Nose Work: Every Dog Can Do It!
Agile Paws Dog Sports is proud to showcase the APDS full time students that have earned NACSW™ K9 Nose Work® titles. We acknowledge that many of our teams have earned accomplishments in other organizations and we are proud of them as well. However, it is our decision to focus and highlight NACSW™ milestones.
photo by Maria Bivens
Name: Smokey
Handler: Karen Zakowicz
Titles: ORT
Smokey is miracle dog. She survived several surgeries and a stroke in late 2019. From not being able to walk or see, Smokey is now walking tall and is eager to do nose work. Age 11, Smokey just passed her first ORT in January 2020. She will now be competing at the NW1 level.
photo by Maria Bivens
Name: Tilly
Handler: Karen Zakowicz
Titles: ORT, L1E, NW1
Tilly is a rescue who is 11 years old. Tilly began nose work at age 10. She is a sweet girl who is beginning to gain confidence in her searches. Tilly has worked hard overcoming her fear of new areas. In January 2020, she earned her first EST title for exteriors. On May 14, 2022 Karen and Tilly earned their NW1.
Name: Gracie
Handler: Marion Preest
Titles: L1C, L1I, NW1, NW2, NW3, Elite
Gracie is an energetic girl who loves to search. She is a leaner and a lover. She is a number 1 bed hogger and a real snuggler. Gracie earned her L1C & L1I at the March 2019 Agile Paws Dog Sports EST trials and her NW1 in November 2019. She was the Dog In White for Orange Element trial. During the pandemic, Marion and Gracie earned their NW2, their 3 NW3 titles and is now competing at the Elite Level. In February 2023, they earned a first place ribbon in one of the searches at the Benson, AZ Elite Trial.
Highlights: NW1, Dog in White-EST-2019
Name: Brooklyn
Handler: Jessica Vallely
Titles Earned: NW1, L1I
Brooklyn, aka, “Wild Child”, was a rescue from Arizona. She is a labrador-shepherd-border collie mix with no off-button. Always joyful, she loves to give kisses to spectators and judges while she is trialing. In class, she loves on all handlers and occasionally will steal bait bags as she smothers you with kisses. Brooklyn earned her NW1 in Murrieta, CA March 2019. She also earned her L1I at the March 2019 Agile Paws Dog Sports EST trials. She is competing at the NW2 level. In December 2022, Brooklyn went over the rainbow bridge to continue searching for hides for eternity.
Highlights:
Name: Lucy
Handler: Melissa Coleman
Titles Earned: NW1, L1E
Sweet Lucy is a rescue. After rehabing from extensive knee surgery, Lucy bounced back quickly into searching. Lucy got into the Agile Paws Dog Sports April 2019 trial at the last minute…literally 1/2 hour before the trial began and earned her NW1. During the pandemic, Mel and Lucy earned several EST titles and have competed in NW2 trials. What a rock star!
Name: Catch
Handler: Tammy Wilson
Titles: NW2, L2E, L2I, L2C
Catch was one of Tammy’s first Nosework dogs. After a successful agility and Nose Work career, Catch retired. He still played the game for fun until he passed away in 2021.
Name: Mac
Handler: Peg Winchell
Titles Earned: L1E, L1C
Mac aka, “Box Crusher” was Peg’s first Nosework dog. Mac loved the game so much, that he would become so overjoyed that he would toss, spread and mash boxes in the container searches. He would move every box out of the way and completely smash the odor box as if to say, “Here it is, Mom!”. He was a joy at all the demos especially at the schools. Mac came with a warning label, “He will kiss you.”
While Mac was unsuccessful in earning in NW1, he always took a home ribbons for fastest times in interior and exteriors searches. Mac earned his LIE and his LIC in 2018 before his unexpected death November 2018. No other dog will crush boxes the way he did!
Highlights:
Name: Riley
Handler: Laura Darms
Titles Earned: NW1, L1I, L1C, L1V
Riley was a rescue. When he first started, he was into the people and the distractions rather than searching. Laura has worked very hard to help him become more focused. Riley earned his NW1 and is now competing at the NW2 level. He earned his LIC in March and his L1V in November of 2019. In 2020, Riley crossed over the rainbow bridge.
Name: Kodi
Handler: Marjorie Rodriguez
Titles Earned: NW1, NW2,
NW3, L1I, L2I, L1V
Kodi was a rescue that Marjorie really wanted. So much so, she spent the night at the shelter to be the first person that day to get Kodi. Initially shy and environmentally wary, Kodi has blossomed into a very focused Nose work dog. Kodi earned his NW1 with a 2nd Place in Containers and the Harry Award. They earned their NW2 at the April 2019 Agile Paws Dog Sports trial. Since 2020 Marjorie and Kodi have competing at the NW3 level. In December 2022 they received their second NW3 title coming in first overall and earning the tin with the day’s hides in it. Well done. They need one more NW3 Title to move up to the Elite level.
Name: Q
Handler: Kriss Okubo
Titles Earned: NW1, NW2, NW3, L1E, L1C, Elite, Summit
Q also started taking agility classes at Agile Paws Dog Sports before Tammy started offering nose work. Kriss and Q are the first Agile Paws Dog Sports team to compete in an NW3 trial and the Elite levels. Kriss & Q have earned enough points and Elite titles that they are now competing at the Summit level.