What Actually Happens in a Scentwork Class?
- jackmfenton
- Apr 21
- 6 min read
What is Scentwork, and why does it matter?
If your dog isn’t doing Scentwork yet, they’re missing out - and so are you.
Scentwork is the activity of getting your dog to find a chosen scent in a specific environment. This can be something as simple as having your dog hunt for cheese in your house, to locating cocaine, bombs and fire-residue.
For years, Scentwork was something elite level dogs did - from drug detection to Search and Rescue) - but all of those same skills can be taught to our pet dogs (with no drugs required!).
The benefits of classes are astounding.
It massively boosts your dogs confidence, gives them an outlet for all that challenging behaviour, and resolves reactivity incredibly quickly.
All by getting your dog to find scents, items, people or toys!
Today, we’re going to unpack what happens in Scentwork classes - why they’re the best choice for your dog in Dorset, and how you can get started ASAP.
Is Scentwork the same as Nosework?
Yes!
Nosework is an umbrella term I like to use to explain all the different disciplines that we teach in classes (more on this shortly). But Scentwork is the most commonly used phrase, so you’ll hear me say them interchangeably.
So classes are referred to as Ultimate Nosework (because they are the perfect sniffing experience), but they’re all Scentwork based!
What happens in a typical Nosework class?
Classes are an hour long, the sweet spot between great learning while avoiding your dog getting overtired. Win win!
We location hop - meaning you’ll turn up to a brand new space to work in each week around the Bournemouth and Poole area. From forests to fields, town centres to industrial estates, this means your dog learns to focus, engage and work in as many different locations as possible.
Common locations we visit for training include:
Bournemouth Town Centre. | Ramsdown and Hurn Forest |
Ashley Cross | Iford Playing Fields |
Poole Town Centre | King and Queens Park |
Westbourne | Poole Park |
Christchurch Royal Mail Sorting Office | Baiter Park |
Uddens Industrial Estate | Delph Woods |
Poole Industrial Estate | Canford Heath |
Southbourne | Whitesheet Car Park |
These are just a few examples though!
The aims each week determine the class structure. Sometimes we stay in the car park, with dogs swapping in and out of cars to work and rest. Other times we go on an Adventure Class - where we head off as a group deeper into a location to practise working around distractions.
With no more than six dogs per class, you get one to one attention focused on your goals, including a personalised training plan (more on that in a minute).
Finally, classes are rolling, meaning you can book back onto the same time-slot each month. Dogs have been in the same classes for years, continuing to learn, grow and thrive.
What Types of Searches Do We Teach?
In classes, your dog will learn four different disciplines. These are:
Scentwork. Think drug dog detection, without the drugs. Your dog will find a target scent (clove or gun oil), and practise locating it in a wide variety of situations. From searching cars and luggage to the outskirts of buildings, it’s our most thorough searching game. Perfect for dogs who lack focus or have a short attention span!
Lost Item Detection. Think a police dog hunting for stolen property. We’ll turn your dog into a useful item finder, being able to retrace the steps of people using their scent to locate their ‘missing’ objects. Starting with clothing like hats and gloves, we quickly move onto wallets, keys, debit cards, wallets and money. Students have been able to find stuff they’ve lost in the house and out on walks because of these skills! It also doubles as a fantastic way of increasing confidence for nervous dogs.
Mantrailing (on-lead Search and Rescue). Think a Search and Rescue dog finding a lost child. Your dog will learn to match to sample - where they find an item that smells like the person (a hat or a glove) and use it to start searching for them. Based on that scent, they’ll hunt through the streets, fields or forests to find and tell you ‘This is who we’re looking for). Mantrailing is the most intense, but rewarding exercise we do - and the best way of reducing people reactivity!
Active Searches. Think a Gundog scouring an area to bring back their retrieve dummy. Your dog can be any breed to play this game though - focused on getting your dog to return with a variety of items like toys, gundog dummies and scented articles, it’s the primary off lead exercise we do in classes. It’s the ultimate way of improving your dogs recall and off-lead reliability, while giving those working dogs a consistent job.
Your dog will learn the foundations of all four disciplines before earning their Personalised Training Plan. We pick two of the four disciplines, per block of classes for your dog to specialise in, depending on which ones they prefer!
Do the Dogs Ever Work Off-Lead or Together?
Dogs do occasionally work off-lead, environment permitting, but this is always one or two at a time to ensure they’re given the correct focus.
Scentwork classes are also focused on socialisation, so the dogs do work around each other routinely. Whether we’re going on a walk together to get to the next exercise, doing a joint search (where two dogs might be tasked with finding the same ‘missing person), or just having a play while not working, we do focus on making dogs more social.
If your dog isn’t social, though, that’s totally fine! Instead we focus on having your dog around their classmates to build their confidence and reduce their reactivity. No forced interactions, just great learning.
Do I Need Any Experience or Equipment?
No experience is necessary for Scentwork classes - all your dog needs is a nose, and all you need is the time available!
Equipment wise, students are required to bring a few things to ensure the class runs smoothly. These include a three-five metre long line (tip, if you want a cheap but sturdy one, a horse lunge line off of Ebay is a great shout), a well fitted flat collar or harness, a toy your dog loves (if toy motivated), and lots of food. Oh, and coins for the Coin Game.
What Kinds of Dogs Is Nosework Good For?
Any type of dog will thrive with Scentwork, but there are three dogs who turn up in classes the most:
The fizzy, over-excitable, desperate to work dogs. The ones that are a million miles an hour, overly social, and need constant stimulation. Scentwork scratches that itch that helps them sleep better at night, stops them fixating on dogs, people and prey animals and increases their focus on you when out on walks.
The anxious, nervous unsure dog. The ones that spook at noises or cars, who struggle with visitors in the house, the ones who shake with fear at the vets. Scentwork boosts their confidence and shows them the world isn’t a scary place, and the different locations build their resilience and ability to cope.
The reactive, snarly, barking dogs. The ones who can’t cope with people or dogs in their space, who can’t be walked in most places, who have you on constant high alert. Scentwork makes them realise people aren’t so scary, that dogs can actually be their friends, and gives you a safe place to work them with people who just get it.
That’s the beauty of it - no matter your dogs needs, they’ll thrive. Just like you will!
What Do Students Get Out of It?:
For you, it’ll be game-changing.
You’ll be surrounded by students just like you, who aren’t bothered if your dog is a overly social or jumps up. The ones that won’t judge if your dog barks and lunges at them. Students who want to improve their dogs behaviour in the same way you do.
Even better, you’ll be equipped with a whole host of exercises to use on walks and at home to keep your dog focused and stimulated.
We’ve also got progression options - from our off-lead Search and Rescue workshops to our focused Scentwork Competitions, once you get the Scentwork bug you’ll be desperate for more!
How to Join a Nosework Class (and What You’ll Need)
To join a class, you’ve just got to get in touch! Either book a call below to get signed up, drop me an email at jack@thedorsetdogtrainer.com or What’sApp me at 07508883008.
Once we’ve had a chat and decided the best class time for you, I’ll send you our terms and conditions and class pack - it contains all you need to prepare for class wise.
And then? I’ll see you there!
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