Some folks love the thrill of competition while for others, it’s just not their thing. A great way to find out before you commit is to volunteer at a trial. There’s several opportunities coming up this spring.
I love love love nose work. It builds confidence, grows a bond between owner and dog, and burns mental and physical energy. Pretty much any dog can benefit from, and will enjoy, nose work classes.
For some dogs and their owners, the call to compete is a natural next step in the nose work journey. After all, there’s no better opportunity to show the world what a great searcher team you and your dog are, and how proud you feel when your pup totally hits on the source of odor! Hearing “Yes” from the judge feels like winning the lottery.
However, there’s a lot to consider as competing at a trial is much different than attending a nose work class. Trials by their nature can be anxiety-producing. You’re paying a significant entry fee and going to someplace you’ve probably never been before, at least with your dog. There are 30-40 other nervous competitors in the parking lot with you, jostling for the best parking spaces and any shade. When you search, you have at least five strangers silently watching you and your dog, judging your performance.
If that isn’t enough, the trial environment may not be suitable for some dogs. Dogs that are quite sensitive to new environments may be overwhelmed by the trial experience. And some dogs don’t like crating in a car for hours on end and may get highly stressed.
Those that are super reactive to other dogs may be too stimulated to even focus on searching. (There won’t be any other dogs in the search areas but they will be in the parking lot and walking back and forth between search locations.) Those that may be reactive to people are not permitted due to safety and legal concerns for all participants involved.
The owner’s mental attitude really comes into play at competitions, too. Do you like traveling with your dog, sometimes including a hotel stay? How nervous do you get in timed, blind searches in new locations? Are you OK with spending most of the day hanging out with your dog in your vehicle in a parking lot when not actually searching? Are you and your dog willing to search in bad weather?
One great option for anyone thinking of trialing at some point, is to volunteer at a trial. Volunteers are essential to keeping the event running smoothly. They do everything from running the judge’s score sheets to the score room, serving as a gate steward to manage the flow of competitors waiting their turn, and helping re-set boxes that get kicked around by the more lively dogs in container searches. You can volunteer for a half day or full day. If you volunteer all day you even get a free lunch!
There are a number of National Association of Canine Scent Work trials coming up in Alabama and Georgia over the next few months. There is a Trial Calendar under the Events Tab of the NACSW website. Scroll down for a complete list. You’ll find ones in March in Decatur, GA and Trussville, AL. In April, Lawrenceville and Loganville GA and Bremen AL are all trial locations. Click on the link of the specific trial you are interested in to go to their website and volunteer form.
New volunteers will receive training on their assigned roles and will get a chance to watch some actual searches. You’ll be immersed in the trial atmosphere and get a real sense if it’s a good fit for you and your dog!
