A5
THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, SEpTEmbER 21, 2019
Dogs
learn to
detect
scents
By HAILEY HOFFMAN
The Astorian
S
cent discrimination, or nose work, is an
activity that trains dogs to search for a spe-
cific smell. “Your dog’s nose is isolating
one scent out of millions,” Cati Foss, owner of
Arnicadia Dog Training. In training, owners
pair the idea of a specific scent with a reward —
food or praise — through games and tests. This
activity can be used to train more advanced
dogs to locate drugs and other substances.
Cati Foss holds a treat on top of the scent box to teach ‘Gus,’ a 22-month-old
Leonberger, to associate the smell of anise with the reward of food.
BELOW: Marge Johnson praises her 4-month-old
German shepherd, ‘Ruby,’ as a reward. Some dogs,
like Ruby and her brother ‘Mick,’ are not motivated
by food and simply want attention. BELOW LEFT:
Trainer Cati Foss opens her scent kit of cotton
swabs that smell like anise, birch and clove. The
swabs are placed in smaller, individual containers
to help teach dogs to locate the source of a smell.
Photos by Hailey Hoffman/The Astorian
ABOVE: Put off by the strong smell of anise, Mick, an 18-week-old German shepherd, avoids the scent box held by trainer Cati Foss. BELOW LEFT: Owner Christina Merten feeds Gus
a treat for locating the scent box in her hand. Merten has trained her other Leonbergers in scent detection through the course. ‘This gives us a chance to work on his focus and for
us to work as a team,’ Merten said. BELOW RIGHT: ‘Sonsei,’ a German shepherd, tries to open owner Ken Emo’s hand to eat the treat inside. In this exercise, owners wouldn’t give the
dogs the treat until they put their nose on the scent box, which was held in their other hand.