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An introduction to scentwork for dogs
- January 23, 2023
Did you know that your dog has a superpower? Those noses aren’t just adorable, they also completely shape how your dog sees and interacts with the world. A dog’s sense of smell is estimated to be between 10,000 and 100,000 times more powerful and accurate than our own because having a sensitive snout was key to their survival prior to their domestication.
Not only do they have many more olfactory receptors than we do, the part of their brain dedicated to analysing scents is also roughly 40 times bigger than ours. This means that every time a dog takes a deep breath in, they can perceive and make sense of a rich tapestry of smells that we are completely oblivious to.
As you can imagine, having such a keen sense of smell means that dogs are naturally led by their noses and many love nothing more than getting their noses to the ground to find out who has been through the area and when. Dogs need an appropriate amount of exercise for their breed and age, but they also thrive when given a good amount of mental stimulation.
Scentwork is perfect for giving your dog’s brain a workout and is also a fun way for them to get their physical exercise. The hobby is gaining popularity every year and you can enrol your pooch on a training course to become a scentwork pro or train them yourself at your own pace. It’s an important skill for certain kinds of working dogs, but is also great fun for a pampered but active pet.
What is scentwork?
In a nutshell, scentwork is the act of training a dog to pick up specific scents and identify and follow trails to find the target. Some breeds of dog such as retrievers and hounds have a natural talent for this kind of work but any dog can pick up this skill with a little positive training and patience.
In order to make the most of scentwork training you need to have a sound relationship with your dog to make communication easier. There are some traditional tools such as the ACME Silent Dog Whistle and the ACME Whistles range of hunting horns that are designed to make this easier for you both.
Most scentwork training takes place outdoors in often challenging conditions where there is a good amount of distance between the dog and the trainer. Hunting horns are designed to be heard over long distances and loud background noise so they’re ideal for this type of use. Of course, when you are teaching your dog something new you will need to start small.
An easy scentwork game for beginners
One of the best ways to get your dog used to scentwork as a beginner is to turn it into a game. Your dog will already be very used to using their nose but it can take a little time for them to understand what you are trying to teach them. By turning their first scentwork training sessions into a game you can make the learning process fun and engaging for both of you.
One of the easiest scentwork games you can play at home with your dog is to take several small cardboard boxes that are roughly shoe box sized. Have your dog leave the room and place the boxes on the floor. Put a tasty treat (preferably ones with a strong smell) in some of the boxes but leave the others empty.
Make sure your dog can get their nose at least partially into the boxes then bring them back into the room, instructing them to find the treats. Reward your dog when they are successful, and gradually make it more challenging by obscuring the treats more.
Dogs need a level of basic training in order to do well at scentwork and you’ll also need to teach commands to let the dog know what you expect them to do. Our hunting horns and dog whistles are the perfect tools to help you train your dog. If you need any advice on choosing the right model then please reach out to us.