SCENT TRIALS: MYSTIC EDITION

A Non-Sanctioned Sniffy Event

This event will be set based on modified standards of AKC Detective and NACSW Elite. Rules listed below.

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Date: May 3rd, 2025. 8am-4pm

Location: Sedona Red Rock Jr Sr High School., 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336

Trial Host: Release Canine LLC (Aleks Woodroffe) & Successful Sniffer (Stacy Saravo)

Contact Information: releasecanine@gmail.com

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Entry Information: Trial is open for entries on March 4th at noon MST (AZ Time), draw period will remain open for 2 days, closing on March 6th at noon. After the draw period, entries will be received to fill open spaces in the order received.

Entry is online and payment is due only after confirmation in the trial. A separate payment link will be sent once your entry has been confirmed entered into the trial, payment must be received within 7 days. You will be notified of your entry/waitlist results by close of day on March 7th, 2025.

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​The entry is limited to 30 dogs, random draw in order of priority (see below).

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Entry Cost: $150 (cost includes searches for the day plus edited video of your searches)

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Entry Eligibility: Priority entry is given in order of experience. Draws will be done in the following order:

1. Dogs with Elite-CH and/or SWME or SWD title

2. Dogs with NW3-E and/or SWM title

3. Dogs with NW3 and/or one Master title

4. Dogs below NW3 or without a master title may run for FEO if there is space.

 

Entry Cancellations, Waitlists, and Deadlines: Open spots may be filled up until May 1st at noon. A waitlist will be held to fill any spots that open due to cancellations. Handlers will be notified ASAP if they move off the waitlist into one of the open spots.

Cancellations: Payment will be refunded if your space can be filled from the waitlist. Entries that are canceled prior to April 18th, 2025 (6am) will receive full refund regardless if someone can fill the space. Entries canceled after April 18th, but before May 1st will receive 50% of their fees refunded if someone cannot fill their space. No refunds to entries canceled after May 1st if the space cannot be filled. Cancellation must be emailed to releasecanine@gmail.com

Entry fees shall not be refunded if a dog or handler is absent, or excused by the trial hosts. This cancellation and refund policy applies to competitors that must withdraw for any reason including but not limited to injury, illness, emergency, and personal or work-related reasons. If you need to cancel due to a contagious illness (human or dog), contact the trial host ASAP. Health of the other participants is a priority.

If the trial cannot take place or be completed by reason of fire, civil disturbances, an Act of God, public emergency, or any other cause beyond the control of the trial organizers, then the trial host will make their best effort to provide partial refunds after recouping their expenses.

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Location Details:

​The competitor parking lot is pavement and some dirt with desert landscaping boulevards. The pathways to the search areas are paved and include terrain changes. There is a likelihood of needing to climb and descend a set of stairs. There is a potential for stairs to be within your search area.  The search areas may include pavement, dirt, grass, or level ground.  The event facility is medium size and spread out so there may be longer walks to or from the search areas. 
Due to unforeseen conditions, such as weather or change in availability of areas at the location, these conditions may be modified at the last minute.

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Parking Lot & Your Dog: We ask that your dog remain in your vehicle, or securely within a crate outside your vehicle, unless they are pottying or moving to the staging areas. Any loitering dogs will be asked to return to their vehicles. This includes unentered dogs.

The parking lot is open to the sun (no shade) and is gravel. Please plan accordingly for parking all day. If the heat is above 85F, there will be an area of the parking lot reserved for those who would like to run their vehicles for AC. Please contact releasecanine@gmail.com if you plan on bringing your RV, there is limited availability for RVs (larger than a sprinter van).

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We will be using Agility Gate to help keep the trial moving smoothly. This is the purple version of the app. More information will be included in your confirmation email.

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Hotels: The following is a list of dog friendly hotels in the area:

• Super 8 (Cottonwood)

• Pines Inns & Suites (Cottonwood)

• Lodge at Cliff Castle (Camp Verde)

• Comfort Inn (Camp Verde)

• Airbnb & VRBO

I recommend booking and checking back for lower rates. Cottonwood and Camp Verde are cities nearby as well. Airbnb may be a great option.

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Dog Policies: Please maintain 8’ distance between dogs to reduce any dog-dog interactions. Altercations may be cause for a dog to be asked to leave the event. Female dogs in heat may participate but will run last in the run order in each search and must wear “pants”.

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You must pick up after your dog and dispose of your bag in designated trash locations. If your dog has loose stools and you need additional clean up tools, please let a volunteer know and we can get those for you.

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Reactive Dogs: Dog reactive dogs may enter this trial. Please use a red bandana on your dog to help other participants to know to keep their distance. All efforts will be made to allow dogs to search without any direct line of sight to other dogs. There will be no accommodations made for dogs nervous about other humans, cameras, or environments.

