Fetch & Shed Hunt Practice
FETCH PRACTICE IS FULL! You can still register for Shed Hunt only.
Come practice for your AKC Novice or Intermediate Fetch Test and/or get some practice runs in for UKC Shed Hunt!
This event will not have in-depth instruction on either sport. We will have a quick briefing at the start of each time block and then get into practice runs.
Fetch 10am-11:30am — each team will have two rounds of their practice Fetch test (3 retrieves). Each round will end after 5 minutes in order to keep the day moving along. Fetch practice will be in a fully fenced in area. If you are coming for Fetch only, we’ll run you earlier in the run order and you’ll be free to go after your second round.
Shed Hunt 12:30pm-2:00pm — each team will have 7 minutes to work their search area. We will plant 3 sheds. Shed hunt will not be fully fenced, but you can run your dog on a long line if needed. Dogs do NOT need to be working at a competitive level, but should understand their job to range out and find sheds.
Registration will not be complete until you submit payment. Payment information will be emailed out after your registration submission below.
Mock ORT
Prep for your upcoming ORT with us! This event will mimic a real ORT event, where we will run through the entire run order for each odor: birch, anise, and clove. We can offer one reset at the end of each odor for a second dog.
You will get to practice searching, staging, warm-up boxes, and car-crating. Of course, this is a fun and supportive environment to practice in!
Arrive no earlier than 8:45am — we’ll have a quick briefing at 9am and then get into searching.
$40/team
3rd Annual Firetruck Sniff & Go
This event is full.
Join us for our 3rd annual Sniff & Go featuring antique fire trucks!
Our beloved friends at Camp Egeler have generously offered to host us again and share their pole barn of Fire Truck Fun. We are SO grateful! This is a private residence in Dexter, Michigan. Full address will be sent out in a separate email after registration.
Register for your time block, run all 4 of your searches in a row, and you’re free to go :) Multiple dogs per one handler should register for the same time block.
This is a novice-friendly event and a safe spot to try out some stuff pre-trial. New leash? New camera? New reinforcement strategies? Come practice with in a supportive and fun environment! Dog should be confidently searching for birch, anise, and clove oils.
We will also be collecting DOG TREATS for the shelter dogs at Oakland County Animal Control & Pet Adoption Center! If you’re able, please bring a bag or two of your dog’s favorite goodies.
$35/dog and handler team. For those planning to run multiple dogs, there will not be any hide resets.
NACSW Trial - August 2026
Save the date!
More details including volunteer information, trial premium, opening date, etc. will be posted here once it’s confirmed.
Webinar: Let’s Get Ready to Trial!
New handlers! Get ready for the 2026 trial season with us, virtually. In this webinar, we will cover:
Differences in trialing venues (more detail on NACSW)
What to expect at a nosework trial
When are you ready to trial?
Incorporating ‘trial prep’ into your training plan
The webinar portion will run about 1.5 hours and then we will use the rest of the time for live Q&A. You’ll get a copy of the webinar emailed to you afterwards.
Valentine's Day Fetch & Shed Hunt Intro Workshop
Co-instructed with Rosie Soo, LVT: Rosie is an accomplished Fetch and Shed Hunt competitor with 3 dogs and an AKC Fetch and UKC Shed Hunt Judge.
Come learn the foundations of both AKC Fetch and UKC Shed Hunt at this fun 3.5-hour workshop! A brief overview of each sport and the novice rules and two working sessions for each working spot will give you an idea of skills to continue working on at home.
Location is held at a private residence in Grand Blanc, MI — full address will be sent out after registration. We will be inside an unheated barn and then outside. Please dress accordingly!
We will be crating out of cars at this event.
Working spots & audit spots can register at the link below. Unlimited audit spots at $10!
Mock ORT Practice
Prep for upcoming ORTs or novice-level container searches at our ORT practice! Fun and supportive environment and a novel interior location to search.
We’ll have a short briefing at 9am and then will run through our run order for each odor: birch, anise, and clove. We can offer one reset for a second dog at the end of each odor, mirroring an ORT.
$35/dog for all 3 odors.
Primary Searchers: Foundational Skills Webinar
Join us to discuss how we get dogs hooked on our favorite game... nosework!
$25 registration fee -- webinar will run for about 75-90 minutes, and we'll use the remaining time for Q&A.
Register here: https://forcefreedale.as.me/
Our approach to teaching nosework is accessible to every dog -- you need treats or a toy, some cardboard boxes, and your dog.
Come learn about this fun game to enrich your dog's life and keep their mind occupied over the cold winter months. Bonus... from here, you can come learn how to progress your nosework game in 2026 with us in-person
Sniff & Pick Fundraiser
Join us for a fun afternoon of nosework searches and fall activities!
