N120J NW120 - Introduction to NW Search Elements

Many teams stall after initial foundations: progress slows, motivation dips, and it can feel hard to know what to train next. This course keeps you moving forward with clear structure and purposeful exercises, so you and your dog continue to build skills instead of losing steam.

Course Details

This course is designed to bridge the gap between early foundation work and confident, purposeful searching across all Nosework elements. This next step takes teams from solid basics to competition-ready searching while preserving the momentum and enthusiasm that brought you into the sport in the first place.

Along with continuing Container and Interior skills, we’ll systematically introduce Exteriors, Vehicles, and Buried (AKC) searches. And the best part? We’ll meet you and your dog right where you are.

Whether you’ve just completed NW101 or are returning for a refresher, this course strengthens the skills needed for all search elements. You’ll learn how to navigate each element’s unique challenges and apply handling strategies that hold up in real trial environments.

As dogs begin to work more independently and fluently, handlers often experience a renewed sense of accomplishment - seeing training translate into meaningful progress beyond the basics. Even if other approaches haven’t worked for you, this course can reignite your progress.

We assume your dog is already searching for target odor and can complete simple Interior and Container searches. Even if you didn’t finish every exercise in NW101, you’ll still fit right in. Throughout the course, we emphasize clear criteria, clean mechanics, and consistency to support confident, effective searching.

By the end of this course, you’ll:

Keep the progress you worked so hard for in NW101
Increase your dog’s hunt drive and commitment to odor
Confidently navigate the unique challenges of each search element
Become a more effective handler as your dog’s experience grows
Learn strategies for airflow and unintentional distractors outdoors
Build confidence and skills to move toward trial success

Don’t stall your progress - this is when the pieces start to click and your dog’s searching truly takes off.

Teaching Approach

Lectures and Video Demonstrations

Lectures are released the night before each week and include both written and video descriptions of every exercise, presented in a clear step-by-step format. The lectures are designed to help a student understand the purpose of the exercise and how it might vary by team.

Homework & Practice

Homework assignments are listed at the end of each lecture for easy reference. Each week offers several topics so that you always have something to train if weather or time are limiting factors. Teams progress at their own pace, working at a level where the dog demonstrates confidence and understanding. Gold students will have 6 minutes of video homework time each week, with an option for 1 min unlimited video submission. Sliver students will have 1:30 minutes of video homework time each week.

Feedback & Support

Gold students receive both general and personalized written feedback, often with timestamps for clarity. You may submit work from current or previous weeks to continue receiving guidance throughout the course. Silver students recieve both general feedback and personalized video for their weekly video submission. Each team is supported at the level they are working, with no expectation to progress beyond their dog’s readiness. Forums will normally be cleared late morning and evening (Easterj time) each day.

A Teacher’s Assistant (TA) will be available to support Bronze students. Directions for participating in the Bronze Student Forum will be provided in the classroom after registration.

Syllabus

Week 1:

Supplemental: Organizing your Scent Supplies
Supplemental: Review of Foundation Games
Baseline Assessment
Introducing Other Qtip Vessels
Exterior Considrations
Tin Toss
Intro to Exteriors

Week 2:

Supplemental Lecture: Start Line and End Routines
Handling Terminology and Approach
Hide Placement: Accessible vs. Inaccessible
Interior Hides Low and Slightly Elevated
Threshold Container Hides
Intro to Vehicles

Week 3:

Introduction to Scent Theory and Air Scenting drills
Expanding Exterior Search Area
Introducing New Target Odors
Introducing Novel Distractors in Trial-type Containers
Working through Environmental Pressures - Corners and Tight Spaces

Week 4:

Unintentional Distractions (critters, urine, people, drool)
Novel Exteriors
Building Duration at Source
Expanding Vehicle Search skills
Odor Volume

Week 5:

Expanding to Multiple Vehicle Search
Introduction to Multiple Hides
Introduction to Sand Buried hides
Introduction to Blank Areas
Pooling Odor

Week 6:

Deep Accessible Hides
Expanding Multiple Hides to all Elements
Introduction to Water Buried HidesBuilding Search stamina
Mental Preparedness
Assessing trial readiness/What to expect when trialing

