Trial Information

SCENT WORK TRIAL RULES & CONDITIONS

 

REGISTRATION CLOSES: Saturday, 15 November 2025
REGISTRATION LINK: FULL. Thank you.

SG K9 Scent Work's positive, fear-free, and dog-centric focus aims to create a supportive and enjoyable experience for each dog and human. We value humility and respect and embrace all dogs and humans in an inclusive manner. Our dogs did not register for the trial, nor did they pay the fees. They only know they are spending time with their favourite humans, eating high value treats and doing what they do best – sniff. 

This is a game, the event is for fun, and volunteers are giving their time for you to make memories with your dog. Let’s be easy-going, respectful, kind, and patient. Above all, let’s enjoy the time spent with our dogs and fellow dog-lovers. 

Safety

Safety First. Always. No Compromise.

·       All dogs must be leashed in the event venue. Please feel free to bring a crate or place mat if that helps keep your dog safer.

·       Avoid dog-dog interaction. The outcomes of any dog interaction are the sole responsibility of owners.

·       Dogs will compete one-by-one and will be called into the room one at a time.

·       All dogs must be up to date on vaccinations.

·       Selective/Dog-reactive dogs should wear a red/yellow bandana. Other handlers must keep their dogs away from such dogs and admire them from afar.

By attending the trial, you accept the risk that comes with participating in an activity with dogs, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless K9 Scent Work Pte Ltd and instructor Linda Lim for all personal injury and damage to yourself, your dog and property while traveling to/from the class, and in class.

General Rules

The following rules apply to all events at the trial. The judge will aim to be fair and transparent and exercises the right to make the final decision.

Teams refer to a combination of a dog and a handler.
“Scent item” and “hide” refer to treat/toy/odor.

1.      Search Area: Search area may be any shape, and will be marked with cones, furniture or any other items that delineate the boundaries. Teams may cross search boundaries without penalty during the search as long as they are working.  Different search areas will be demarcated with separators that create a psychological boundary for the teams.

2.      Placement of Odor/Treat/Toy: The scent item – whether scented cotton bud or treat or toy – will be placed inside a vessel to prevent the item from coming into direct contact with any object or surface in the search area. The scent item will never be placed inside an object that is used to demarcate the search area.

3.      Consistent Location of the Odor/Treat/Toy: The hidden odor/treat/toy will be placed in the same location for each team in the event to ensure fairness.

4.      Collars, Leashes and Harnesses: All dogs must wear a properly fitted collar or harness.  Dogs must enter and exit the search area with the leash attached to the collar or harness. No special training tools, such as e-collar, prong collar, head halters, or choke chains are allowed in the event. Martingale collars are permitted.  No odor-emitting collars (such as no-bark collars or calming collars) are permitted. A wearable camera, such as a Go Pro, may be mounted to the dog’s harness. 

5.      Accessories: Dogs may wear paw covers or booties, jackets, sweaters, and hair ties or bows as the handler deems necessary for the dog to safely navigate the search area. Handlers are permitted to wear treat pouches or fanny packs to carry food rewards. The final word on whether or not an accessory is allowed shall rest with the judge.

6.      Rewards: The handler may use a food or toy reward at any time during the search, e.g. to calm a nervous dog.  However, these items may not be used to lure or bait the dog toward a specific location to search.  When the dog correctly finds the odor/treat/toy, the handler may reward the dog with a food or toy reinforcer, which may be delivered at or away from source.

7.      Contamination of Search Area: Please take care not to drop food while rewarding the dog. Dropped food on, hear or away from the hide is considered contamination of the search area.  The judge can call a fault or disqualify the team depending on the severity.

8.      Self-Timing: Handlers are permitted to wear watches or other timing devices in the search area in order to be aware of the time remaining in their search. However, in no case may a handler use their own timing device to dispute the conclusion of the official timer. The official time will be determined solely by the official timer’s device. The official timer could be the judge or a separate trial official.

9.      Possession of Odor:  No person other than those engaged in the administration of the trial shall be in possession of any of the target odors (i.e. Birch) at the trial venue.

10. Spectators and Double Handling:  Spectators are encouraged, however, no one outside the search area may assist the handler or disclose the location of the hide. Spectators should take care to remain neutral in order to not provide clues to the handler. The Judge may excuse or re-run teams whose dogs they reasonably believe have benefited from double handling . Spectators who intentionally or unintentionally give aid to a team may be asked to leave the spectator area by the judge. Handlers may not watch other teams in the same event prior to their turn.

