My Dog Smells LLC

09/05/2024

We have a winner! Congratulations Nelci and Lilu! Love those Happy Exits! Way to go Team! 👏👏👏

Announcing the winner of a Happy Exit Collage from the My Dog Smells LLC Johnstown NW1! Team Lilu! Lilu is an energetic, fun Border Collie handled by Nelci O'Brien! Look at them celebrate! If you know Nelci, please let her know she's getting a collage! Kudos to everyone at the trial who had Happy Exits no matter the outcome of the run.

09/02/2024

What a fantastic idea! Thank you Shelly for emphazing those Happy Exits! Love this! ❤️

You've all inspired me! Such JOY! Such LOVE! I want to CELEBRATE that! In support of all the teams I'm GIVING AWAY a *FREE* Happy Exit 🥳 collage for each trial! The teams are chosen randomly BUT, I had to SEE or CAPTURE a happy exit no matter what the outcome of the run was. I'm pleased to announce the first winner from the Johnstown ELT is Team GODIVA!!! Godiva is an American Pit Bull Terrier and was handled by Cyndi LaPlante! Cyndi might not see this post, so if you know her PLEASE LET HER KNOW to contact me at [email protected] to get her Happy Exit Collage! My Dog Smells LLC

08/30/2024

Photos from the Johnstown NY NACSW NW1 trial are ready!! Thank you Shelly for getting these out so quickly! Wowza!!

Photo collection by Wherever the Nose Goes

08/28/2024

Wow! Photos from Johnstown NY Elite trial are ready to go! Awesome job Shelly! Many thanks!

Photo collection by Wherever the Nose Goes

08/26/2024

The My Dog Smells NACSW trial is in the books! We had a fabulous weekend at Fulton Montgomery Community College in Johnstown NY. The weather was perfect. The trial site - amazing. Saturday’s ELT trial produced FIVE new Elite Champions! On Sunday, 18 teams started their NACSW journey by earning an NW1 title. Congratulations to all the teams who stepped up to the line. Whether or not you found all those hides, I hope you all had a great time with your best friend.

Shout out to a terrific staff! CO Kathe Baxter, CO (in training) Roberta Scarbeck, Judges Maria Corrigan and Andy Sperber and SRL Dara Sperber – thank you for all you do to make these trials happen. I’m so happy that you are part of the My Dog Smells family.

To Mary Ellen Sheedy and Peg Munves - my good friends who took on the job of Volunteer Coordinator, I cannot thank you enough for helping me pull off these events. You are my right and left hands. It’s not easy to ensure that every job is filled, and a trial runs smoothly. You both made it look easy this weekend!

As always, the MVPs of the weekend were my incredible crew of volunteers. I am humbled by, and SO grateful for your support. You are the heartbeat of any trial. No volunteers – No trials. From the bottom of my heart – thank you Adrienne DeBlieux Speed , Leea Foran, Diane Lynch, Caitlin Monjeau, Denise Marie, Carrie McCalley, Amy Matthieu, Michelle Palmieri, Jo Jo-Anne Mortimer, Terese Platten, Linnell Randall, Erica Cruden, Brigidanne Flynn, Pam Green, Peter (Wendy Carey) and Marianna Franco. You are the absolute BEST! (And I sure hope I didn’t miss anyone!!)

Thanks to Shelly Bratcher Cavallaro of Wherever the Nose Goes Photography, for being onsite all weekend to shoot photos of these awesome nose work teams. I know folks always appreciate photos of their K9 partners. I also know that they’ll LOVE your beautiful work! Can’t wait to see some pics!!

To my wife, Sally Baker, your undying support of my hosting shenanigans means the world to me. Thanks for allowing me the best “retirement” ever!!

To the entire village of nose workers that occupied FMCC this weekend – I want to thank you for the outpouring of donations to Out Of The Pits. This rescue organization means a lot to me and my sweet pittie-mix, Gilly. You all pitched in $675 over the weekend. With my promised $250 match, OOTP will receive $925!! Your generosity will help change the lives of many rescue dogs. I am SO grateful.