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Liability: By registering for the trial, the competitor hereby assumes all risks of, and responsibility for, accidents and/or damage to her/himself or to her/his property or to others, resulting from the actions of her/his dog. The competitor expressly agree that Release Canine LLC., Aleks Woodroffe, Successful Sniffers, Stacy Saravo, and its assignees or any other person, or persons, of said groups, shall not be held liable personally, or collectively, under any circumstances, for injury, and/or damage to her/himself, for loss or injury to property, whether due to uncontrolled dogs or negligence of any member of said groups, or any other cause, or causes.

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Sportsmanship: All competitors/handlers and spectators are expected to follow the rules as laid out below and demonstrate good sportsmanship. This includes not discussing hide placement or details of your dog’s performance prior to the conclusion of the search. Other handlers may overhear details that can help or hinder their search, but is unwelcomed information either way. Respect should be shown to other handlers, volunteers, and any other parties on site. Poor sportsmanship may be cause for handlers to be asked to leave the site.

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Spectators: Spectators are allowed to view certain searches, dependent on space. Spectators will be asked to remain in spectating area and may not follow handlers through the search. Spectators may video if requested by the handler. No unentered dogs may come with spectators to the trial. Spectators are reminded that the same requirements for hide placement – do not discuss until the conclusion of the search.

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An adult must be accompanying a minor at all times on the trial grounds.

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If you are spectating, please be prepared to sign a waiver prior to the event or when you arrive to the event grounds.

Competitors may only watch the container search AFTER they have run that search. They may not watch any other searches of the day.

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Videography: There will be a videographer at the event, Successful Sniffers! You will be receiving edited versions of your searches as part of your entry and experience at this event. Videos will be available after the event, an email will be sent once they are completed and ready for you to view.

Photography: TBD

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Ribbons & Awards: Placement ribbons for each search will be awarded in an awards ceremony at the end of the day. Overall placement ribbons and 1st place overall trophy will be awarded to the team with the highest combined score (and lowest time if a tie occurs).

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Rules of Engagement

This event is being held for competitors of either AKC and/or NACSW. The rules for both of these venues are similar and you can refer to either of the rule books for the majority of the rules for this event. The following are clarifications or unique to our event:

1. Odors – Birch, Anise, Clove, and/or Cypress. You can expect hides from either venue prepared as required by those venues. Both strengths may be used in the same search.

2. Searches – You will have searches set similarly to NACSW Elite. These searches can be interiors, exteriors, or a combination of the two. You may see vehicles in your searches or containers. The search areas can range up to 8000sqft., but will be clearly delineated. Times and parameters (on leash/off, game specific rules, etc) will be given at the start of the day.

3. Faults – Similar to AKC/NACSW: excessive pawing causing damage, biting the hide, dislodging the hide, dropping treats, pulling the dog off of odor (dog is alerting and the handler physically pulls on the leash or pushes against the dog to leave an unfound hide), disruption of the search area. Faults are up to the judge to determine. They may not be argued or challenged.

4. Bodily Eliminations – If you or your dog eliminate in the search area, the search will stop immediately. You will be penalized by no “finish” call as well as loose half the hides you have found in that search.

5. Scoring – Scoring will be done on a point system similar to NACSW Elite.

   1. Total possible points will be 100*. Points of each hide/call is equal to 100 divided by the total number of hides/calls.

   2. All search areas will have odor (no blanks).

   3. The finish call, if missed (exceeding maximum time) is minus one hide worth of points.

   4. Each “NO” (false alert) is scored as minus half a hide worth of points. A handler may have 2 false alerts in one search. After the 3rd they will be asked to leave and the scoring & timing for that search ends.

   5. Each fault is scored as minus one point.

   6. Any absent searches are scored 0 points and full time.

   7. If the team is dismissed due to poor sportsmanship or out of control/destruction of the search area, they will earn 0 points for that search and full time. They may or may not be allowed to continue searching for the remainder of the day.

   8. Scores for each search may not be deducted lower than 0 points.

6. Distractions – There is a possibility of up to 5 purposeful distractors placed within the search area. Distractors include food (contained within a see-through container), dog toy, mimic (looks like an animal), sound, or empty food bowl. These distractors may be placed as close as 12” from a hide. They may not be contained within the same container as a hide.

7. Timing/Time – A maximum time will be given for each search at the start of the day. Competitors are allowed to time themselves. The volunteer timer will do their best to give a 30 second warning, but being a human they may get lost in watching your dog. If less than 30 seconds, they will give you remaining time.

8. WHERE – If the judge sees that the dog has not clearly demonstrated the location of the source of odor, or that the handler is unclear of the dog’s communication, they may ask “Where”. This is not an opportunity to re-cue the dog to keep searching, but this is the time for the handler to point within a reasonable location of the source of odor.

*100 points from the regular searches. There is an additional number of points available in the FORTUNE search that will exceed this 100 limit.

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OPTIONAL search: FORTUNE

This is a unique search perfect for the vortex and "vibes" of Sedona! This search is OPTIONAL. You get to choose if you’d like to do this search. It can help or hinder your overall score!

This search is an area search, however, you are using the power of your dog and your own trust in the fates to choose your possible success. You will have 3 possible doors to choose from, allowing for possible bonus points if you choose correctly! More details will be shared during the briefing and at check in.