One of the beautiful things about scent work is that it works a dog’s brain without being overly taxing on their bodies. This can make it ideal for dogs who are too young or old for most physically demanding sports or for dogs with medical issues that limit their activities.
While dogs can learn scent work at any age, I have found that introducing odor very early on seems to result in really strong odor obedience later in life. Beginning with Alice, who is seven now, most of my puppies were introduced to scent work while they were still in the weaning pen and many of them competed before their first birthday. While I definitely see the value in the early introduction to the sport, I think choosing to compete with an immature dog is something that should be done with some forethought.
Any dog, regardless of age, needs to be comfortable just being in a variety of locations before they can be asked to work there. A puppy raised for dog sports is probably being exposed to a lot of places, but if scent work is your primary sport or if you are really new to competing, this is your first step. Is your dog comfortable in new indoor and outdoor locations, around new people and dogs of all breeds and size? Do they ride in a car well and crate quietly? If your trial plans include a hotel, will that be a new experience for your dog? Competing requires a lot of life skills, not just the ability to find odor.
For a handler new to competing in dog sports, it’s always a good idea to train for a little (or a lot) longer before entering a trial, since the experience will be brand new for both you and the dog. Attending trials as a spectator or volunteer is a great way to learn and have a more clear picture of what to expect when you do start to compete.
Going back to the original topic, let’s consider the experienced handler with a young dog. When to start competing is a personal decision, but entering a trial with an immature dog means accepting that things may not always go according to plan. Adolescent dogs can be distractible… really, really distractible. They usually have the size and strength of a adult dog, lots of energy, and limited ability to stay on task. This means that as humans, we have to be willing to provide the support needed to protect their confidence and training if we opt to put them into this situation.
Over the past few months, I have competed in a few trials with 11 month old Bee and 8 month old Michelle. They’ve had some qualifying runs and Bee even has some titles, but neither of them is able to consistently give me their trained final response of a sit at trials. I’ve accepted this and have been calling alert when I see a clear behavior change . Yes, sometimes I’ve gotten the dreaded “no”. On the other hand, doing this has helped them learn to stay on task and get more and more excited when they do find odor, which will lead to more clear alerts in the future. If I waited for the sit, I think I would have created a lot of frustration and lost enthusiasm with trials and potentially the game altogether.
Waiting to trial until your dog is fully mature is a completely valid choice. I think competing soon with a confident puppy and a realistic plan can also be a valid choice, but ultimately, we have to be willing to pay attention to what our dogs are showing us they are ready for.
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