We love nosework. It is our dog sport. We are grateful to have the AKC version.
But there are things about AKC Scent Work that could be improved. Not all of those are under the control of the American Kennel Club, but some of them are.
The AKC is busy and has other priorities. Still, I think it’s important for the Scent Work community to ask for changes they want. So I keep a list, and, occasionally, with an emphasis on trying to be persistent but not a pest, I ask the AKC about them. I don’t always get a reply and, so far, none of my wishes have come true. Still, I know that others have had success, so I keep trying.
Here’s my list:
- Updated Rules. It would be lovely to have the official rules should be updated with all the things that are currently either notes on the website, social media posts or private responses to competitor emails.
- For all Elite Level titles to be included in the dog’s official title list, i.e. their name as reported by the AKC. It’s possible to earn Elite level titles in any order — you can earn Elite titles as soon as you complete the element title — and many people choose to work their way up to Scent Work Master, earn the Master Elite titles, and then work their way back down. This means that, while SWN is required to earn the SWA title, SWNE is not required to earn the SWAE title. In AKC parlance, the SWNE is not a precursor title in this example. Traditionally, in the AKC title string appended to a dog’s registered name, only precursor titles are replaced when a higher level title is achieved. In other words, if you earn your SWA, those letters will replace the SWN in your dog’s title string, because “everybody knows” you had to earn the SWN to get the SWA, it was a precursor. However, right now, the non-precursor lower level Elite titles are being “over-written” by the higher level ones. So a dog that earned SWNE, SWAE, SWEE and SWME and a dog that earned just SWME will both show just SWME in their title string. This is inconsistent with traditional AKC practice and makes no sense. The AKC, themselves, posted in congratulations to the first dog to earn Elite at all levels. Clearly, the lower-level non-precursor titles should be displayed.
- Numeric Detective titles. The AKC announced Numeric Elite titles — full Level titles with numbers attached, so SWNE2 means all Novice elements have been passed 20 times, SWME4 means all Master elements have been passed 40 times, etc. — in June of 2022. Earlier in 2024, the Scent Work community realized that not all Qs were counting toward the Numeric Elites. Dave Schneider wrote to the AKC (see, it does work!) and asked that this be changed, and the AKC agreed to do in an April 15, 2024, letter but indicated that the programming changes would take a while. At this writing, the calculation remains erroneous. However, as long as they are doing it — one team has, at this writing, qualified in Detective 100 times, earning what should be SWD10. That is a remarkable achievement and should be recognized with DETECTIVE Numeric titles.
- Publication of the Scent Work Trial Manual. The AKC website has described this resource as “Coming Soon” for two years. The sport needs and deserves a “best practices” document. I understand the AKC has a draft document but has not been willing to publish it; my guess is that there are things they wish to implement with it that the AKC software is not yet able to support. At this point, however, without the real deal from the AKC, the Scent Work community should just come together and crowdsource something. There are way too many clubs operating inside a bubble with no idea that the way they have always done things is unnecessarily hard on organizers, volunteers, handlers and dogs.
- The creation of official new titles to recognize the achievements we here at We Smell Better call “Super Elite” — Elite at all levels, HD Elite at all levels, Combined at all levels, those things plus Detective and then Numerics of the same.
- Regional and National Championships. If the current format is not tenable, then the format should be changed. As trial organizers and experienced exhibitors, the Scent Work community has the knowledge and expertise to design a format, or perhaps an array of potential formats, to propose to the AKC to assist in revision of the prescribed ones that apparently cannot be consistently made to work. But the sport deserves the showcases it has been promised.
- A “calculated” championship title. As is the case with Obedience, Rally Obedience, Agility and Tracking, dogs should be able to earn a Scent Work championship through demonstration of exceptional skill and consistency. Again, I think the Scent Work community could work together to create a proposal or series of alternative concepts to help the AKC toward this decision.
Am I missing anything? Better, more accessible, just “more” judges education? Revision of specific rules that are consistently problematic? Instruction regarding the use of technical advancements in trial entry and management systems?
I hope you will think about — and ask nicely — for your wishes to come true, also!