Scentwork Training with Your Companion Dog
“Helping your Dog to Thrive”
The Key Benefits That Scent Training Provides
Focuses on the dog’s strongest sense: Dogs have an amazing sense of smell, thousands of times more powerful than humans. Scentwork activities channel this natural instinct, providing mental and physical stimulation.
Can be a sport or a hobby: You can participate in scentwork for fun at home or within our Scent Work Academy Community and even compete in official trials and competitions at various levels of difficulty.
Scentwork goes far beyond just being a fun activity for your dog. It’s a powerful tool that unlocks a treasure trove of benefits for both you and your furry friend.
Mental Powerhouse: We all know dogs have incredible noses, but scentwork truly puts them to work. It’s a mental marathon, engaging a much larger portion of their brain compared to sight-based activities. This mental workout can tire them out in a positive way, leading to better focus and calmer behaviour throughout the day.
Behavioural Lifesaver: For dogs struggling with anxiety, lead reactivity, or destructive chewing, scentwork can be a game-changer. The focus and concentration required provides an outlet for their energy and a positive reward based task to complete. This mental engagement can significantly reduce unwanted behaviors.
Bonding Booster: Scentwork training is a collaborative effort. You and your dog work together, building trust and strengthening your communication. The positive reinforcement used in training also improves obedience, making your walks and interactions smoother.
Confidence Builder: Successfully finding a hidden scent is a major win for your dog! Scentwork provides a sense of accomplishment, boosting their confidence and overall well-being. This newfound confidence can translate into other areas of their life, making them more well-adjusted pups.
Happy and Calm: Sniffing is a natural stress reliever for dogs. Engaging in scentwork allows them to de-stress and unwind, promoting a sense of calmness and relaxation. This can be particularly helpful for nervous or easily excitable dogs.
Adaptable Activity: The beauty of scentwork is its versatility. It can be done almost anywhere, indoors or outdoors. You can easily incorporate it into your daily routine, whether it’s hiding a treat in the house or setting up a searches in outside areas of your home
Lifelong Learning: Scentwork offers endless possibilities for training and exploration. You can adjust the difficulty level, introduce new scents, or take classes to learn new techniques. This keeps things interesting for both you and your dog, providing a stimulating activity throughout their lives.
Mandy Rigby, Founder and Lead Trainer at Scent Work Academy initially gained qualifications in Canine Behaviour and specialises in Separation Anxiety. After discovering Scentwork with her exhuberant adolescent Retriever she became passionate about the activity and trained at Scentwork UK as an Instructor, Trial Manager and Judge. She has undergone CPD training through various organisations to deliver excellent scent detection training to her clients from novice to advanced. Over the past years she has introduced scentwork to hundreds of companion dog pet parents with their super sniffers.
Scent Work Academy has a thriving and friendly community who enjoy attending, scent training group sessions, workshops, event training days, progressions gradings and competitions.
If you are looking for a way to tap into your dog’s natural abilities, improve their behaviour, and create lasting memories together, scentwork is an amazing activity to explore. It’s a win-win for both of you! The first step in getting involved is our Scent Work Academy’s Beginner’s Workshop
Scentwork Beginners Workshops – In Person
Click here for more information Scent Work for Beginner’s Workshop
Sniff It Out – Unlock Your Dog’s True Nose Potential Home Learning Scent Training Course
Launching in NOVEMBER 2024 with an Incredible One Time Only Offer
Scent training made accessible for all.
“The training your dog will love to do!”
Mandy and Jemma were lovely and provided a most welcoming and supportive environment for us to learn and have fun.
I am really looking forward to doing more and i know Rwbi is!
Both were super approachable, experienced, and engaging.
Definitely recommend to those looking for a new bonding exercise/ experience with your dog.
Thank you Mandy, looking forward to our next session.