11. Photography and Recording Devices:  With the permission of the dog’s owner and handler, spectators are encouraged to photo and video dogs and handlers while they search, however under no circumstances may they share this with any handler competing in the same event who has not yet competed. Handlers are not allowed to take video while handling a dog, except with wearable cameras such as the “Go Pro” or Meta glasses. These videos are for the enjoyment of those who cannot be present to watch the team search, and for the handler to have a keepsake of their experience.

 

Process

·       Teams must be behind the line marked by 2 cones at the start of the search area.

·       Time starts once any body part of the team, e.g. dog’s nose or handler’s toes, crosses the start line.

·       If the dog or handler fails to cross the start line, a fault will be recorded.

·       Time stops when the handler calls “Alert!” when the dog indicates a find. If a verbal articulation is not possible, the handler may inform the judge of an alternative signal, such as a raised hand.

·       If it is not immediately obvious where the dog is indicating the hidden odor/treat/toy, the judge may ask the handler to point to the source location.

·       If the handler makes an incorrect call, no score will be recorded. The search is non-qualifying.

·       If the team does not call “Alert!” within the given time limit, no score will be recorded. The search is non-qualifying.

 

Treat/Toy Hunters

o   Handlers must prepare 3 pieces of their choice of treats/toys for the judge to place in the search area.

o   These treats/toys must be handed over to the judge in an air-tight container, e.g. resealable bags or food containers.

o   Handlers can choose to use wet or dry treats.

 

Scoring and Placements

·       The time that the team takes to complete the search is recorded as the final score for that event.

·       All teams that successfully find the hidden treat or toy or odor receive a Qualifying score and is awarded a Q ribbon.

·       Each team’s recorded time is ranked. The fastest four (4) teams shall be awarded placements. Placements are based on fewest number of faults, and then on time (a team with no faults will place higher than a faster-finishing team with faults) . If teams are tied on both number of faults and time, then a coin-flip will determine the placements.

 

Faults

·       A fault does not disqualify the score. However, a fault will be recorded against the score and will impact placement.

 

Intervention

o   Handlers must not be observed to be actively searching for the hidden item.

o   Handlers must observe the dog’s scenting behaviour and call “alert” when the handler is sure the dog has found the treat/odor/toy.

o   Any handler seen to be actively searching for the hidden treat/odor/toy receives a “fault” for the team.

 

Disturbance and Disruption of Search Area

o   Any leash that drags on the floor and disturbs the search area receives a fault.

o   Any disruption of the search area, e.g. a dog smashes or rips a box, receives a fault. Cases in which a dog’s nose or feet get caught on containers or other objects shall not be considered a disruption of the area.

o   Handlers are not allowed to touch objects in the search area.

 

Non-Qualifying (NQ) Score

·       The following actions disqualify teams, and an NQ will be recorded.

o   The handler is observed to harshly handle or be unkind to the dog, e.g. drags the dog, scolds or beats the dog, or handles the dog in a rough and unsafe manner. 

o   The handler calls “Alert” on the incorrect location.

o   The maximum time for the search is exceeded.

o   The handler is not able to point to the location of the hide when asked by the judge.

 

Excusals

·       Dogs shall be excused from the search if, in the opinion of the judge, any of the criteria are met.

o   The dog eliminates (urinates, defecates, or vomits) in the search area.

o   The dog is not under the handler’s control.

o   The dog shows signs of extreme stress or fear.

o   The handler receives assistance from a spectator or another handler.

o   The handler requests to be excused.

o   The dog or handler stops working or is disruptive after warning from the judge.

 

 

Event 1: Containers

Container search is based on the work of detection dogs to search packages for contraband. In this event, dogs must locate the target odor/treat/toy, which is hidden in one of the containers.  There will be ten (10) identical box containers laid out in two rows of five boxes.

 

Event 2: Interiors

Interior search tests the dog’s ability to locate the target odor/treat/toy in an indoor search environment.  The hide will be on, under or in an object in the search area. The objects in the search area comprises typical furniture that can be found in room, e.g. chairs, stools, tables, shelves.

 

Event 3: “Crime” Scene

A scenario will be shared two-days before the competition, on November 28, to teams registered for this event. The set-up could be searching luggage, boxes, humans etc, and is designed to create an opportunity for the teams to role-play for fun.