Until next time – over and out!

07/24/2024

Hi friends! We could still use 2-3 additional volunteers per day for the My Dog Smells NACSW trials (ELT/NW1) on August 24/25 at Fulton Montgomery Community College in Johnstown NY.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!! We will train you! All volunteers will receive water, snacks, lunch and a thank you gift. Please take a moment to fill out the volunteer form at NACSW Trials | My Dog Smells.

Email questions to [email protected].

From the bottom of my heart… THANK YOU!

07/22/2024

Good morning! Videos from the Lucky Dog Events NACSW NW1/NW2 (July 13/14) are ready to order. Sample videos and order forms can be found on my website.

https://www.mydogsmells.com/video-services

Orders will be processed in the order received. (Please be patient. I typically get bombarded in the first 24 hours!) Thank you all!

07/15/2024

Good news! We still have room for entries in the Johnstown NY NW1 trial on Sunday, August 25, at Fulton Montgomery Community College.

BETTER NEWS! We are now taking FEO entries for this trial. No ORT needed!!! If you are NACSW-curious, this is a great way to experience this venue and see if it’s a fit for your team. (Dog must be at least 1yo, be trained on all 3 odors, and have a registration number through NACSW.)

You can enter this trial at the link on my website:

https://www.mydogsmells.com/nacsw-trials

Please share widely!! Thank you!

07/11/2024

Entry confirmations and waitlist information has been sent for the My Dog Smells ELT/NW1 trials in Johnstown NY on August 24/25. Please be sure to check your spam folder if you think I’ve missed you. Happy sniffing!

07/08/2024

BIG NEWS!!! The My Dog Smells NACSW ELT/NW1 trial at Fulton Montgomery Community College in Johnstown NY – August 24/25 – opens TODAY at 12:00 EDT!! The premium, entry links and volunteer form can be found at: https://www.mydogsmells.com/nacsw-trials

The next step to making this trial a huge success is YOU!!! Whether you have a half-day or a full weekend to spare, we could sure use your help. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!! We will train you! All volunteers will receive water, snacks, lunch and a thank you gift.

Please take a moment to fill out the volunteer form at: https://www.mydogsmells.com/nacsw-trials

Email questions to [email protected].

From the bottom of my heart… THANK YOU!
(Please share widely.)

05/27/2024

Wow. Just. Wow! The My Dog Smells inaugural NACSW trial is in the books!! The Altamont Fairgrounds was a fantastic trial site. Beautiful scenery. Unique and challenging search areas that included a Circus Museum!! An amazing crew of volunteers – the perfect mix of “frequent flyers” and brand-new folks eager to see more trials in this area. An incredible staff to help steer the ship. I could not be more thrilled with this first trial and humbled by the outpouring of support.

I owe thanks to so many people for making this happen! To everyone who volunteered - you all rocked it! Peg Munves played a starring role as my “hand-holder in chief” throughout the weekend. Brand-new Volunteer Coordinators – Mary Ellen Sheedy and Jocelyn Kurdzionak – stepped out of their comfort zones and took on a challenging job and nailed the landing! My sister Mary Madonna provided much appreciated hospitality to our volunteers and staff. We even had enough muffins and cookies to hand out to competitors! My staff was awesome, keeping us all on track. Thank you to CO Sarah Woodruff, Judges Carol Noriega andLee Laubach, and Score Room Joanne Dombeck and Brigidanne Flynn for helping to control the chaos! You made an awesome team!

To my volunteers – a million thanks for being the backbone of the trial. This would never have happened without you!
Adrienne DeBlieux Speed Wendy Carey Caitlin Monjeau Terese Platten Vicki Gayle Jennifer Faas, Josh, Owyn and Lexi, Lauren Bachner, Faith Grogan, Denise Marie Rivera Jen, Erica Cruden, Carrie McCalley, Leea Foran, Teresa La Brie, Joann Jo-Anne Mortimer, Daisy Holt, Mariesa Jozwiak, Faith Burns, Kelly Rooney. All my gratitude!

