Scent Work: 7 Tips on How to Train Your Dog!
Most dog parents know canines have the best sense of smell! But have you ever thought of training your dog to recognize different scents? Your dog can thrive doing one of his favorite activities, sniffing!
Your Dog’s Unrivaled Scent Ability
Our incredible dogs live vicariously through their ultra-sensitive and powerful noses every day by exploring, learning and perceiving the world around them! Sniffing provides not only critical information but also essential mental stimulation!
How do Dogs “See” with Their Noses?
Watch Alexandra Horowitz’s video!
The power of a dog’s nose reveals some incredible facts!
1. Dogs possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors (vs our measly 6 million!). With all these receptors, your dog can also smell the subtle complexities in odors like:
· The gender, age, mood and health status of another dog; or
· Each ingredient in human foods!
2. In addition, the part of the dog’s brain (that analyzes smells, called the olfactory cortex or bulb) is 40 times greater than ours!
3. Dogs can detect a substance at one part per trillion which equals ONE DROP of liquid in TWENTY Olympic-size swimming pools!
4. With specialized training, amazing dogs can sniff out:
· Bombs/Explosives
· Cancer
· Drugs/Narcotics
· Diabetes
· Crime suspects
· Tuberculosis & Malaria
· Dead bodies
· Human Allergies
So how can you train your dog to become a sniffing star?
Learn Dog Scent Work in the Chandler Arizona area! Join our new Foundations of Scent Work Class beginning in January 2022!
Why Dog Scent Work?
It’s a positive and challenging activity using one of your dog’s strongest assets, his sense of smell! What dog doesn’t love to sniff out odors? This enrichment activity offers fun and engagement while also building and strengthening the trust and confidence between the dog and handler!
Dog Scent Work: 7 Tips
1. While some canine breeds, like bloodhounds, are experts in K9 scent work, anydog can participate including all ages, sizes, breeds and abilities! Even blind or deaf dogs can do scent work!
Training Tip on Dog Walks
Use a “go sniff” cue to encourage your dog to engage his nose and then a
“leave it” cue when you want to resume walking!
2. You can purchase ready-made scent work kits on Amazon or make your own kit with this article from the AKC.
3. First, introduce your dog to the scented cotton swabs in the tin can. (Use essential oils like Birch, Anise, Cloves or Cypress.) As your dog finds and sniffs the scent, reward him with a high-value treat at the source of the odor to create an immediate association.
4. After 3 successful reps, switch the scent to the other hand and repeat step 3.
5. Next, put the tin of scented cotton swabs into a plastic container and repeat steps 3 and 4.
6. Once step 5 is successful, you can now put the scent in another room and bring your dog in to find the scent.
7. Notes: Always wear gloves and handle the cotton swabs with tweezers to avoid contaminating the scent. Also, make sure the scent is “novel” and the environment is not contaminated with the scent.
Remember, always keep scent work FUN and REWARDING for you and your dog!
AKC: How to Teach Your Dog Scent Work at Home
Come Learn Scent Work with Your Dog in the East Valley Areas of Arizona!
Join us and Wren Schaser to learn the foundations of Scent Work with your dog!
ANY dog can do this, even your dog! This activity not only builds confidence in both
handlers and dogs, it is FUN!
Call 480-382-0144 or send us an email to learn more!
Serving Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe and East Valley areas of Arizona.
