To compete in the sport of K9 Nose Work®, dogs will need to transition from searching for food or toys to searching for a “target odor”. Target odors for competition in ACSW K9 Nose Work® events are made using 100% cotton swabs, cut in half and scented with one of the three essential oils: Birch, Anise, and Clove.

Target odors are introduced in training in the following order:

Birch (“Sweet Birch” aka Betula Lenta)

Anise (“Aniseed” aka Pimpinella Anisum variety – NOT Star Anise, Illicium Verum)

Clove (“Clove Bud” aka Eugenia Caryophylatta or Syzgium Aromaticum)

Students enrolled in an Intro to Odour K9 Nose Work® class with a certified instructor will receive education on the responsible use of Odour & a small number of scented cotton swabs to use for practicing outside of class. If you have completed an Intro to Odour class and/or workshop, and you are interested in additional supplies for practicing, please contact your Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI).

Scented cotton buds are available through Ultimate K9