Our dogs love to sniff everything! But are sniffy walks enough for our nose-driven terriers and scent hounds?
Inspired by the work of scent detection dogs, scent work is an easy-to-learn and increasingly popular dog sport that is fun for the dog and the handler.
The benefits of scent work
There are many fantastic benefits to participating in scent work. The sport provides not only physical exercise for your dog but also extensive mental stimulation. Scent work is a great way to burn off excess energy and reduce behavioral problems. Searches can be conducted just about anywhere, which means training and learning can happen at almost any time.
Scent games at home
You and your dog can play many scent-related search games at home. Here are our top 3 picks:
- Find the food: Place treats in clear view throughout a room in your home while your dog waits outside of the room. Bring the dog in and let her sniff and find all the food. Then make it a bit harder by hiding the treats, so next time she has to sniff them all out. Once she understands the game, you can do this in your backyard too!
- Pick the hand: Place a treat in one lightly closed hand. Ask your dog to “find it!” and when she sniffs your hand for a few seconds, say “yes” and open your hand for her to eat the treat. Do this a few times and then when she gets it, add your other closed fist to the mix. Alternate which hand you put the treats in. As you progress, wait until she “alerts” to the hand with the treat in it (instead of just sniffing back and forth).
- Hide & seek: While your dog is distracted somewhere in your home, go hide in a closet, under your bed, or somewhere else you don’t normally go. Your dog will come to find you and when she does, mark her finding you with a big “yes!” and a treat. If you’re in a closet, when you hear her sniffing at the door, that’s when you open the door with a big fanfare, mark, and reward. When she finds you in the home, take the game outside (preferably in a large enclosed space so your dog really needs to use her nose). Have a friend hold the leash while you wander off to hide behind a tree or bush. Have your friend wait for about 30 seconds and then say “Go find (your name)!” and release her to come and find you.
Take it up a notch
To take this game to the next level, consider competition scent work, which allows dog and handler teams to search for odors in a more real-world setting. These trials can be more challenging than traditional scent work, so it is important to know your dog and the level of intensity they can handle. This sort of scent work typically involves dogs using their noses to sniff out different scents from essential oils.
How it works
- A scent work class will start by building your dog’s confidence and excitement about the game by having him search for a favorite reward hidden in one of several boxes.
- The activity is self-rewarding since the dog is immediately able to eat the hidden treat or play with the hidden toy upon finding it.
- Slowly, the game goes from a small-scale search in a few boxes to a larger-scale search in a vehicle or a large room.
- Eventually, the dog will learn how to search for a specific odor and find the source of that odor.
Bottom line
Scent work is fantastic for dogs that love to use their primary sense, their nose, and it requires minimal prior training. Even reactive or shy dogs can participate in this sport, as dogs are released one by one in a class setting. Dogs that are allowed to use their nose on walks are generally more relaxed and less reactive overall and dogs that are encouraged to use their strongest sense in scent work, are even more so! This sport is a great confidence builder and can be a great learning experience for the handler too.