Location is a private residence in Clarkston, MI. Full address will be provided after registration.
Nosework searches will happen inside/around a real working barn, home to farm animals. There WILL be environmental distractions including but not limited to: animal poop, feed bags, chickens/ducks (enclosed but visible), tractors & machinery, etc. Dress accordingly and know your dog :)
We will also have a pumpkin patch for picking a pumpkin afterwards! We’ll be selling homemade jams and farm-fresh eggs (see above chickens and ducks), have a walking taco bar, and a bonfire rolling all afternoon! Roast a marshmallow for yourself (yes, s’mores ingredients will be included), and a mini weenie for your dog before you head home!
We will also have homemade jam and farm-fresh eggs available for separate purchase!
FFD will be donating our time, and our lovely hosts are donating their space for us to raise money for Dog Aide’s winter outreach efforts. Dog Aide is also always in need of canned dog food, long-lasting chews (pig ears or marrow bones), and large collars. Feel free to bring any of these items in to further support their mission!
Registration includes:
-Nosework searches
-Walking taco bar
-Bonfire activities — s’more and lil smokies
Fetch & Shed Hunt Workshop
Come learn the foundations of both AKC Fetch and UKC Shed Hunt at this fun 3-hour workshop! A brief overview of each sport and the novice rules and two working sessions for each working spot will give you an idea of skills to continue working on at home.
Location is held at a private residence — full address will be sent out after registration.
We will be crating out of cars at this event.
Working spots can register using the link below. Unlimited audit spots are welcome at $10/spot. Please email training@forcefreedale.com to secure your audit spot.
Co-instructed with Rosie Soo, LVT: Rosie is an accomplished Fetch and Shed Hunt competitor with 3 dogs and an AKC Fetch and UKC Shed Hunt Judge.
NACSW NW3 / NW2 / NW1
Force Free Dale Dog Training has been approved to host NW3 / NW2 / NW1 trials for the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) at Michigan Out-of-Doors Camp in Chelsea, MI on August 22-24, 2025.
We will post all details here as we confirm them: opening date, trial premium, officials, volunteer information.
TRIAL OPENS: Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 - see relevant links below:
2nd Annual Firetruck Sniff & Go
Join us as we host our second annual Firetruck Sniff & Go event on Sunday, June 8th! We will be playing nosework at a private residence in Dexter, Michigan - full address will be provided after registration.
We are looking forward to providing a low-pressure opportunity to prep for some of the stress of a trial like staging, car crating, time constraints, blind searches, and working in a novel location. We will have the space to run VEHICLE searches on antique fire trucks, INTERIOR searches in a large pole barn with additional fire trucks, and CONTAINERS.
Dogs should be comfortable searching for birch, anise, and/or clove oil. This will be a novice-friendly event, with hides set at NW1/NW2 levels. Searches can be run known (and/or paired) or blind - at the end of the day, we want you and your dog to be successful and have FUN! All searches will be run back-to-back and there will be a maximum time for each search (whether dogs have found the hides or not) in order to keep the day moving. After your searches, you are free to GO!
Handlers are welcome to register & run multiple dogs, but there will NOT be any hide location resets.
$35 per dog/handler team.
Nose-vember Sniff & Go
Join us as we host our Nose-vember Sniff & Go event on Saturday, November 16th! We will be playing nosework at:
Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education
21000 Northline Rd.
Taylor, MI 48180
We are looking forward to providing a low-pressure opportunity to prep for some of the stress of a trial like staging, car crating, time constraints, blind searches, and working in a novel location. We should have space to run all 4 elements, vehicles pending.
Dogs should be comfortable searching for birch, anise, and/or clove oil. This will be a novice-friendly event, with two tracks - one NW1 track and one NW2/NW3 track. Searches can be run known (and/or paired) or blind - at the end of the day, we want you and your dog to be successful and have FUN!
Handlers will register for a one-hour timeblock and all searches will be completed during that time. After your searches, you are free to go! Handlers are welcome to register & run multiple dogs, but there will NOT be any hide location resets.
$40 per dog/handler team.
We will be collecting donations for Do Only Good Animal Rescue, supporting Oakland County Animal Shelter. $5 from each dog registered will go to D.O.G., and we would love your support, if possible, in sending a few items off their wishlist. We’ll also be accepting in-kind donations at the Sniff & Go - feel free to bring in your extra dog supplies!
We’re looking forward to a fun day of sniffing!
Sniff & Go
Come get some search practice in, whether you’re prepping for a trial or just looking for something fun to do!