Welcome to my personal collection of resources for the world of scent work and German Shepherds. Over the years, this page has become a living document of the lessons I’ve learned, the people and organizations who have mentored me, and the products that have proven their worth with my dogs, Kaja and Iliza. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or just starting your journey in scent work, my hope is that the information here helps you find your footing, connect with the right community, and deepen the bond with your dog.
If you’re interested in the sport of scentwork, it’s essential to become familiar with some of the major organizations in this realm. For the sake of brevity, here is a quick introduction to the main players, including the odors they use, the search elements, and other key tidbits that matter.
Founded in 2006, the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) is the oldest scent sport organization. NACSW uses three target odors: Birch, Anise, and Clove.
The search elements used in NACSW trials are Interiors, Exteriors, Containers, and Vehicles. A key note about their container searches is that they do not include fabric-type containers; instead, they use items like cardboard mailers, plastic shoe boxes, and paint cans. Unlike other organizations, NACSW requires dogs to pass an Odor Recognition Test (ORT) for each odor before they can compete in a trial. While dogs can begin taking the ORT at six months of age, they cannot enter NACSW trials until they are 12 months old. In my opinion, NACSW trials tend to be the most challenging, as they have very short search times and you generally have to be perfect to earn a title.
Founded between 2014 and 2015, UKC Nosework uses the same core odors as NACSW—Birch, Anise, and Clove—but adds Myrrh and Vetiver in their Master and Elite level searches. These two oils add significant complexity because they are molecularly heavier, making them more challenging for the dog, especially in colder weather.
Similar to NACSW, UKC Nosework has the elements of Interiors, Exteriors, Vehicles, and Containers. However, their container searches are unique because they only use cardboard boxes. UKC also offers a Handler Discrimination (HD) class, where the dog must find a cotton glove or, at the Master level, a personal item scented by the handler. A unique rule to remember is that UKC does not allow handlers to record videos of their own searches; only a friend or spectator can do so.
The United States Canine Scent Sports (USCSS) was founded in 2016. In many ways, USCSS trials are similar to NACSW, as they use the same odors (Birch, Anise, and Clove) and offer the same elements of Interiors, Exteriors, Vehicles, and Containers.
What makes USCSS stand out is its Scentwork Games, which reinforce the idea that scent work should be fun for both the dog and handler. Their rules for vehicle searches are also more inclusive, allowing for non-motorized vehicles like wheelchairs or walkers to be used as hides. USCSS trials are becoming more popular each year and offer a fun environment to share experiences with your dog.
AKC Scentwork offered its first trials in 2017. Like other organizations, they use the essential oils of Birch, Anise, and Clove, but they add Cypress for their Master-level searches. AKC Scentwork also offers a Handler Discrimination division where the goal is to find an article scented by the handler.
AKC offers the search elements of Interiors, Exteriors, and Containers. They do not offer a vehicle element; instead, they have a buried element where odor is hidden inside plastic totes with either sand or water. This adds a very complex layer to searches, as odor behaves quite differently when buried. AKC also offers more trialing opportunities than any other organization and has a unique “Detective” level for advanced teams. These searches are supremely challenging, with an unknown number of hides and a longer time limit.
Scentwork/Nosework organizations don’t actually “host” trials, that is what individuals and scentwork/nosework clubs do. For AKC and UKC competitions, trials are hosted exclusively by official clubs that have met specific requirements and been licensed by the parent organization.
NACSW and USCSS, however, are more inclusive with their hosts, allowing trials to be put on by an individual, a training facility, or a club, referred to as a “Trial Host” or “Affiliate.”
Below are various clubs and affiliates that offer Scentwork/Nosework trials in the Texas area.
📚 Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (FDSA) – Fenzi offers some wonderful online scentwork classes from very experienced instructors.
📚 Scent Work University – Offers a plethora of seminars, webinars and ebooks geared towards all facets of scentwork.
📚 Stacy Barnett – Stacey is probably the most titled, most knowledgeable person in all of scentwork.
🙌 We Smell Better – https://wesmellbetter.com/
I can’t recommend this site highly enough! Doug and Kristi Murdock have put together a site that compiles all of the AKC Scentwork trial data and provides reports on all the dogs.
⚡ Leerburg – https://leerburg.com/
I’ve purchased items from Leerburg for close to 25 years now. Their leather Amish collars and leashes are truly the best. I have leashes that are still going strong after 20+ years. They also have a nice assortment of dog training videos on a variety of topics.
⭐ Michelle Munson – https://scentworkacrosstexas.com/
Certified Nose Work Instructor for NACSW, AKC judge, USCSS CSD, and more. Michelle has mentored me for many years and some of my top “lightbulb” moments in scentwork have been because of her.
🍖 Bones2Go – https://www.bones2go.com/
I’ve fed all my dogs a RAW diet for over 20 years. I started going to Tracey and Bones2Go when they first opened.
