NASDA FAQ

This page provides an overview of NASDA scent detection sports.

NASDA Overview

Harness your dog’s incredible power of smell by turning centuries of ancestral hunting and searching instincts into an exciting, competitive sport.

Designed for every breed and ability level, NASDA provides a professional, welcoming community where you and your dog can master real-world scent games and earn prestigious titles.

What is NASDA?

North American Sport Dog Association (NASDA) is a dog sport built around what dogs do best—use their nose. Unlike many competitive sports that rely heavily on precision obedience, NASDA celebrates natural canine instincts like scenting, problem-solving, independence, and teamwork with their handler.

NASDA was designed to be accessible, inclusive, and rewarding for all dogs—high-drive sport dogs, reactive dogs, shy dogs, mixed breeds, and everything in between. There is no “perfect picture” required. If your dog can sniff, they can play NASDA.

Dogs search for human scent, antlers, and live gerbils in real-world style environments, learning to trust their instincts while gaining confidence, focus, and purpose.

Lost Item (LI)

Lost Item is a scent class that uses human scent and lost items.

Dogs learn to identify and locate items scented by their handler within a defined search area. These items can be a wallet, keys, or a fabric item. In the higher levels, they search for stranger scented items. Items can range from phones, credit cards and small jewelry such as rings.

This class is ideal for:

Practical scent skills with real-world crossover
Dogs that enjoy detailed, thoughtful searching
Teams interested in scent discrimination
Handlers who want a quiet, focused scent sport

Lost Item is mentally challenging and highly rewarding while remaining low-pressure and accessible.

Urban Locate (UL)

Urban Locate challenges dogs to find live gerbils in complex, real-world environments.

Dogs search defined urban-style areas such as buildings, vehicles, hard surfaces, and cluttered spaces to locate securely contained gerbils. There is no trail involved—dogs must work through scent pooling, environmental challenges, and distractions to pinpoint odor.

This class is ideal for:

Dogs who have prey drive
Dogs who enjoy hunting and problem-solving
Dogs that thrive on environmental challenges
Teams interested in vermin-based scent sports

Urban Locate provides a healthy outlet for prey drive and gives many dogs breed specific enrichment. Terriers excel in this division.

Shed Dog (SD)

Shed Dog focuses on finding naturally shed antlers using scent.

Dogs search outdoor areas to locate antlers, relying on their natural hunt drive and scenting ability. In the higher levels, the dogs must retrieve sheds and hunt for multiple. This division encourages independence, endurance, and environmental awareness.

This class is ideal for:

Dogs who enjoy novel scents
Teams who enjoy outdoor searching
Practical scent skills with real-world crossover
Dogs who thrive working at distance

Shed Dog is a great option for teams who enjoy natural, purpose-driven scent work.

Trail & Locate (TL)

Trail & Locate focuses on a dog’s natural ability to follow a gerbil scent track and independently locate the end of that track.

Dogs methodically track along a trail created by gerbil tea, building persistence, focus, and confidence in their own decision-making. At the end of the trail are contained gerbils. Higher levels include aged trails and cross tracks.

This class is ideal for:

Dogs who have prey drive
Teams interested in tracking-style scent work
Building independence and confidence
Teams who enjoy outdoor searching

Trail & Locate provides a healthy outlet for prey drive and gives many dogs breed specific enrichment. Hounds and tracking dogs excel in this division.