To my friend Julie Symons – thank you for being an amazing role model for how these trials can run. I appreciate your encouragement over the last many months. It means the world.

And to my wife, Sally Baker – thank you for your patience and for always believing in me.

To all the competitors – Thanks for taking a shot with a brand-new trial Host. I surely hope you had a great time and hope to see you again soon!

Until next time - Happy Sniffing!!

04/18/2024

To everyone who has volunteered for the My Dog Smells NACSW K9 Nose Work trial in Altamont NY on May 25/26 – THANK YOU! The response has been tremendous. I’m humbled by your generosity.

We could use a little more help - particularly on SUNDAY, May 26. Remember – NO experience is necessary. We welcome newcomers and will train you! If you’re an experienced volunteer – we need you too! All volunteers will receive beverages, snacks, and lunch. If you have a day to spend with us, please fill out the volunteer form at this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekj6CU26yUebug8XCL7Xz9pJKa659vdDpeIgays_0tk4DeFw/viewform?usp=sharing

Many, many thanks! Please share widely!

04/14/2024

I discovered a fringe benefit of hosting a sniffy event! Gilly was SO interested in the bag full of ORT boxes that we’d used yesterday. For a minute, I thought maybe a hot box had been mixed in. Then I realized that it was all the dog drool from yesterday’s teams! Ha! Instant training session!!

We NEVER practice containers enough! If your dog contributed to the drool, thank you!! Toss it a cookie for me! We’ll be using those boxes a lot!

I discovered a fringe benefit of hosting a sniffy event! Gilly was SO interested in the bag full of ORT boxes that we’d used yesterday. For a minute, I thoug...

04/13/2024

Wow! Wow! Wow! The My Dog Smells Mock Trial is in the books! Somehow, we ran 23 teams through 4 searches PLUS an ORT run and were finished, packed and driving home by 2pm. Incredible!

Thank you to everyone who came out to play at Camp Scully. It was so much fun seeing new teams step up to the line, give it their all, and come away with a little more knowledge at the end of the day. I hope you all enjoyed the day and will come back to play with us again. Camp Scully is a great site. I have big dreams for future fun there!

Our volunteers were amazing! Some had done this before, and some were brand new. Each of you played a huge role in today’s success. YOU are the backbone of every trial. None of this happens without volunteers. None of it! Shout out to Kathy Mertz, Alyssa Eisner-Mix, Peter Carey, Nicki Russell, Margaret Madonna, Rik Schleirer, and Sally Baker. You are the BEST! Thank you!!

Special thanks go to my good friends who agreed to play CO and Judge today. Peg Munves – the searches you set were spot on! I think you really captured the challenges a team might face at a novice level trial. Mary Ellen Sheedy – I hope you enjoyed your first gig as “judge”. You both really rocked it! I know our competitors appreciated you. Your kindness, your encouragement, and your helpful comments mean so much to a handler. You both are AWESOME! I cannot thank you enough.

Hope to see you all again soon!!

04/12/2024

Good morning! Entry confirmations and waitlist emails for the My Dog Smells Altamont NY NW3/ELT trials have been sent. Please check your email (AND your spam folders). An updated waitlist will be maintained on my website -

https://www.mydogsmells.com/nacsw-trials

Can’t wait to see you at the Fairgrounds!

04/08/2024

Hello friends. It’s that time! The My Dog Smells NACSW NW3/ELT trial in Altamont NY – May 25/26 – opens for entries TODAY! The next step to making the inaugural My Dog Smells trial a huge success is YOU!!!

If you’ve trialed at all, you know that it takes a small army of dedicated volunteers to make a trial run smoothly. Without volunteers there is chaos! In order to avoid chaos, I am here to recruit a small army! Whether you have a half-day or a full weekend to spare, we could sure use your help.

