Test your dog's detection skills,
Participate in scientific studies,
And win trophies and prizes!

Join us for the second annual Detection Dog Trial hosted by the Comparative Cognition Laboratory at UC San Diego, led by Professor Federico Rossano. The event will take place in early March 2026 and the official date will be announced soon. This event will put your dog’s cognitive and behavioral abilities to the test in a professionally judged competition, while contributing to our research on detection dogs. We recently opened the first dog cognition laboratory in California, dedicated to studying the remarkable abilities of both pet and working dogs. Our dog research has been featured in the Netflix documentary Inside the Mind of a Dog and major news outlets, including Scientific American, the Telegraph, and the New York Times. For this event, we are collaborating with San Diego's internationally acclaimed dog trainers from MAN-K9.

Professional Detection Dog Trial
March 2026 @UCSD

We invite professional detection dog handlers and their highly trained four-legged partners to participate in our professional detection trials—free of charge. This one-day event will feature expertly designed trials, including indoor, outdoor, and vehicle searches tailored for narcotics (heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine), explosives (basic explosives), and firearm (guns, ammunition) detection dogs. Compete to showcase your skills for a chance to win trophies and prizes while contributing data to our research on the remarkable abilities of professional handler-dog teams. Supervised by Manuel Villanueva and a team of expert judges and trainers from MAN-K9, this trial can also qualify as an official training event.

Location
UCSD Campus, La Jolla, CA

Both the professional and non-professional detection dog trials will take place right in the heart of the University of California, San Diego's campus in La Jolla. Areas for participants and their families and visitors will include seating, pet relief areas, water stations, food options, and more. The trials will take place in Prize Center's Ballroom West (indoor search), and a parking lot next to Matthews Quad (outdoor & vehicle search). The large lawn of Matthews Quad and the adjacent Town Square will provide spaces for socializing, relaxing, and refreshments.

Win Trophies

Last year, we created event-specific trophies, designed and made by Siddhant Bhardwaj, which were handed out for each category and the end of the day. This year we are working on event-specific plaques. The top three dog-handler teams will also win a debit gift card.

Trophy

Interested in participating?

If you are a professional dog handler interested in participating in our event, please fill out this form to receive updates and more information.

Sponsors

COGSCI