COMPETITORS HANDBOOK


 

WELCOME!

 

Our Competition Scent Dog Trials are conducted with the utmost credibility and closely simulate real-life operational searches. Our writers, Judges & Trial Managers all possess City & Guilds Assured Credentials as Handlers and Instructors ensuring that our Trials are highly reputable and trustworthy.

Our aim is to give you and your dog the best experience we can that is fun and relaxed.

With Competition Scent Dog Trials it’s all about the search!

All trials are done as a whole search, not as individual Elements and time allocated is for a whole search. 

There are two types of Trials. Competitors may know (advertised as a PRO TRIAL) or may not know (advertised as an ALERT TRIAL) what you will be searching prior to the Trial briefing. 

ALERT TRIAL Competitors will just be given a location and start time. Generally a scenario based trial and asking the right questions may get you a map and other useful information.

You will be judged on Safety, Management, System and Efficiency in different search area environments.

We are here to support your training & trials journey. Although winning a trial is fabulous, we also put high value on a clean sweep.

A clean sweep shows that you and your dog have worked well together and found all of the hides, it’s a job well done and what we train for.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!

GENERAL RULES

 Competition Scent Dog Trials are judged upon

  • Safety

  • Thresholds

  • Control & Management

  • System and Efficiency

  • Indication & Working to source 

    To pass a Level and progress to the next level, you must; Gain a pass score at that Level ALERT Trial and gain a pass score at that Level PRO Trial for each of the 4 Elements. A pass score is 6/10 for each criteria with 4 out of 5 hides being found. 

  • Extra points gained

    ·      Achieving a Clean Sweep gains you an extra 5 points and awarded to all competitors who this regardless of their placing.

  • Asking where

    • If the Judge is not sure where the competitor is alerting to, the Judge can ask “where”. The Competitor will tell the Judge but must not re-task the dog to the hide.

    • If the dog has missed any hides, the competitor will not be allowed to task the dog into a missed hide at the end of the search.

General rules;

· You may only run one dog in a trial.

·      Dogs must be 10 Months old or over to enter.

·      Rewards & reinforcements are encouraged. Either food or toys can be used.

·      No Food rewards to be fed from the floor or dropped whilst feeding.

·      Toy reward must not disrupt the search area.

·      Any dog handling techniques or that involves the use of Force, Fear or Pain will result in immediate disqualification.

·      We don’t allow e-collars, pinch collars, slip leads or no-pull harnesses that tighten on the dog or any piece of equipment that causes pain or discomfort.

·      Head collars are not permitted during a CSD Trial.

·      Belly bands are not permitted.

·      Bitches in season are not permitted to enter any Competition Scent Dog Trials (CSDT).

·      The search must be systematic & progressive. A search is 20-30 minutes long depending on Level and search area. A one minute warning can be requested. How long your search takes you will not be recorded and is NOT part of the overall score.

·      All competitors will search numerous odours which will increase as the Levels progress.

·      The maximum number of odours (at present) is 6.

·      A White Dog will be run before the start of the Trial.

·      Competitors will not remove hides, interfere or touch hides in any way.

·      Competitors must ask the Judge before touching anything in the search area or moving objects in scenario-based ALERT Trials. Items must not be touched in a PRO Trial.

·      Competitors are to be reminded that in ALERT Trials, there maybe other tasks and elements within the Trial and fun problem solving may be required.

·      All premises & search areas will be risk assessed prior to the start of the Trial by the TM.

·      Candidates must take responsibility for their own and their dog’s safety during the search as each search must be Safe, Managed, Systematic & Efficient.

·      The handler’s alert signal must be stated BEFORE the commencement of the search.

·    

TRIAL LEVELS

 

THE SIZE OF THE SEARCH AREA MUST REFLECT THE LEVEL OF THE TRIAL.

There are 10 Levels to compete in. These will be known as L1 - L10

The Competitor will not be told (after L1) how many hides, the target odour or number of clear areas being used. Two blank hides will be used in each level.

 

·      LEVEL 1

5 hides per Trial. Target odour is Gun Oil. 4/5 hides must be found.

·      LEVEL 2

Target odours are Gun Oil and Clove. The ratio between the two odours can be varied. 4 hides must be found.

·      LEVEL 3

Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove and Truffle Oil. The ratio between the odours can be varied. 4 hides must be found.

·      LEVEL 4

Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove, Truffle Oil and Raw Cannabis Oil. The ratio between the odours can be varied. 4 hides must be found.

·      LEVEL 5

Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove, Truffle Oil, Raw Cannabis Oil and a spent shotgun cartridge. The ratio between the odours can be varied. One search area might be left clear with no odour. 4 hides must be found.

·      LEVEL 6

Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove, Truffle Oil, Raw Cannabis Oil, spent shotgun cartridge and a Vodafone SIM card. The ratio between the odours can be varied. 4 hides must be found. One search area can be left clear with no odour.  1 hide of any odour may be placed on 1 person in a group of 4 people.  The group may carry luggage or be wheeling a wheeled suitcase. The odour can be either on a person or in the luggage.

