Introduction
Scentwork taps into one of your dog’s most powerful senses—their nose. 🐶
Engaging their super snoots through scent detection isn't just about the find—whether they’re searching for food, a favourite toy, or a hidden odour. The real magic lies in the search itself. When dogs are on the hunt, their brains release dopamine—the “feel-good” chemical, and the secret sauce of the scent detective! Not only does this activity help burn off any excess energy, but it also provides mental stimulation which in turn promotes a feeling of zen in our dog.
And the best part?
Scent detection isn’t just for police dogs or competitive canines. All dogs, no matter their age, breed, or how many times they’ve stolen your socks, can benefit from this brain-boosting activity.
Whether your super sleuth is anxious, shy, or bouncing off the walls, scent work offers a fun outlet that’s as confidence-boosting as it is enjoyable.
"All dogs, no matter their age, breed, or how many times they’ve stolen your socks, can benefit from this brain-boosting activity."
🐶 Did you know?🐶
A dog’s sense of smell is basically their superpower! While we’re just wandering around, blissfully unaware of all the smells in the air, dogs are like, “I smell everything.” With 300 million olfactory receptors (compared to our paltry 6 million), their noses are working overtime! They can track someone down by following the scent of a single skin cell—talk about impressive detective work! 😃 In scentwork, this skill turns them into canine sleuths, sniffing out hidden treasures, dangers, or even a change in your mood. I mean, wow! Dogs are living in a scent-filled world that we can't even begin to sniff out!
Simple DIY Scent Games to Get Started
If you're new to scentwork, there’s no need to splash out on scentwork kit, especially at the beginning of your scentwork training.
Start with some simple food hunting games. Hide your dog’s favourite treats around the house or create exciting scavenger hunts in the garden.
One of my favourite food games is the sausage tree game where you hide small bits of frankfurter in a log, tree trunk, or long grass and let them sniff out the treats.
The trick is encouraging your dog to use their nose not their eyes!
You can also raid your home for materials, making your own fun search puzzles from low cardboard boxes, flower pots, or even your old bags—to create fun hiding places. These everyday items can transform simple sniffing into an exciting and engaging treasure hunt!
Once your dog has grasped the concept of sniffing out hidden treats, we can start to think about using odour. When your dog has learned that they get a reward from recognising the odour, you can start hiding in containers such as vented small metal tins.
Gear for a Budding Canine Detective
So lets have a nose at the gear we need to transform our dogs into canine detectives..
Getting a proper scentwork kit can really set you and your dog on the path to sniffing success. think of it as equipping your canine Sherlock with all the tools needed to crack the case! But first a quick look at the odours we use in scent detection..
Which Odours to Use?
The most popular odours in scentwork kits include red Kong, gun oil, clove, truffle oil, and catnip—you can even use flavoured teabags. The choice is endless!
Kong is a fantastic starter scent because it’s an inert odour that’s more forgiving. It’s less likely to cause contamination issues as it's not as "fizzy" or volatile as some oils such as gun oil or truffle oil, which disperse more quickly and can muddle training if not careful. Transporting Kong is a doddle - no messy oils to worry about!
And yes, catnip is not just for cats! It’s perfect for soft retrieve articles like dummies or felt toys, giving your dog a fun challenge and a good sniff!
What is a Scentwork vessel?
These are containers we use to place our chosen target odour ready for sniffing. There are lots of scent vessels you can use, perferably made from an air-tight material with vents to allow a controlled amount of odour to be released.
Metal tins: Rust-resistant, small, and perfect for hiding. Simply pop a few holes in the top and your are ready to go! Add a magnet to stick your tin in harder to access places.
Plastic vials: Great for smaller amounts of odour, plus you can easily wriggle them into small gaps making for some interesting training
Fabric squares – tiny squares of fabric are fun too, once the odour has permeated through, you can then poke them carefully into walls using tweezers.
Small plastic tubes – these are using small bits of tubing roughly 3cms by 10cms sealed at either end with a number of holes punched through the length.
Felt squirrels and small soft items: Great for soft items and using catnip. We like to use small fleecy tuggies, but any small soft toy will do, catnip mice are a firm favourite for some!
Novel articles: Think outside the box with different materials, shapes, and textures to make the search more interesting and challenging for your dog. Using a variety of containers helps dogs to focus on the target odour and not to search for the scent of the vessel itself.
Scentwork Kits
A Scentwork kit should include the right tools for storing and handling a single odour at a time. Keeping your equipment clean and organised helps your dog accurately detect the target odour, without the risk of red herrings literally throwing them off the scent!
One of the biggest must-dos for any scentwork kit is keeping odours separate to prevent cross-contamination. A water tight container, with separate areas to stop your gear rattling around is a good idea, especially handy are those one that have separate compartments, so your scent vessels and other materials can stay nice and tidy, keeping those odours ready for action. Keep a pair of gloves, or tweezers in your Scentwork kit to prevent inadvertedly transferring odour from one place to another.
A good scentwork kit isn’t just about the smells—it should include the tools that make training fun and easy for you and your dog. Take the Scent Box - KONG Edition, for example. It comes with glass jars filled with Kong chunks, vented tins with strong magnets to secure the scents, and plastic forceps so you can handle the scented items without your hands messing up the odour.
Having the right tools on hand means you can create all sorts of scent games that are practical, enjoyable, and perfect for keeping your dog’s nose busy!
Conclusion: Equip Your Dog for Scentwork Success
Scentwork is a wonderful way to keep your canine detective on the case. Whether you're starting with simple food hunting games or gearing up for advanced training with specialised equipment, scentwork is a fulfiliing and fun activity for all dogs.
Why not take a nose around The Sniffer Shop ,we have everything you need to help your super sleuth sniff out the joy of scent detection!
🐶 Looking for some inspiration for fun and easy Scentwork games?
Hop over to UK Sniffer Dogs, where they offer some great free scentwork games. These are especially handy if your dog is recovering from illness and needs something a bit more low-key but still engaging.
Click the link HERE to find out more!
Kate Hart
Kate Hart IMDT certified dog trainer and UK Sniffer Dog Gold Level Instructor
