How to Use Your Scentwork 'Ready to Sniff' Starter Kit
Welcome, and well done for following your dog's nose this far. Scentwork is the rare activity where your dog is the expert and you're the support act, and it suits every dog: young, old, busy, shy, nervous or bold. Your Ready to Sniff Scentwork Starter kit holds everything you need to begin, target odour included, so there's no guesswork about what to use or where to start.
This guide takes you through three short stages, from setting up your first scented pot to your dog making its very first search decision. It's the same method we use in the professional training world, pared back to the essentials. Work through the stages in order, keep your sessions short, your dog's rewards fabulous, and let the nose do the rest.
What's inside your Starter Scentwork kit
- 2 Sniffer Pots™ with vented and non-vented lids
- How to Use Your Ready to Sniff Scentwork Starter Kit including video
- Small glass jar of pre-scented cotton filters (your chosen scent)
- Vented aluminium tin with magnet
- Tweezers (in their own tube)
- Disposable gloves
Stage 1: Getting Everything Ready
Set up your scented pot safely so it's ready for your dog to find.
Prep your pot
Pop on your gloves and grab the tweezers, which keep your scent off the scented cotton, so your dog's nose has only the target odour to work with. On a clean surface, lift 3 pieces of cotton from the jar into your tin. Place the tin into one of the pots and close it with the non-vented lid. Leave to "cook" for at least 5 minutes so the scent can build up inside the pot.
Your 'HOT' pot
This pot now carries odour. Always use this same one for your scented work, so your other pot stays clean and your dog isn't confused by stray scent.
Trainer Tips
- Reward placement matters: drop the treat close to your pot, so your dog learns "the scent pays".
- Between sessions, pop the scented cotton back in the glass jar to keep the odour fresh.
Stage 2: Pairing the Odour
Teach your dog that sniffing the odour leads to a sniff-tastic reward.
Set up the game
With your gloves on, swap the non-vented lid for one of the vented ones (so the scent can escape for your dog to find). Place the pot on the ground in a quiet, distraction-free space. The kitchen or garden is perfect.
Let your dog explore
As soon as they move in and sniff the pot, mark the behaviour with a word like "Yes!" or a clicker, then drop a high-value treat right next to the pot.
Repeat and build confidence
Run through this several times. You're aiming for an enthusiastic, consistent response where your dog thinks: "Sniff the pot = yummy reward!"
Trainer Tips
- Keep sessions short: 2 to 3 minutes is plenty.
- Once your dog is consistently sniffing the pot, move it to a new spot and shift your own position slightly between reps. This stops them cueing off you and keeps the focus on the scent.
Stage 3: Pick the Pot
Introduce simple scent discrimination: one scented pot vs. one blank pot.
Your dog has learned that sniffing the scented pot means a fantastic reward. Now we're asking them to choose between two identical-looking pots, one containing the target odour and one completely blank. It's their first step toward becoming a nose ninja!
- Set out two pots: your "hot" pot containing birch, clove or anise, and your clean pot, not containing odour. Around 18 inches apart is plenty.
- Let your dog investigate both: observe them closely. Don't point or guide. Let them decide!
- Mark and reward only the correct choice: when your dog sniffs the pot containing the odour, say "Yes!" (or click). Reward close to the correct pot.
- Reset and repeat: you can switch the pots between repetitions to avoid pattern learning.
Why it matters
This is the first true "search decision" your dog makes. They're learning to trust their nose, and that's the foundation of all scent detection work.
Ready to start? - Everything you need is in one box, target odour included. Choose your scent, clove, birch or anise, and you're ready to sniff. Check out our "Ready to Sniff" Scentwork Starter Kits here.
Article written by Kate Hart, award winning dog trainer with the IMDT and qualified scentwork instructor and founder of the Sniffer Shop.
She juggles a busy life teaching scentwork, running the shop, and keeping six enthusiastic Labradors mostly out of mischief! Her passion is making scentwork simple, fun, and accessible for all dogs.
