WCERA LEARNING EVENTS

Curious about Wildogs Canine Escape Room Association? Learn how our learning events introduce dogs and handlers to the games!

Your Introduction to WCERA

Learn the games. Build your skills. Have fun together.

Get ready to discover a dog sport where both ends of the leash have a job! WCERA (Wildogs Canine Escape Room Association) combines imaginative escape-room-style challenges with scent work, obedience, retrieval and rat searching. Your dog might find a hidden scent, retrieve an item or complete an obstacle, while you solve a puzzle, unlock a lock or work through a clue. The “escape” is a playful beat-the-clock challenge; no one is actually locked up or confined.

Founded by Kelly Lengle, WCERA is built around confidence, enrichment and fun. Giving the handler an active role takes some of the pressure off the dog and creates opportunities to work together, laugh and celebrate small successes.

What to expect at your learning event

Bluenose Rat Sports learning events break the games into manageable skills, with instruction suited to the experience of each dog and handler. Whether you are new to scent work, obedience, retrieval or rat sports, or already enjoy these activities, there is something to explore. You do not need to arrive knowing how to complete a whole game. We will work on the pieces that help you and your dog build confidence together.

Meet the games

The five games below are currently released, with more games in development. Your event’s selection will depend on the planned programme.

Puzzled

Scent work meets puzzle solvingSome puzzle pieces are missing! Your dog searches for hidden scent targets representing those pieces. You identify your dog’s finds, then solve a puzzle at a designated station. To escape, complete both parts and return together to the start line before time runs out. This game develops searching skills, your ability to read your dog and your own problem-solving skills.

Lock & Key

Sniff, unlock and escapeYour keys have gone missing, and your dog’s nose is the key to finding them! Your dog searches for scent targets representing the missing keys. Once a find is confirmed, you locate and open the corresponding lock. Complete the search, open the required locks and return together to the start line to escape. The challenge is shared: your dog follows the scent while you handle the locks.

Pirate Ship

A retrieving adventureYou have been captured by pirates, and your dog must retrieve an item to help you escape! From your chair, you guide your dog along the “plank” to collect and return the item, then untie a knot in a rope. At the introductory levels, the plank is a simple route marked by cones; a physical board is introduced at Level 2. This game builds retrieving skills, communication and confidence working away from the handler.

Breakout

Solve the clue and make your moveYou and your dog face a series of obstacle choices. Each clue tells you which obstacle to choose and what your dog must do, such as going over, under, through or onto it. You solve the clue and guide your dog through the correct action. Complete the required stations and return together to the start line to escape. It is an opportunity to practise everyday cues and explore obstacles with a purpose.

Trail Bound

Follow your dog’s noseYou have dropped your flashlight on a hike, it is getting dark, and you start hearing noises! Your dog searches for rats safely secured in protective quarry boxes along the trail while you locate the missing flashlight. Find the required rats and flashlight, then cross the finish line together to escape. Usually played outdoors, this game encourages searching, teamwork and learning to recognise when your dog has found the quarry.

Understanding the levels

WCERA starts with simple challenges and builds gradually. Each game has its own requirements, so the way difficulty increases depends on the activity.

Nursery

A place to beginNursery is the entry level, with no prerequisites. It welcomes beginner teams, including adult dogs as well as eligible puppies. The tasks are kept simple: one scent target and a puzzle or lock, one obstacle task, one retrieve, or one rat and a flashlight. It is designed to build a foundation and give teams an achievable introduction. In these five games, one qualifying trial run earns the game’s Nursery title.

Level 1

Putting the foundations togetherLevel 1 builds on the introductory skills. Scent games introduce a distractor item, Breakout has two clue-and-obstacle stations, Pirate Ship extends the retrieve and requires the dog to return through the cones, and Trail Bound adds a false quarry box and a more challenging search. Teams work toward greater confidence and consistency. Five qualifying runs earn a Level 1 title in a game.

Level 2

Building the challengeLevel 2 asks teams to do more with their skills. Puzzled and Lock & Key involve two scent targets, Breakout has three obstacle stations, Pirate Ship introduces a physical plank, and Trail Bound includes two rats to find. Additional distractions and more demanding tasks encourage careful searching, clearer communication and more precise teamwork. Five qualifying runs earn a Level 2 title in a game.

Level 3 and beyond

More to exploreHigher levels bring further challenges for both partners. At Level 3, Puzzled and Lock & Key combine into one game involving three scent finds, a puzzle and two locks. Breakout asks the handler to solve a short story’s missing words and remember the sequence of actions for the dog. WCERA also provides for Champion and further achievements as teams continue developing their skills.

A qualifying run, often called a “Q,” means completing a game successfully under its trial requirements. At a learning event, the focus is on practising the skills and understanding the games, with room to learn one step at a time.

Enjoy the journey

You do not have to love every game or enter them all in a trial. Focus on the activities you and your dog enjoy, and do not stress over the things that are not your favourites. Whether your goal is future competition or simply trying something new together, WCERA is about building confidence, strengthening your relationship and having fun with your dog.

Interested in hosting a WCERA learning event? Contact Bluenose Rat Sports to discuss an introduction or skill-building workshop for your group.