TRACKING

You work hard to teach your dog good manners. There’s one area where you probably won’t have much success: Asking him to “mind his own business and stop being so nosey!” It won’t work because his keen sense of smell – which is 100,000 times stronger than humans – makes him naturally “nosey.” That strong sense of smell is the reason why dogs are well-suited for emergency search-and-rescue work.

So what do you do with your ever-nosey dog? Get him involved in an AKC Tracking event where he can sniff and smell to his heart’s content and demonstrate his natural ability to recognize and follow a scent. It’s the perfect way for you and your dog to enjoy many hours together, outside in the fresh air, honing his natural abilities.

SEARCH & RESCUE

The skills of search and rescue (SAR) dogs can mean the difference between life and death, especially during natural disasters, mass casualty events, and when locating missing people. We are proud to honor the invaluable service of these dogs and their owners through our Search and Rescue Title program.

Title recognition is offered for FEMA certified Urban Search and Rescue dogs, as well as Wilderness Search and Rescue dogs. These titles may be added to your dog’s record and you may receive an AKC Title Certificate honoring your dog’s accomplishments. Application to submit to AKC for title recognition.

Report new GSMDCA or non-AKC title online submission form

BARN HUNT

Not everyone will understand the importance of “rat catchers,” but if you live in the countryside, you sure do! “Rat catchers” rid farms of destructive vermin – and the hunting and teamwork skills required to do so are the foundation of the sport of Barn Hunt. Dogs and their handlers work as a team to locate and mark rats (which are always safely held in aerated tubes) hidden in a maze of straw or hay bales.

Some breeds are specifically created to fill this role as well as some mixed breeds being up to the task, but as long as your dog can fit through an 18″ wide by bale-height tall tunnel, he’s eligible! “Barn Hunt tests the nose, speed, agility, and surefootedness of dogs that have a history of above-ground vermin hunting,” said Robin Nuttall, founder of the Barn Hunt Association.”

Barn Hunt events include a pass/fail instinct class for owners who want to familiarize their dog with the test. Courses are made increasingly difficult by adding more obstacles, additional diversions and more rats to find.

The Barn Hunt Association is an independent organization where titles earned can be recognized by The American Kennel Club. Titles earned in Novice and above will be recognized by The American Kennel Club. To apply for your dog’s Barn Hunt title with AKC simply complete the application.  If you plan on submitting to AKC there is no need to report to the GSMDCA, we will automatically receive that information. If you choose not to report the title with AKC please complete Report new GSMDCA or non-AKC title online submission form

SCENT WORK

Fascinating fact: Dogs have a sense of smell that’s between 10,000 and 100,000 times more acute than ours! The sport of Scent Work celebrates the joy of sniffing, and asks a dog to sniff to their heart’s content; turning your dog’s favorite activity into a rewarding game. It is a terrific sport for all kinds of dogs, and is a wonderful way to build confidence in a shy dog.

In so many dog sports the handler is in control but this isn’t true in Scent Work. Neither the dog nor handler knows where the target odor is hidden. The handler has to rely on the dog, and follow the dog’s nose to success. In Scent Work, it is the canine who is the star of the show.

The sport of Scent Work is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. In AKC Scent Work, dogs search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. The cotton swabs are hidden out of sight in a pre-determined search area, and the dog has to find them. Teamwork is necessary: when the dog finds the scent, he has to communicate the find to the handler, who calls it out to the judge.