What to Bring to Class

What you should bring to every K9 Nose Work® class

A fairly hungry dog!
- If class is within a few hours of dinner time please only feed ½ a meal or wait until after class to feed your dog.
- A dog that is keen for treats will be more focused on the search but a very hungry dog may lack the glucose and other nutrients required by the brain and muscles for nose work. It takes brain & body power to hunt! Remember to always follow medical advice, so if your dog is on a special diet and schedule please check with your vet first.

VERY Yummy MOIST Treats labelled with your dog’s name: Please bring a variety of HIGH VALUE bite-sized soft moist treats!
- The softer the reward the better because your dog can quickly consume it and keep searching. Plus, it helps later on when I start ‘sticking’ hides underneath chairs and other things.
- What is a high value treat? Anything your dog goes crazy for! Smoked Salmon, Salmon treats, moist Zukes®, Natural Balance Roll®, steak, hot dogs, sausage, meatballs, chicken, cheese, liver treats. If your dog will not eat soft treats it’s not a problem bring what they like.
- Remember your dog may go crazy for his or her food bowl at home but if you were at a park with running squirrels and kids they might not give it a second look. We want your dog to think that the treats are the most important thing in the whole world so please do not bring their usual dry food or food they do not seem to get excited about UNLESS they are on a medically restricted diet or are super picky.

Bring more than enough treats for me to put out 15 to 20 small piles of bite sized treats 2 cups minimum (better to have too much than not enough).
- Bite size should be dog size specific; for a Chihuahua pencil eraser sized treats would be great, while a GSD or Great Dane would do better with small grape sized bites.
- At the start we use LOTS of treats to get the dogs focused on the game, then as we progress we start using modest amounts, until they are searching for a tiny piece.

Flat collar or harness: For your dog to wear while searching. No electronic collars please.
- Head halters, easy walk harnesses or other helping/corrective style harnesses, and pinch or choke style collars are not allowed in the search area but are allowed on the walk to and from the search area. I will explain why on the first day of class.

Leash: A 6-foot, light-weight leather or nylon leash.
- No chains or retractable leashes and all dangling items such as rings, charms, or poop bag holders should be removed so they do not distract your dog or get hung-up in items in the search area such as boxes.

Crate & Sheet or Towel (to cover crate): Dogs must be crated in the building or in your car; or can be left loose in a properly ventilated and secure vehicle, weather permitting.
- Please bring a crate or you may use one at the facility.

Water and water bowl
- Scent work really dries out your dog’s mucus membranes and makes them quite thirsty! A properly hydrated dog has a wetter nose and is better able to detect scent.

Optional: