I first met Julie and her Doberman bitch, Teddy, in May 2023 when they joined one of my Scent Work for Beginners Workshops. Teddy was three and a half years old.
Julie and her husband thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and hadn’t realized just how fascinating and in-depth the activity of training your dog in scent detection actually was. Teddy’s sniffing talents shone through at the event, and she worked well within the group environment.
Teddy has continued with scentwork training at Scent Work Academy, having completed a number of progression courses, attended Sniff Away Experiential days, and is now on Scent Work Academy’s Achievement Grade 6. She has also won a medal placing at Scent Detection Competitions. Scentwork has given them as a family something to always be working towards, providing Teddy with a job to do and enhancing the strong connection between Julie and Teddy through their teamwork.
In addition to the many benefits scentwork brings for the dog’s overall well-being and the guardians’ satisfaction in being part of their dog’s successful search outcomes, there is another area where prior scentwork training and knowledge of the activity comes into its own: utilizing it as a post-operative therapy solution. Unfortunately, this is what Teddy found to be the benefit.
On July 3, 2024, when Teddy was then four and a half years old, she had a severe accident. She misjudged a leap over a fallen tree and lacerated herself through her chest on a broken branch. This resulted in a large chest wound approximately 10 cm in length and 4 cm deep. She had emergency surgery to repair the wound, and recovery involved short, gentle walks for around a month until the stitches were removed. Here is what Julie has to say about the unforeseen incident…
“My dog Teddy and I have been participating in Scent Work Academy classes with Mandy for just over a year now, and we absolutely love it. However, I never felt the value of scent work more than when Teddy recently had a nasty accident that ruled out her usual high-energy daily exercise. Confined to the home, I was able to set up scent challenges around the house and garden, utilizing the skills I had learned in class. This low-impact, adaptable sport stimulated Teddy’s brain, giving her a good mental workout. Afterward, she felt fulfilled enough to rest and recuperate. Mandy is an excellent teacher with a brilliant understanding of dogs, and I am truly happy we found her classes.”
Scentwork training is an amazing activity to participate in with your dog. Once these skills are developed, they can be utilized to have a monumental positive effect if the unforeseen happens in a dog’s post operative period and for dogs of any age on restricted exercise.
Mandy Rigby
Founder of Scent Work Academy