🐾 We Let The Dogs Out, LLC – https://www.weletthedogsout.co/
This is my pet sitter. I don’t easily trust someone to care for my dogs if I need to go out of town, especially not Kaja or Iliza. I trust Lindsey completely to care for my dogs. I get pictures of them with every visit, and she’s always responsive if I have questions.
👉 Lake Parkway Animal Hospital (Atascocita/local) – https://lakeparkwayvet.com/
Dr. McComas is my vet for all 3 dogs. The entire staff knows all my dogs, and is always very friendly to me.
👉 Atascocita Animal Hospital (Atascocita/local) – https://www.atascocitavet.com/
My secondary vet I use is Atascocita Animal Hospital. Dr. Neal is wonderful, and Dr. Resell has been the medical director since I don’t even know how long.
For those curious about the unique world of Czech working German Shepherds, their history is a fascinating look into a specialized breeding philosophy. Unlike many other breeds, Czech GSDs trace their lineage back to a handful of core bloodlines, each with a very distinct set of traits curated for a specific purpose. Having owned these incredible dogs for over 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand how these traits manifest in a working companion.
All Czech GSD’s can be traced back to six basic bloodlines. Here’s a brief overview of the dominant characteristics of each line:
Both Kaja and my previous Czech Shepherd, Sascha, were imported from the Czech Republic, specifically from Jinopo Kennels. Even though Kaja and Iliza are related, their genetics and specific bloodlines have created two very different, but equally powerful dogs.
Iliza comes from Weberhaus German Shepherds, a Kansas-based kennel that specializes in breeding dogs exclusively from the Czech and DDR working lines.
All of these items I list I personally use, and in many cases, have used them for years.
Collars
🐶 Keeper Collars Hidden Prong Collar – These are my favorite hidden prong collars.
🐶 Leerburg Amish Leather Flat Collar – Every one of my dogs, present and past, has had these Amish Leather collars.
Leashes
🔗 Leerburg 2 Handle Amish Leather Leash – These Amish leather leashes from Leerburg are the best I’ve ever owned. I really like the 2 handle leash as I can just reach down and grab the lower handle if I need to keep my dog closer to me. These leashes last forever!
🔗 Lite weight dyed scentwork leashes – My favorite leashes used just for scentwork are these leashes imported from Denmark. EXTREMELY lightweight, which is why I love them. Mine are 8ft and 10ft, with 3/8 inch (10mm) width. I have the claw clasp with the “bobtail end” (i.e., no handle). I don’t recommend these leashes beyond scentwork. They are too lite for that.
Harnesses
🦺 Julius K9 IDC Powerharness – Kaja and Iliza both use these harnesses in scentwork.
Crates/Kennels
🏠 Ruffland Kennels – These kennels I use when traveling, are very heavy duty and crash proof.
🏠 EliteField 4 door folding soft dog crate – These are the soft crates I use for both Iliza and Kaja at scentwork trials. They are lightweight, have flaps on the sides and front that I can raise or lower, and fairly easy to clean. All that being said, they aren’t the most durable if your dog is an escape artist.
🏠 Primo Pad Crate Pad – I only use the Primo crate pads in both my Ruffland and EliteField crates. Very durable and easy to clean.
Dog Grooming Care
🐩✂️🪮 Diamondg Dog Nail Grinder – Using a grinder is so much easier to trim a dog nails than actual clippers. This DiamondG brand, somehow, doesn’t catch on the dog’s fur on their paws, which I love!
🐩✂️🪮 HARDELL Mini Cordless Rotary Tool – This is the rotary tool I use with the grinder above. It’s quiet, has a light on the front, and the charge lasts a long time.
🐩✂️🪮 Slicker Brush – This is the best slicker brush I’ve ever owned, and I’m not kidding. Brushing dogs that shed like GSD’s do, you’ll appreciate this brush.
🐩✂️🪮 Deshedding Brush – Not quite sure why they call this a brush, as it’s more like a mini-saw blade, but it works great on Kaja and Iliza.
Misc Items
• Cooling Mat– At some scentwork trials, only car crating is available, so it can get hot. In the Texas Summers, I place these cooling mats on top of the Primo Pads if I am car crating.
• GoPro Chest Mount – I see people asking all the time what kind of mount should they use for their GoPro when recording searches at scentwork trials. This is the one I use. It’s very sturdy and doesn’t bounce around like some cheaper models I have owned.
Scentwork/Nosework Essential Oils
Buried Supplies
• Sterilite 15 quart bins for buried searches
• Cooling racks to fit on top of buried bins
• Suction cups for bottom of buried bins
Other Misc Scentwork Supplies
I hope this collection of resources helps you on your path to success in scent work.
For any questions about the resources I provided, or know of others I should add, please let me know.
If you’re looking for personalized training or want to take the next step with your dog, I’d love to hear from you!
