B.L. McMutts Story
Founded by Denise McInerney, inspired by Bailey
Bailey was my first Nosework dog. But that came later. Adopted in 2008, he was a Hound x Great Pyrenees mix who worried a lot about other dogs. And that worry showed up as loud reactions when they got too close. To help him be his best self we started learning about dog behavior and especially positive training methods. Over time these techniques helped him to make amazing progress, and he became able to relax in the presence of other dogs. We did lots of classes, and eventually trained and competed in Rally.
Through Rally I met people who competed in Nosework and decided to try it. Nosework turned out to be Bailey’s calling. As his handler it was wonderful to see him engage in an activity that he enjoyed so much. Through Nosework he continued to gain confidence. He always wore a red bandana at trials to indicate he was a reactive dog, but people usually didn’t believe that he was really reactive; that’s how relaxed he was. We competed for several years, and were trialing at the NW3 level when Bailey passed away in 2019.
From the beginning Bailey was my teacher and I am grateful for the years we had, the experiences we shared and the many friends I made because of him.
In 2020 Lexi joined the family, and she is my second Nosework dog. A happy-go-lucky Pitbull x Weimaraner mix, she is the beneficiary of everything I learned from Bailey. We are at the beginning of our Nosework journey. She loves the game and I’m learning new things as we navigate this fun sport together.
I formed B.L. McMutts in 2022 to host Nosework trials and related activities in the S.F. Bay Area so that more dog and handler teams have opportunities to participate. I am grateful to my Nosework pals who are supporting this endeavor.