Book Review: Nose Work Handler: Foundation to Finesse (new dog sport for pet dogs, similar to SAR)

Nose Work Handler: Foundation to Finesse, by Fred Helfers (Dogwise Distributor, 2017, 144 pp, $28.99 paperback)

So, you have just heard about the latest dog sport, Nose Work, and want to find out more about it!  Or, you just read a memoir about a Search and Rescue (SAR) dog and want to see if you can train your dog to search and rescue. So, you find a book called Nose Work Handler by Fred Helfers who has decades of training experience.

This reviewer has some experience in the new sport of nose work and even began in the instructor certification path - she finds this book interesting to say the least. 

First of all, nose work is the non-professional 'sport' while SAR is for the professional dog. Training methods are the same (positive reinforcement) but pet dogs are in it for fun and enjoyment primarily while the pro-dog must be trained to a much higher level. This reviewer finds Helfers does not get the two mixed up but also doesn't tease out the differences for the novice to understand.

What We Liked

This is a reader-friendly book with not only an index but also a glossary. The detailed table of contents is mirrored in the text to make finding one's way easy. 

The large text is a bit amateurish and the text reads more like a text book than an interesting, detailed book - but it is short! For example, the author defines new terms in the body of the book but it would be more memorable if he went into more detail, rather than just defining the term.

Helfers opens the book with 'everything you always wanted to know about your dog's nose but were afraid to ask' (to paraphrase a well-known phrase) with several excellent drawings, but, dear reader, feel free to skip most of this. You do need to at least skim it for a better understanding of our dogs' sense of smell and how sensitive it is.

Also covered is canine body language and its importance, various alerts, leash handling skills, and several drills for the team of you and your dog, but, even though each drill states the goal and when in the training cycle it is best used, they are rather advanced. Helfers also does a super job of explaining how to plan a search and afterwards, what to document, as well as training errors. Loved the short mottos in the last chapter that help you remember what to do. Also, a good reference section.

So, there is a lot to like in Nose Work Handling, but also a lot that needs work. Although the organization looks impressive, and it is, the book lacks entirely in sticking to either the amateur or the professional. A professional may not be as bored and may be able to discern the finer points while the family pet owner will either be inundated with facts and put the book (and sport) down or will try to do it all and then become frustrated.

All in all, a good editor is needed for the next edition.