Nosework Training Faq's

What is Nose Work?
Nose work is a military and law enforcement concept that can be trained to household pets. These pets learn how to detect any odor the owner wants us to teach the dog to identify (or we choose common ones for you). Even if the odor is hidden in compartments throughout the house, hidden in unfamiliar places outside in urban environments, or even hidden in a car in a parking lot, your dog will be trained to target on it.

Why do Nose Work with my dog?
Nose work is great for building confidence in a shy dog, give an active dog an appropriate and challenging outlet for its' energy and help the reactive dog overcome its environmental sensitivity. For your average dog, doing nose work becomes a fun and engaging game that they are eager to learn, excel in, and can become very impressive at doing. Nose work also helps to strengthens the bond between dog and handler, and best of all, it is fun for both!

My dog hasn't been through any formal obedience training, is this required?
No. Ideally your dog has gone through the Off-Leash K9 Training basic obedience package that way your dog can be able to be off-leash and do advanced searches in urban environments; however, it's not required. No obedience is required, the dog is taught to use their nose for a reward, they do not have to know any commands in order to be proficient in nose work.

Do I need to buy any expensive equipment?
No, everything you need is included in the price. We supply you with the odors and training tools needed in order to make your dog proficient in this program. Additionally, you can practice the training at home in-between sessions utilizing things you already own/have.

How do I know that my dog is capable of doing Nose Work?
If your dog is motivated by treats, a ball, or a tug, he/she can do nose work.

Does the age, size, or breed of my dog matter for Nose Work?
Nope! If your dog has a nose and likes toys or treats; then, he or she can do nose work!

Are there any corrections in Nose Work?
No, we train the dogs the same way we train our military/police detection dogs. It's a 100% positive-based training system. The dogs want to find and target on the odor. They learn by targeting on the odor correctly, they are rewarded. If they do not target it, there is no reward. So your dog quickly learns to target on the odor.

Can they be trained to target on more than one odor?
Yes, your dog can be trained to target on numerous odors.

My dog is shy and not very confident, can he/she still do Nose Work?
Yes, in fact, we would highly encourage it! Nose work is great for building confidence in a shy or skittish dog. Nose work is a great tool to quickly build your dog's confidence. Imagine how good it is for their confidence when they are playing a fun, engaging, and rewarding game that they ALWAYS win at.

Where do the Nose Work sessions take place?
At our facility at 2627 Hanco Center Drive, Woodbridge, Va 22191. We have equipment set-up to teach dogs nose work inside (and outside as they excel through the program).

I am interested, how do I sign up?
You can go to the pricing page of our website, select a package (5 or 10 sessions) and pay online. Once you pay online, you can click the blue "book an appointment" tab in order to book your sessions.

If I still have more questions, who should I contact?
Contact Nick White at [email protected] or 888-413-0896