AKC SCENT WORK TRIALS

The Nose Knows

You’ve practiced the searches. You’ve learned your dog’s alerts. You’ve gotten better at standing back, watching closely, and trusting the nose on the other end of the leash.

Now it’s time to see what your team can do at a trial.

Olean Kennel Club currently hosts two AKC Scent Work trials each year, a Winter Scent Work Trial at Premier Dog Sports and Events Center in Lancaster, New York and a Fall Scent Work Trial at Pioneer Christian Fellowship Church in Arcade, New York

Whether you’re hunting for your first qualifying score, working toward your next title, or simply looking for another opportunity to search with your dog, our trials bring together teams who share a love for this challenging, rewarding sport.

New to Scent Work Trials?

If your dog already knows how to search but you’ve never entered a trial, don’t let the paperwork intimidate you.

Every AKC Scent Work trial begins with a premium list. Think of it as your guide to the event. It tells you when and where the trial will be held, which classes and levels are being offered, who is judging, entry fees and deadlines, and how to submit your entry.

When entries open, review the premium, choose the classes your dog is eligible to enter, complete the entry form, and submit it according to the instructions provided.

After entries close, exhibitors receive additional information about the trial, including the judging schedule and other details you’ll need for trial day.

Because Scent Work trials can be popular, we typically do a random draw entry method, which means all entries received before the draw date are entered into a randomized drawing to determine which entries get into the trial. Any remaining entries are added to a waitlist. 

Choose Your Searches

AKC Scent Work gives teams plenty of ways to play.

Depending on what is offered at a particular trial, you may be able to enter Container, Interior, Exterior, Buried, or Handler Discrimination searches at the level for which your dog is eligible. Dogs can progress through the elements independently, so your dog might be competing at one level in Containers and another in Interiors.

That flexibility is part of what makes trialing so much fun: every entry can look a little different depending on where you and your dog are in your training and title journey.

Always check the individual trial premium to see exactly which elements, levels, and classes are being offered.

Before You Enter

AKC Scent Work is open to both purebred and mixed-breed dogs.

Dogs must be at least six months old and have an appropriate AKC number through one of the following:

• AKC Registration

• Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL)

• AKC Canine Partners

• Foundation Stock Service (FSS)

So if your dog loves Scent Work, there’s a place for them to play—regardless of whether they came from a breeder, a shelter, a rescue, or somewhere in between.