AKC SCENT WORK TITLES
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.
The scent work titles are a little confusing to those new to this new AKC titling sport.
Here is some information to help you better understand.
There are 4 divisions, has its own level of difficulty (Novice, Advanced, Excellent, and Master). Within each division there are 5 different tests: one with containers, another with buried hide(s), interior hides, exterior hides and one called hander discrimination. Dogs can earn a title in each of these tests within each of the 4 levels of difficulty when they have qualified and found the hide three times. When a dog has earned a title in 4 of the tests (containers, buried, exterior and interior) they then earn a general title for that level.
For example
Similar configuration is for Advanced, Excellent and Master.
There are 2 other search categories: handler discrimination where the dog much identify a glove or cotton ball scented by the handler and placed in a container. This type of search is not often offered at trials since it takes more time and resources and not apart of the multiclass tests within a level.
The DETECTIVE test is the highest level test offered when a dog has successfully completed novice, advanced, excellent and master levels. The Detective Class offers an integrated search environment with an unknown number of hides in a variety of elements.The intent of the Detective Class is to emulate as closely as possible the work of a true detection dog.Section 2. Eligibility. The Detective Class is open to dogs who have acquired at least one Master title within the Odor Search Division (SCM, SIM, SEM, or SBM).
Section 3. Search Area. The course must span both the interior and exterior of a building or structure.The total search area must be at least 2000 but not more than 5000 square feet.Any excluded areas will be clearly defined, but there will be no separate and distinct search areas.Teams may wander in and out of included rooms, and go back and forth between interior and exterior areas when seeking hides.
Section 4. Number and Placement of Hides. There should be a total of five to ten hides per course.
You will find a list of all the scent work titles
https://www.akc.org/sports/titles-and-abbreviations/titles-by-sport/
HIGH IN TRIAL: If a club offers more than one element (Container, Interior, Exterior, Buried) of a particular difficulty level, they are eligible to confer High in Trial (HIT) awards. Only teams who participate in the same difficulty level in all elements offered, and qualify in each, are eligible to win High in Trial. The High in Trial award does not take into account Handler Discrimination classes, even if offered at the trial. The High in Trial is determined by adding a team’s faults across the elements. The team with the fewest faults will be declared High in Trial. If there is a tie based on faults, then the teams’ times across the elements will be summed, and the faster-finishing team will win. If there is a tie after considering both faults and time, a coin-flip will determine the High in Trial. There shall be one High in Trial winner for each difficulty level offered.
Example: If a club offers all elements of the Novice classes at a single trial, any dog who participates and qualifies in every element offered is eligible for high in trial. If a club offers two elements of Novice and two elements of Advanced, there shall be a Novice High in trial.
AKC SCENT WORK RULES AND REGULATIONS.. link below to the pdf.
The scent work titles are a little confusing to those new to this new AKC titling sport.
Here is some information to help you better understand.
There are 4 divisions, has its own level of difficulty (Novice, Advanced, Excellent, and Master). Within each division there are 5 different tests: one with containers, another with buried hide(s), interior hides, exterior hides and one called hander discrimination. Dogs can earn a title in each of these tests within each of the 4 levels of difficulty when they have qualified and found the hide three times. When a dog has earned a title in 4 of the tests (containers, buried, exterior and interior) they then earn a general title for that level.
For example
- A dog qualifies 3 times in novice containers and earns a title of SCN; novice interior title SIN; novice exterior SEN; AND novice buried SBN
- A dog finishes all of the novice searches (called multiclass) and earn a general Novice search title SWN
Similar configuration is for Advanced, Excellent and Master.
There are 2 other search categories: handler discrimination where the dog much identify a glove or cotton ball scented by the handler and placed in a container. This type of search is not often offered at trials since it takes more time and resources and not apart of the multiclass tests within a level.
The DETECTIVE test is the highest level test offered when a dog has successfully completed novice, advanced, excellent and master levels. The Detective Class offers an integrated search environment with an unknown number of hides in a variety of elements.The intent of the Detective Class is to emulate as closely as possible the work of a true detection dog.Section 2. Eligibility. The Detective Class is open to dogs who have acquired at least one Master title within the Odor Search Division (SCM, SIM, SEM, or SBM).
Section 3. Search Area. The course must span both the interior and exterior of a building or structure.The total search area must be at least 2000 but not more than 5000 square feet.Any excluded areas will be clearly defined, but there will be no separate and distinct search areas.Teams may wander in and out of included rooms, and go back and forth between interior and exterior areas when seeking hides.
Section 4. Number and Placement of Hides. There should be a total of five to ten hides per course.
You will find a list of all the scent work titles
https://www.akc.org/sports/titles-and-abbreviations/titles-by-sport/
HIGH IN TRIAL: If a club offers more than one element (Container, Interior, Exterior, Buried) of a particular difficulty level, they are eligible to confer High in Trial (HIT) awards. Only teams who participate in the same difficulty level in all elements offered, and qualify in each, are eligible to win High in Trial. The High in Trial award does not take into account Handler Discrimination classes, even if offered at the trial. The High in Trial is determined by adding a team’s faults across the elements. The team with the fewest faults will be declared High in Trial. If there is a tie based on faults, then the teams’ times across the elements will be summed, and the faster-finishing team will win. If there is a tie after considering both faults and time, a coin-flip will determine the High in Trial. There shall be one High in Trial winner for each difficulty level offered.
Example: If a club offers all elements of the Novice classes at a single trial, any dog who participates and qualifies in every element offered is eligible for high in trial. If a club offers two elements of Novice and two elements of Advanced, there shall be a Novice High in trial.
AKC SCENT WORK RULES AND REGULATIONS.. link below to the pdf.
| akcscentworkmanual.pdf |