·      LEVEL 7

Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove, Truffle Oil, Raw Cannabis Oil, spent shotgun cartridge and a Vodafone SIM card. The ratio between the odours can be varied. 4 hides must be found. A search area may be left clear with no odour. 1 hide of any odour may be placed on a person, a person carrying luggage or a person with a wheeled suitcase. The odour can be either on the person or in the luggage.

  • LEVEL 8

Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove, Truffle Oil, Raw Cannabis Oil, a spent shot gun cartridge and a Vodafone SIM card. The ratio between the odours can be varied. 4 hides must be found. A search area may be left clear with no odour.

1 hide of any odour may be placed on a person, a person carrying luggage or a person with a wheeled suitcase. The odour can be either on the person or in the luggage. One area must be cleared using advanced search techniques.

  • LEVEL 9

    Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove, Truffle Oil, Raw Cannabis Oil, a spent shotgun cartridge and a Vodafone SIM CARD. The ratio between the odours can be varied. 4 hides must be found. Search areas within the search element may be left clear with no odour.

1 hide of any odour may be placed on 1 person in a group of 4 people.  The group may carry luggage or be wheeling a wheeled suitcase.

One search element must be cleared using advanced search techniques.

  • LEVEL 10

Target odours are Gun Oil, Clove, Truffle Oil, Raw Cannabis Oil, a spent gun cartridge and a Vodafone SIM card. 4 hides must be found.

Two hides of any odour may be placed on 2 people in a group of four or on a piece of luggage or wheeled suitcase.

THE SEARCH

TYPES OF SEARCHES

  • The Trial consists of one full search.

  • There are two types of searches.

  • In each level the competitor must achieve the pass mark in a ALERT Trial and in a PRO Trial, complete all Elements and achieve the pass mark before moving up to the next level.


PRO Trial: -

This will be advertised as such. A PRO Trial can contain up to two elements. The competitor will be informed prior to the trial what element/s the Trial contains. L1 will always be a PRO search.


ALERT Trial: -

This will be advertised as such. This is a scenario-based Trial.The competitor will not know what elements they will be searching. They are given a location, date and time. The Competitor should ask who called in the threat, why they think there is a threat and who has the blueprints/map of the search area. This Trial is fun but is aimed at testing the the Competitors ability to think independently. 

SEARCH TIME AND TIEBREAKER.

The time allowed for the whole search is 20-30 minutes but as explained earlier, time forms no part in the scoring. In the event of an equal score, a tiebreaker set of 3 questions based on Scent theory will be asked. The winner will be the handler who clicks a clicker first and answers two of the questions correctly.

 

 

THE ELEMENTS OF A SEARCH.

  • There will be up to 2 of the four elements in a PRO Trial which are: -

Building Search, Vehicle Search, Area Search, Route Search

  • All 4 Elements of a Pro Trial must be completed to move up a level.

 

THE COMPETITOR WILL BE JUDGED ON.

  • SAFETY OF THE SEARCH.

The handler is to work the dog in a safe search method.

To identify and announce to the Judge any situations showing a potential threat to either the handler or dog. This may be a prop placed by the TM.

  • MANAGEMENT OF THE DOG.

The handler will show the ability to maintain good management of the dog both on or off leash.

It is the Competitors choice how they work their dog.

Bad leash/line handling will result in a lower overall mark.

The Competitor must show the ability to manage their dog around the search area in the correct way using knowledge and understanding.

To be able to work the dog in the search areas despite all reasonable distractions.

Management of the dog using knowledge and understanding.

The competitor should show the ability to read their dog.

And understand when the dog is working to source.

Positively identify the dog’s indication of hides placed at varying heights.

Marks will be lost for negative cueing.

We encourage the use of rewards but a food reward fed from the floor or dropped by the handler will result in a fault.

  • SYSTEM AND EFFICIENCY.

The handler and dog should cover the areas using an efficient and systematic search pattern.

It is expected that the overlap, baseline and base bubble is searched.

The handler is to work the dog in a safe, systematic way with good coverage.

Each search will have good flow.

Repetitive searching of the same area will loose marks.

Candidates will not be reminded of the base line, base bubble or overlap. This will loose marks if not completed.

The search area is not to be interfered with. In scenario ALERT Trials, permission from the Judge can be sought to touch or use item

EXTRA POINTS GAINED

·      Achieving a Clean Sweep gains you an extra 5 points and awarded to all competitors who this regardless of their placing.

ASKING WHERE

  • If the Judge is not sure where the competitor is alerting to, the Judge can ask “where”. The Competitor will tell the Judge but must not re-task the dog to the hide.

  • If the dog has missed any hides, the competitor will not be allowed to task the dog into a missed hide at the end of the search.

THE JUDGES DECISION IS FINAL, PLEASE DISCUSS ANY CONCERNS CALMLY

As hard as we try, hiccups happen. So, to help us with your concern, please tell us the date and location of the Trial along with the name of the Trial Manager and Judge. We promise to listen to your concern and to let you know the outcome if that is what is needed as soon as we can.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER CONCERNS please email Samantha Teece info@competitionscentdogtrials.co.uk