Prerequisites & Supplies

Prerequisites: NW101 (Introduction to Nosework) or equivalent. This class would also be appropriate for dogs needing to revisit search element foundation skills.Equipment needed: Kit: Birch oil (or whatever odor your dog will be searching for) scented q-tips Metal tins with holes (see picture below of more types of "qtip containers" we'll be using). 2nd and 3rd odors for Week 3 lecture on introducing new odors (Anise and Clove for NACSW). http://www.paws4fun.net/ (Target Odor Kit -or- Complete Odor Kit) http://k9nwsource.com/ (Student Starter kit or Starter Kit Plus with "snap" tight container) http://www.thek9nose.com/ (starter travel kit or Deluxe Scent kit) http://www.allgooddogs.biz/ (Student Kit with single odor or Travel Kit Starter), Fun-Tak, Quake Hold, or glue dashes (to stick hides to surfaces, available online or in some department stores), White cardboard boxes (ORT standard), 10-15 cardboard boxes (various sizes). ~ 9x6x3 is a good size. https://www.amazon.com/BOX-USA-BM962-White-Pack/dp/B01D9T2G3M/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=BOX+USA+BM962+9%22L+x+6+1%2F2%22W+x+2+3%2F4%22H%2C+White+%28Pack+of+50%29&qid=1573768416&sr=8-1-fkmr0 Sterlite shoe boxes (can get at dollar stores) with holes in the top. A vehicle to search. Tasty treats that don't fall apart. OPTIONAL: Sand for buried hide searches (AKC) - a 50 pound bag will fill up 4 containers roughly 12x8x6.5 (6.5 qt). You can reuse your game boxes if they are about 6" tall, otherwise you might want to purchase a few more - think shoe box size. Rule book for the trial you will be training for. NACSW http://www.nacsw.net/trial-information/trial-rule-book AKC: http://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/RSW001.pdf We will start using other items to hold the qtips in for hide placement other than a tin. Here is a picture of some of the items we will be using. One of my favorite items to use are the flat heat shrink wrap tubes that you can get at your local hardware store.Space required: None specified. Some people have asked about working outside in winter. We will cover exteriors and vehicles. However people in previous courses have found creative ways to introduce those elements in less than ideal conditions. This class, like NW101, is ultimately about obedience to odor - just work on getting that strong for the elements that you have access to and you aren't likely to have any trouble with the others!

Sample Lecture

Tin Toss Game

The Tin Toss Game is a fun, high-energy way to introduce outdoor searches on more distracting surfaces. It builds your dog’s focus on odor while channeling a bit of prey drive - and it’s easy to set up!

Why It Works

Reinforces odor over environment, even when grass, dirt, or gravel compete for your dog's attention.
Adds movement and excitement by letting the dog chase a moving target.
Transfers to working odor outside.

Steps:

Toss and Send:

Stand into the wind for best scent flow.
Hold your dog’s collar or harness.
Toss the tin and release your dog while the tin is still flying in the air.
Follow your dog and reward generously at source.

Toss, Land and Send

Again, hold the collar or harness.
Toss the tin, let it land, then release your dog.
Follow your dog and reward generously at source.

Tip: A larger tin makes the game a little easier, but your regular training tin works fine.

If working outside isn’t an option, set up the game inside with bunched-up sheets and blankets.

This creates texture and movement that mimic outdoor ground cover.
It’s a great way to introduce the game while tapping into your dog’s natural prey drive.
Once your dog understands the concept and is confidently chasing odor indoors, you can transition the game outside when conditions allow.

EXTRA CREDIT: Blind Hide Variation

For an added challenge, you will toss the hide when your dog is not looking.

Toss the tin where you can see it but your dog cannot, or
Toss it over your shoulder while both of you face away.

Here are class alumni Lisa and Rowdy tyring this variation. There steps are:

Warm up with a forward facing toss.
A few blind throws - blind to handler too!
End on an easy forward facing toss.

Instructors

Julie Symons

Faculty

Julie Symons (she/her) has been involved in dog sports for over 30 years. Starting with her mix, Dreyfus, in flyball, she went on to train and compete in conformation, agility, obedience, herding and tracking with her first Belgian tervuren, Rival. Rival was the first CH OTCH MACH Belgian...

Registration

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Gold