Ahsoka earned first place in vehicles! We didn’t title but still earned some bling!
Ahsoka’s NW2 Trial Experience: Growth, Grit, and a Shiny Ribbon
This weekend, Ahsoka and I had the opportunity to compete in our first Nose Work 2 (NW2) trial together, and what an incredible experience it was! The trial was hosted by Tami Sullivan of 2 Psyched 4 Dogs (2psyched4dogs.com), with Lori Timberlake (dooverdogtraining.com) serving as Certifying Official. Our judges were Kathe Baxter and Casey Coggins—a wonderfully supportive and professional crew. The trial took place at Roberts Wesleyan University, a beautiful campus that provided some really unique and picturesque search areas.
Weather Woes (and Wins)
The day started with some weather drama: light rain in the early morning followed by some heavy rain just as the handler briefing was wrapping up. Thankfully, the rain passed quickly and we were dry by the time we headed to our first search. Although the wind gusts came and went, overall, I’d say the weather ended up being relatively cooperative—especially since I had come prepared for a downpour all day!
Understanding NW2: The Next Level
For those not familiar with how an NW2 trial works, it’s a significant step up from NW1. In NW2, teams face five elements:
- Containers
- Interiors (2 separate searches)
- Exteriors
- Vehicles
Each search area contains one to two hides, and unlike NW1, multiple hides and distractors can be in play. There’s also the introduction of accessible and inaccessible hides, more complex odor pooling and trapping scenarios, and you’re expected to call “Finish” once all hides are found. No more hand-holding—this is where real teamwork shines.
Ahsoka earned her NW1 title back in December of last year, and while we’ve continued to train, our practice hasn’t been nearly as consistent as I would’ve liked. And that certainly showed.
Search 1: Containers – Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Containers were up first—a notoriously tricky element at NW2, especially when the layout is unfamiliar. This search was set up in four staggered rows:
- Row 1: Toolboxes
- Row 2: Plastic shoe boxes
- Row 3: Toolboxes again
- Row 2: Plastic shoe boxes again
As is our routine, I held Ahsoka at the start line by the hanlde on her harness for a few moments to take in the environment before cueing her to search with a cheerful “Find it!”
She was off to a strong start, nose-checking each container in Row 1—except for the very last toolbox, which she completely skipped. She moved on to Row 2, where she booped the second shoe box in. I wasn’t convinced. But then she added a paw touch and gave another boop, and I took a chance: “Alert!”
“No.”
Oof. Gut punch.
The judge kindly showed us the correct hide—yep, it was in that one toolbox she hadn’t sniffed in Row 1. I was convinced at the time she must have falsed on a distractor but learned later that the first container in each row contained a distractor. The one she falsed on was blank!
This staggered row layout was a pattern I had set up earlier in the week for my students but neglected to run Ahsoka through. It was a tough but valuable lesson: never underestimate the importance of training on the exact patterns and container types you might see in a trial.
Watch the container debrief video here.
Search 2: Exteriors – Handler Error Strikes
Next up: exteriors. I handn’t watched any of the walkthrough videos except this one. So I was prepared that the search area was fairly open with just a dumpster and a rocky sort of pathway. Having trained a lot with Lori in the past, I suspected there’d be a ground hide.
My suspicion held true, yet we still didn’t find it.
Ahsoka made a beeline for the dumpster and showed some sustained interest at the front left corner. But no real indication. I moved her to the right side of the search area, but she seemed flat, uninterested. Back to the dumpster we went. Still interest but no indication. We started to make our way up the rocky path, then came the dreaded “30 seconds” warning, and I panicked. We circled back to the dumpster rather than pushing forward across the rock path.
During debriefing, we learned the hide was in a pile toward the end of that rocky path—an area we never reached or that I pulled her away from after the warning.
If the first miss was a training issue, this one was squarely on me. I let her stay too long on a possible odor pool and didn’t make sure we fully covered the area. Lesson learned: if she’s not sourcing within a reasonable time, I need to move her along, especially when she’s connected to me on the leash. Of course she works much better independently…
Watch the exterior debrief video here.
Search 3: Interior 1 – Regaining Confidence
After two consecutive “No” calls, I was admittedly feeling a bit discouraged. I debated asking for support or a confidence run, but Ahsoka didn’t seem fazed. She’s a resilient girl, and I decided to trust her.
This search was in a standard classroom—tables and chairs, not much else. I ran her off-leash, fumbled the leash a bit at the entry, but she didn’t miss a beat. She found the threshold hide on the first chair beautifully and moved confidently across the front of and then to the back of the room to source a second hide on the corner of a table.
“Alert.” “Yes.”
“Alert.” “Yes.”
“Finish!”
Finally I could call finish! A successful search. And that gave us both a much-needed morale boost.
Watch the first inerior debrief video here.
Search 4: Vehicles – Victory and a Ribbon!
Next, we headed to the vehicle search. Three cars were lined up on asphalt, bordered by grass on one side and more pavement on the other. A gentle breeze made things interesting but I wasn’t too worried about it.
Ahsoka launched into the search like a rocket, heading straight to the front license plate of the first car. Nose boop. Indication. “Alert.”
“Yes.”
She veered to the right, hugging the cars, she cruised past car two, cutting between it and the third vehicle before alerting on the front passenger tire of car three.
“Alert.”
“Yes. Finish.”
Total search time? 25 seconds. And that was good enough to take first place in the Vehicles element! I couldn’t have been more proud. It felt like redemption. We earned one shiny ribbon today!
Watch the vehicle debrief video here.
Search 5: Interior 2 – A Strong Finish
The final search of the day was in a lounge-style room—smaller than the classroom and filled with comfy couches, coffee tables, and high top tables. I ran Ahsoka off-leash again, this time making sure the leash was fully off before we stepped in.
She entered confidently, curved around the furniture, and sourced the hide behind a couch on the corner of a high table. It was a smooth, efficient search, and a satisfying way to close out the day.
Watch the second interior debrief video here.
Final Thoughts: Growth Over Glory
While we didn’t title at this NW2 trial, I walked away with something arguably more valuable: clarity and motivation.
The container miss was a wake-up call to refine our training and practice containers and container setups more intentionally. I need to practice what I preach! The exterior search reminded me that good handling matters just as much as a good dog. And the success we had in interiors and vehicles reaffirmed the strength of our partnership when we’re in sync.
Tami and her team at 2 Psyched 4 Dogs hosted a truly wonderful trial. It ran smoothly, was thoughtfully organized, and featured fair yet challenging search areas. The volunteers were kind, the judges supportive, and the overall vibe incredibly positive.
And we still made it home from Rochester before 4 PM—talk about a win!
We’ll be back. Ahsoka and I are just getting started.
Happy Hunting,
Jess & Ahsoka
Want to learn more about K9 Nose Work, a Scent Detection dog sport?
Join us in Learn to Hunt: Introduction to Scent Work Skills starting Tuesday May 29th at 6:15 PM. Register Here: https://thenoblebeasttraining.as.me/IntroMay
This beginner-friendly class introduces dogs and their handlers to the basics of scent detection using primary rewards such as food or toys. The focus is on developing your dog’s natural scenting abilities while building foundational skills in a fun, supportive environment. This class is a prerequisite for Nose Work Level 2: Pairing Puzzles where we introduce the common odors used in scent detection sports. Level 2 will begin immediately after level 1 on Tuesday nights at 6:15 PM.
TNB Team “Barb” and Stephanie rocked 4/5 search areas today only missing exteriors!