Dogs have an incredible sense of smell, it is hard to imagine how awesome it actually is. Where we rely on our sight to interpret the world around us, the dog uses their nose.
What is scentwork?
Scentwork or nose work is a fun activity that allows your dog to harness their innate sense of smell to identify and detect specific odours. It’s a brilliant way to provide your dog with both mental and physical enrichment.
What makes the dog’s nose so powerful?
- A dog's sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more accurate than ours.
- Dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors compared to our estimated 6 million.
- If we liken the sense of smell to vision - what you and I can see at a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away and still see as well.
- Dogs can very cleverly locate suspicious substances at the airport, detect cancer and other diseases, search for missing people and even alert to low blood sugar levels or imminent seizures.
Scentwork activates the SEEKING system
The SEEKING system is what makes scent detection so powerful. This system can create anticipation, eagerness, euphoria and positive feelings.
It produces and is driven by brain dopamine, along with other key chemistries.
The SEEKING system also helps to alleviate other negative emotions, such as FEAR, helping to counteract negative feelings. This is really useful in helping to change how your sensitive dog emotionally feels about different things.
Scent Detectives - Active Searches Course
This eight week course will teach you the skills you need to get started on your scentwork journey.
You will learn how to teach your dog an active indication and how to get started with active searches in just a few fun easy steps.
If your dog is nervous, anxious, or sensitive, this is a perfect activity you can learn and enjoy in the safety and comfort of your home.
Take my online Scent Detectives - Active Searches
- Stand-alone, self-paced course
- Instant access so you can jump in straight away
- Join private Facebook group
- Lifetime access to course
- Upgrade to include 1-2-1 training at any time
