What a truly special day we have just had at Crufts 2026.
Being invited to demonstrate scentwork at Crufts, the largest dog show in the world, was an incredible honour for all of us at Canine Scentwork Academy. For many years my personal mission has been to help people see their companion dogs in a slightly different light… not just as pets, but as wonderfully capable animals with extraordinary natural abilities. And nowhere is that more obvious than when you watch a dog use their nose.
To be able to stand in the Royal Kennel Club Ring in Hall 3 and share scentwork training with such a huge and enthusiastic audience was something we will never forget.
Our Fantastic Demonstration Team
Of course, none of this would have been possible without our brilliant demonstration team and their wonderful dogs.
We had the lovely Joyce with Loki, her ten-year-old Malamute cross, the largest member of our team and such a gentle, thoughtful searcher.
Ruby and her Cavapoo Boo Boo also joined us. Boo Boo is one of our longest-standing scent work dogs and has been playing scent games for over seven years. Watching that experience and confidence shine through was just fantastic.
And completing the team were our beautiful Labrador girls Honey and Carly, working with Myfanwy and Beverley, who both demonstrated perfectly how much dogs thrive when they are given the opportunity to use their natural scenting ability.
Each dog brought something different to the demonstrations, and together they showed just how accessible and enjoyable scent work can be for all dogs.
Sharing the Magic of the Canine Nose
The response from people watching was absolutely wonderful.
Throughout the day we spoke to so many curious dog owners who wanted to learn more about scent work training, how it works, how to start, and most importantly how much dogs love it.
It was lovely to answer questions, chat with fellow dog lovers and even put some familiar names to faces. There were also some exciting conversations about potential collaborations in the future, which we are really looking forward to exploring.
One of the most exciting things for us was welcoming new members into our growing online community of sniffy learners, where handlers and dogs from all over the world are discovering the joy of scent work together.
Watch the Demonstration
If you weren’t able to attend the demonstrations in person, we have got you covered.
You can watch the highlights from our Crufts demonstration here: (Watch Time 3 minutes 13s)
It was such a joy to showcase the dogs doing what they do best, calmly searching, problem solving, and communicating with their handlers through that wonderful secret language that develops between dog and human during scent work training.
Looking Ahead
Days like this remind us why we love what we do.
Scent work builds confidence, strengthens the bond between dogs and their people, and gives dogs a purposeful outlet for one of their most powerful natural instincts. Seeing so many people light up when they realise their own dog could enjoy this too is incredibly rewarding.
We are so grateful to everyone who came along to watch the demonstrations, asked questions, supported us, and shared our passion for the canine nose.
And if Crufts has inspired you to start your own scent work journey, we would absolutely love to welcome you and your dog into our sniffy community, whether through our in-person workshops, or our online training courses.
After all… every dog has an amazing nose. Sometimes they just need the opportunity to show us what they can do.
From all of us at Canine Scentwork Academy, thank you for being part of such a memorable day. 🐾
Mandy Rigby
Founder and Scent Work Instructor