In this week’s issue, here’s what we are sniffing out

^{_{In my previous newsletters, I’ve mentioned nosework as an enrichment option to help keep aging dogs’ brains sharp. But every time I speak to someone about it in person, the first question I hear is “What is nosework?”}}

^{_{What it is, is the perfect sport/game to play with an old dog.}}

According to the K9 Nosework website, nosework was created by three people who worked in canine scent detection, with dogs who search for bombs, drugs, and other things. They realized that they could channel their expertise into a fun, enriching sport for pet owners and their dogs to enjoy as well.

It goes like this: dogs search for treats or specific odors hidden in a space of some kind. That space can be a large or small room, the outside of a vehicle, or an outdoor space. The treats can be hidden to adjust the game’s difficulty for any dog.

In the real deal - classes - once the dog has the finding treats concept down, the food is paired with birch essential oil. After a little more practice, the food is removed and the dogs learn to search for the essential oil only, and they get rewarded for every “find.” They search for birch first. Anise is the second level, and then eventually clove is added in at a more advanced level. The best part about nosework is it’s really easy to train your dog to do it. In fact, it never really feels like training, because most dogs are so happy to eat treats that they’re very excited to hunt them out. Some dogs are better at it than others, but almost all dogs enjoy it to some degree. There are dogs who don’t get past finding food only, or paired food/scent phases, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still have a blast at sessions!

There are formal nosework classes in many towns nowadays, as the sport has become more popular. Nosework is a wonderful activity for dogs of all shapes, ages, abilities and sizes. We enrolled the dogs when Esther was 10 and Uma was 2 - when Uma was recovering from a knee repair. She was at the point where she could be moving, but not taking long walks or running. She turned out to be a whiz kid. In one outdoor class later down the line, she actually ran from the start line straight to the scent. I had to run with her to keep up. I think it took her 8 seconds to find it - she definitely set the record that day. And I thought Esther wouldn’t really get into it, but with her history of being a hunting dog, she killed it. She was so good, and she loved it so much. She really looked forward to our classes. Here’s a little video of her and I.

Nosework for older dogs doesn’t require a class. At 12, Ginger is healthy and could still excel if she joined a class. But at 14 Uma has significant autoimmune issues and can’t be in shared dog spaces anymore. In case like hers, or when your older dog is a super senior, try it at home! You might be surprised at how your dog takes to it. Uma loves nosework even though we don’t search for essential oils anymore. We play for about 20-30 minutes, or until she starts to pant and wander off. She usually takes a nap afterwards.

LET’S TRY IT OUT!

1. Contain your dog in another room or have someone hold onto him away from where you’re setting up.

2. Place 4-8 treats out on the floor in any area that is easy to navigate (slippery floors are not ideal).

3. Lead your dog close to the treat filled area, and wait for just a few seconds. You may see his head lift or hear his nose start working. This is a small but important trick to make sure he’s paying attention to the area vs looking around, at you, or trying to walk away.

4. Say “search” or “find it” or something you can always say to him to get him focused (if he can hear and doesn’t have dementia).

5. Let him go so he can sniff around and eat the treats. Repeat as often as you like. Some dogs may not progress past this step and that is fine! Choose a different room to mix things up.

6. If your dog starts to get the hint, spread the treats around an increasingly larger area for him to search. You can place them near furniture legs, planters, dog beds, baseboards, etc. Once you get to this point, start giving your dog another treat for finding the treat. This helps reinforce the learning process more. I recommend between 3-8 treats per search area you set up - more for dogs who are really having fun, and less for those still figuring it out.

7. If your larger dog is really digging the game, you can start putting treats on elevated things within his reach, like the edge of a toy box, on a coffee table edge, or some other low object in your house.

8. If he finds the treats quickly and seems to be having fun, you can set up another area of your house for another round.

9. To keep things fresh, set up different rooms of the house. You can go into the room, close the door and place the treats. Then bring your dog to the door, and slowly open it before giving your search cue. Or try outside! Start small with that one, because odors from everywhere else will blow in on a breeze and make the search harder. Plus there are a lot of distractions outside.

10. I recommend that when you’re finished, you let your dog out for a potty break, both because he may need one after the excitement, and because it helps reset his brain so he knows he’s finished. We used to tell our dogs “all done” when we finished as a cue that there were no other treats to find.

TIPS FROM A VERY OLD DOG’S VIEW:

• Choose a time when your dog has more energy. If mornings are good, try then! I don’t recommend you wake a geriatric dog up for this. Unless he REALLY loves the game. Then he might still be excited if he smells the treats as you wake him up.

• You have to use a very, very smelly, enticing, and high-value treat that your dog can’t resist. That makes the treats easier to find for any dog, but especially older dogs with limited or no vision. Use small pieces of food - a raspberry to a blueberry-sized. My friend used to use tiny steak nibbles for her dogs. We used Fresh Pet kitty food as our treats. Other people used freeze-dried liver snacks, salmon treats or hot dogs cut into tiny pieces.

• If your dog doesn’t seem as interested as you thought he’d be, check his nose. If he has a really dry nose, it won’t be as sensitive to smell. You can wet the nose a little bit and try again.

Nosework is a fantastic way to provide mental stimulation for your older dog. You may already be doing food puzzles, snuffle mats, etc - keep that up! Nosework can stimulate your dog’s brain in a new way since it gets him more engaged in his surroundings and thinking differently. It’s also an easy way to interact and bond with your dog in his elder years. I always have fun when we do nosework at home. ☺️

Enough from me… Go try it out, and be sure to let me know how it’s going! Send me a photo or video!

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How did we do with this week’s newsletter?

• High Paws

• Pooped in the House

To learn more about Angela and her mission to improve the lives of senior dogs, go to: Grey Whiskers