosework Class Registration Form for a four week class to register for this class.

Prerequisites: Dog must be able to find and alert on Birch and Anise odors.

Cost: $80.00 Inactive members/non-members, $60.00 Active members

Nosework Trial Preparation

Description: This is a 4-week one-hour class. It will focus on preparing you and your dog to enter a Nosework trial. We will run Pre-Trial Simulations for Birch, Anise, and Close along with trial simulations of the four Novice elements; containers, interiors, exteriors, and vehicles. The first class will be held as a trial prep seminar at the location of the September UKC Nosework trial in Belle Plaine, and is open to anyone.

Prerequisites: Open to dogs that are already on the three odors listed above and can work all four elements (containers, interiors, exteriors, and vehicles)

Cost: $80 for non-members and $60 for members. If only attend the seminar on 9/5, $20 for non-members and $15 for members (cost included in class fee if taking the 4 week class).

Masters Nosework Multi-week Seminar

Description: Masters Nosework will use all five odors dogs must learn for UKC and NACSW searches. This class will introduce distractions to the searches and hides placed higher than the Novice/Advanced/Superior levels. Your dog will be training for NACSW NW3 and Elite levels, or UKC's Master or Elite levels. Inaccessible hides may be used. Your dog will be challenged to find hides in areas that increase in difficulty from the previous classes. More blind hides will be presented, and multiple blind hides may be placed in an area.

This is a six week seminar with 2 hour sessions. Use the Nosework Class Registration Form for a six week class to register for this seminar.

Prerequisites: Dog must be able to consistently find hides that would be placed in NW1, NW2 or UKC Novice/Advanced/Superior levels. Dogs must be able to alert on all five odors used in UKC -- Birch, Anise, Clove, Myrrh and Vetiver. (Please note that Myrrh and Vetiver will not have been used prior to Masters, so you will need to train your dog on those two odors outside of class.)

Cost: $85.00 Inactive members/non-members, $63.75 Active members