My Dog Can't Stop Sniffing in a Trial!

Your dog has perfect focus outside the ring. Looks at you with adoring eyes and nails your warmup.

And then you step through the ring gates and their nose instantly hits the ground. Your dog acts like they can't hear a word you're saying. You painfully get them to setup. But it continues to go south when your run officially starts.

Why?!

I put sniffing into 4 categories. They all overlap, but I think it helps to have mental buckets to allow me to better drill down into the pieces that need the most work.

Spoiler alert, I see the last reason as the most common reason, especially if this sniffing is only happening in a trial!

Happy photo of Ginny in between exercises taken by Harlow McPherson

Curiosity

In this category, your dog is actually curious and exploring!

This dog is intensely sniffing a spot on the floor as it gets information, or scanning the room air sniffing.

In some cases, this is a dog new to trialing who seems to say that they aren't even aware that you want them to be doing something!

If you have this dog, I'd focus on the following skills:

• Acclimation routines and teaching your dog WHEN to sniff

• Ready to work routines that teach your dog how to push you to start work

• Consistent ring routines where WE focus on how we are keeping connection with our dog as we enter the ring, work, and those "in between" times in practice where we talk to an instructor or think about what to do next.

Frustrated or Confused

This is the dog that does well at the start, and then starts to sniff when things get tough. Often sniffing is done at specific obstacles like the weaves, or during heeling when they have to think extra hard about what they are doing.

Or it may show up after a handling error where the dog isn't sure what you wanted, or how to get back on course. Coming out of a bonus tunnel and seeing us standing still, waving at them, can be hard for them to recover.

Or in obedience, the dog may start to think they are wrong when you don't talk to them on the heeling, or during the long pauses as you wait for the judge to give you the next order. The dog isn't sure why things are looking different in a trial compared to practice.

If you have this dog, focus on the following skills:

• Building very fluent skills for each exercise/obstacle. The more fluent a behavior is, the easier it is to do under pressure.

• Teach the dog that the lack of reward and/or praise doesn't mean they are wrong!

• Train a routine for "getting back on track" that you can do in the ring without treats. The dog doesn't need to be wrong to practice your recovery routine!

Not Motivated

This dog knows you don't have food or toys on you. They know it will be a while before the reward and may move slowly off to sniff or look around.

If this is your dog, focus on the following skills:

• Teach a routine of showing the dog where you set the rewards down, no tricking them!

  • Bonus if you teach a "zen bowl/toy" skill of the reward on the ground, uncovered!

• Practice giving a special cue to run to the rewards at various points in the ring, not just by the exit

• Teach connection games to engage your dog with motion AND stillness!

Stressed / Over Aroused

This is the dog that isn't fully comfortable in the environment, or when the support systems they are used to are no longer there.

There is no food/toys. Their handler is stressed. And the routines are different.

This is why the dog can still look great outside the ring and then fall apart when they step through the gate and everything changes.

If this is your dog, work on the following skills:

• All the trial routines, from arriving at the trial to getting the rewards at the end. Waiting at the gate, leash handoffs, delays in the ring, etc!

• Experiment with different ways of connecting with your dog and work

  • Movement games!

  • Calming skills

• And all of the above!

Need Help?

It can feel overwhelming to know where to start and how to break these skills down.

If you're struggling in the ring, make sure to check out my free Ring Confidence group on facebook for a number of guides and a supportive group of people.

And my class on Ring Confidence goes over all of this! I love breaking down the trial prep skills and helping people experiment with how to help their dog in the ring. This class is specifically designed for those who compete, or who want to compete, in agility, obedience, or rally.

Registration is open now and class starts August 1st!