A Nose for the Job
Gus the Terrier Proves that Sniffing is Serious Business…
Like a private eye straight from a ’50s noir flick, Gus is pretty sure he can smell a rat.
In Gus’s case, though, that’s a good thing. The 2-year-old border terrier, who belongs to Pat and Milt Clark, is a frequent competitor in scent trials sanctioned by the North American Sport Dog Association.
The friendly competitions require dogs, armed only with their incredibly sensitive snouts, to race against the clock as they try and sniff out the location of hidden rats. “Gus enjoys it. At times I’m really amazed. I tell him to find anything and he sniffs everything,” Pat Clark says.
Border terriers, a breed developed near the border of England and Scotland to help with fox hunting, are described by the American Kennel Club as “tough, no-frills working terriers” that are also “plucky, happy and affectionate dogs.”
When the Clarks became interested in owning a border terrier, they were advised to talk with a breeder so they attended an AKC event in Woodland and asked around and met some dogs. That outing also introduced them to NASDA, the organization that sets up events to “celebrate and showcase the incredible olfactory abilities of dogs.”
“It took us six months to find a breeder with a dog that wasn’t already spoken for,” Pat Clark says. Gus was welcomed to his new home in June 2023.
As soon as he was old enough (six months or older), the Clarks started entering Gus in scent trials. The AKC Earthdog events, featuring short-legged terriers and Dachshunds tasked with locating caged rats in human-made tunnels, didn’t really pique Gus’s interest. “Gus wasn’t too excited” about the underground work, Pat Clark says.
“It turns out he’s much better at NASDA stuff. He’s great at finding the rats,” she adds. Gus has proven to be adept at two of the four types of NASDA trials: Urban Locating (in and around buildings) and Trailing & Locating (outdoors, among trees, shrubs and other cover). In all trials, the rats are kept in ventilated cages and out of harm’s way. Dogs are awarded points if they locate the rat within two minutes.
Since she doesn’t have ready access to rats, Pat Clark says she goes to pet stores and collects used bedding from rat cages. “I put it in a cardboard box with holes and put it in our shop and tell him to go find it. He has to go smell everything and see if he can find it.”
The Clarks took Gus to three different venues last year and entered him in four trials. “It’s a really fun way to spend your weekends,” says Pat Clark, who adds that the other pet owners are a supportive group happy to help beginners. All dogs are welcome, she says. “If they show any aptitude for it and you work with them, they’re more than welcome.”
The challenges are expected to mount for Gus when he advances to the next level of competition when the trials include “false rats” (just the used bedding). “He’ll have to figure it out,” Pat Clark says. “He can’t spend too much time sniffing an area that doesn’t have a rat. Too much time at a false rat and he’ll lose points.”
Gus has had some difficulties with the two other types of trials, including Lost Item Recovery (such as car keys). He would do better in the Shed Dog competition (locating antlers shed by deer and elk) “but he doesn’t bring anything back” as required. “But his brain is still evolving so you never know. He’s still learning things.”
The trials and practice sessions are more than just good exercise for Gus, Pat Clark says. “He gets to use his brain, and that really tires him out. It’s good for the dog and good for me, too. I have to try and explain things to him and keep up with him out in the field. The more you give them to do, the less they think up things to do, which is better,” she says with a laugh. “They’re way smarter than you think.” •
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