There is no experience necessary. We will train you! I really want to encourage newbies to give it a try. As a new trial host, I’ll need some new volunteers in order to expand NACSW trials into the Capital District. If you are a practiced volunteer, that’s awesome! You understand the effort it takes, and we really need you! Your experience is invaluable, and you can help guide the new folks. This is a win-win! More hosts, more volunteers, more trials, shorter waitlists!

Volunteers will receive beverages, snacks, and lunch. And gratitude. Lots of gratitude! Please consider coming to the Altamont Fairgrounds in May to help me control the chaos!! I promise it will be a good time. (If not, we’ll share a good laugh sometime down the road! LOL)

Many thanks! Volunteer form attached. Please share widely!

Volunteers - NACSW NW3/ELT - Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont NY - May 25/26, 2024 PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! Thank you for volunteering for our NACSW Nose Work trial at the Altamont Fairgrounds. YOU are the backbone of every trial! These events would not happen without your help. Your time and energy are...

04/01/2024

Videos from the March 30, 2024 Savvy Dog Sports NW1 trial are ready for order! For sample video and order form, go to:

https://www.mydogsmells.com/video-services

Many thanks to Julie Symons for a fantastic trial at an amazing site! It was a pleasure to spend my weekend with the Savvy Dog crew! Always a highlight of trial season!

Special thanks to my friend Marian Phillips Jones and her partner Henner for their starring role in the sample video. What an awesome team! Congratulations on earning your NW1!

03/31/2024

Final details for the Camp Scully Mock Trial/ORT have been sent to all competitors and volunteers. Please check your email and let me know if you have not received one.

We have 2 spots left for this event!! If you want to enter or run a second (FEO) dog – grab a spot now at mydogsmells.com

Happy Sniffing!

03/18/2024

Hi friends. We still have a few open spots for the Mock ORT/Mock NW1 at beautiful Camp Scully in Wynantskill NY. Novice teams! Don’t miss this great opportunity to gain some low-pressure trial experience. Come play with us! It will be a sniffing good time! Details and entry form can be found at: mydogsmells.com/nose-work-fun.

03/12/2024

Entry form link: www.mydogsmells.com/nose-work-fun

PS: We could use a few volunteers who are NOT entered in this event. If you’re bringing a friend who is willing to help in exchange for lunch and some free education, please reach out to [email protected]. Many thanks!

Hope to see you there!

03/06/2024

Hi friends! Another "local" ORT just announced! Under 2 hours from the Capital District! Get ready for those Summer/Fall trials!

Full ORT schedule can be found here:
https://nacsw.net/calendar/orts

03/05/2024

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Are you curious about NACSW nose work? A novice team looking for a practice trial? Just want to have a fun day sniffing with your best friend? Please join us on Saturday, April 13 at Camp Scully in Wynantskill NY. We are offering a combo Mock ORT (single odor)/Mock NW1-style Trial – complete with a Mock CO and Mock Judges! But don’t let that fool you! This day promises to be REAL fun!!

Details and entry form can be found at https://www.mydogsmells.com/nose-work-fun

Entries open at 8am on Wednesday, March 13, on a first come - first served basis. I will maintain a waitlist and hope to get everyone in! Cost is $50 per team. Limited to 25 teams. Handlers may enter a second FEO dog ONLY if first spots do not fill by Wednesday, March 27.

Hope to see you there!

Please share with your nose work friends!

02/24/2024

01/29/2024

Pretty close to home friends!

Clean Run is excited to be hosting our first Nose Work event!

NACSW Odor Recognition Tests
Birch/Anise/Clove
South Hadley, MA

Saturday, March 2, 2024

You can get the Premium in the Events section of the Clean Run website - https://www.cleanrun.com/product/nacsw_odor_recognition_tests_premium/index.cfm