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scent work @ YABTC Photo Gallery
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Photo credit to Nose2Tail Photography
Photo credit to Tess Casto of Back the Bark Photos
Photo credit to Tess Casto of Back the Bark Photos
Photo credit to Tess Casto of Back the Bark Photos
Photo credit to Nose2Tail Photography
Photo credit to Tess Casto of Back the Bark Photos
scent work @ Youngstown All Breed Training Club
what is scent work?
Fascinating fact: Dogs have a sense of smell that’s between 10,000 and 100,000 times more acute than ours! The sport of Scent Work celebrates the joy of sniffing and asks a dog to sniff to their heart’s content, turning your dog’s favorite activity into a rewarding game. It is a terrific sport for all kinds of dogs and is a wonderful way to build confidence in a shy dog.
In so many dog sports the handler is in control, but this isn’t true in Scent Work. Neither the dog nor handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The handler has to rely on the dog and follow the dog’s nose to success. In Scent Work, it is the canine who is the star of the show.
The sport of Scent Work is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. In AKC Scent Work, dogs search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. The cotton swabs are hidden out of sight in a pre-determined search area, and the dog has to find them. Teamwork is necessary: when the dog finds the scent, he has to communicate the find to the handler, who calls it out to the judge.
Youngstown All Breed Training Club offers scent work trials at their building. For Scent Work classes, contact Sandy Irish .
Want to learn more about the sport of AKC Scent Work in general? Click here.
Photo credit for photos on this page taken by Tess Casto at BACK THE BARK PHOTOS LLC
scent work classes
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general rules
- Class price is $140 for non-members and $70 for members for 8 weeks (beginning in April 2026).
- YABTC Members get priority for class sign up.
- Class sessions start and stop dates loosely follow the YABTC agility class schedule.
- Classes offered each session are contingent on instructor availability.
- Dogs will be considered on a case-by-case basis if comparable instruction was taken elsewhere or currently have comparable scent titles from other venues.
- YABTC instruction is geared toward AKC odors and rules.
- YABTC also offers AKC Scent Trials.
- Contact Sandy Irish to enroll
Beginner 1 Scent work - 8 weeks
This course is for handler/dog teams that are new to scent work.
- A basic obedience class is strongly advised before enrolling in scent class.
- In Beginner class, we start with drive exercises using primary.
- Dogs will be introduced to odor when appropriate.
- A new novice box, a tin, q-tips, and a mylar bag are provided to all handlers enrolled in beginner class.
- Please bring a crate and many small treats with you to classes.
Advanced Beginner Scent work - 8 weeks
Prerequisite: Completion of Beginner 1 Scent Work course.
In this class, we will continue working on foundational skills.
Intermediate Scent work - 8 weeks
Prerequisite: Completion of Beginner 1 Scent Work AND Advanced Beginner Scent Work courses or equivalent classes completed at another club.
In this class we work on more complex odor puzzles and continue skill building.