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 on in – person Scent Work for Beginner’s Workshop

Sniff It Out – Unlock Your Dog’s True Nose Potential Online Scentwork Training Course

Scent training made accessible for all. “The training your dog will love to do!”

Click here for more information Sniff It Out Discover Scent Training & Unlock The True Potential of Your Dog’s Nose

Over 70 Very Happy Clients

Jane Prashar 2 months ago

Had a great time with my flatcoated retriever Rwbi doing the introduction to scent work workshop recently.
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!

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emma-jane baker 2 months ago

Completed the ‘sniff it out’ experience with Mandy and Gemma.
Both were super approachable, experienced, and engaging.
Definitely recommend to those looking for a new bonding exercise/ experience with your dog.

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S J James 2 months ago

Had a 1-2-1 scentwork assessment with my dog Linkon which we both thoroughly enjoyed. Relaxed environment and Mandy really listened to Link's story and built his assessment around his strenghts and weaknesses. Highly recommended.

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T Chalmers 4 months ago

We had a great 121 with Mandy this week, clear instruction and guidance along with easy to follow guides for homework, so we can practice. Lots of fun and brain engaging activities, loved our session.

Thank you Mandy, looking forward to our next session.

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Richard Adams 5 months ago

Excellent afternoon, interesting and instructive Samantha and I enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend, very professional. Thank you.

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Sue Ryan 6 months ago

Mandy ran a Sniff It Out Level 1 session. It was very informative, Mandy adapted the session with ease when she realised my dog was already imprinted on cloves. We covered lots, enjoyed our session and have booked again.

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