The Scent & Search Academy

The Scent & Search Academy Licenced UK Sniffer Dog instructor. Mentally enriching all pet dogs through the fun of scent work 🐾

PSA: This is a slightly different post to our usual… I am very appreciative that this isn’t the first time that we’ve ha...
13/01/2025

PSA: This is a slightly different post to our usual…

I am very appreciative that this isn’t the first time that we’ve had an owner leave us lovely comments about how patient or accommodating we have been in classes or 1-2-1s. But unfortunately we are just doing our job…

I must mention, that we are not behaviourists, but I want to share my opinion, for anyone else that may have been told something similar…

No dog is completely and utterly untrainable; all dogs have the capacity to learn with the right approach, patience and environment which are subject to the issues currently being faced.
Dogs that may seem “untrainable” might face particular barriers but what’s shocking is Bailey here is lovely lad, who is a little shy for a spaniel… but no behaviour was shown to indicate that he was or is untrainable… especially as a young spaniel pup. 🫠
(But as predicted , he’s smashing Scentwork already, becoming visibly more confident and excited by each activity being presented to him) 👏

These assumptions could be very detrimental for owners and their dogs. Especially as owners look to trainers for guidance.
But I am so glad that they looked for second opinions from other behaviourists or they continued to work with their dogs, rather than just giving up hope.

Any type of trainer should be able to adapt their training plan to suit a dog’s unique needs and temperament, ensuring progress is possible, not guaranteed… but possible.

As scent instructor, it’s different for us in the sense that we are teaching an optional hobby, not necessarily basic behavioural skills that need to come before this… But we will still adapt our training techniques to suit the dog in front of us, from rewarding with a toy instead treats, to working from the owners garden instead of a busy public park, but the list of ways to adapt the training goes on.

No one is working at the airport after our classes, it’s a fun hobby for owners to use as a toolkit in the rest of their training journey, or to have fun with their dogs. As long as the dog is enjoying it, we will continue!

Watching every sniffer student progress from week 1 to week 6 is honestly the best thing in the world.

Thank you for your continued feedback and we appreciate the opportunity to bring Scentwork into your dog’s lives, whether it’s for fun, or to support the rest of your training journey.

Keep going! 💪🐾

12/01/2025

So pleased to have this group back for their first week of SILVER!! 🐾🥈

🥈Biscuit
🥈Willow
🥈Buzz
🥈Laggy
🥈Marley
🥈FLYNN 🤭
🥈Woody

We transitioned the dogs onto our new scent: GUN OIL and started to build the foundations which will allow us to progress onto searches! But I didn’t manage to capture much on camera as we were too ingrained in the fun!

Good to have you back team! 🥈👏💪

09/01/2025

Anyone else’s dog become more excited now that the weather is frosty and cold? ❄️🐾🌨️

There could be a few reasons behind that, but… here’s our favourite one…. 🤭

Annnnnddddd can’t forget to welcome our Sunday UK Sniffer Dog’s Bronze class!… 😍🐾🥉Cheddar 👋🏼Princess 👋🏼Sidney 👋🏼Nelly 👋🏼...
08/01/2025

Annnnnddddd can’t forget to welcome our Sunday UK Sniffer Dog’s Bronze class!… 😍🐾🥉

Cheddar 👋🏼
Princess 👋🏼
Sidney 👋🏼
Nelly 👋🏼
Beetle 👋🏼

As we have changed our Sunday venue over the new year to a slightly smaller but more accessible one, we have also slimmed down our class size to match!

The larger classes are fun, but I do enjoy watching strong friendships form from the smaller, more intimate classes… and I am sure this group will be no different! 💙

See you Sunday! 🐾

It’s that time again… 🎉🥉Please welcome our newest Saturday Bronze UK Sniffer Dog class for 2025!… Winnie 👋🏼Ryska 👋🏼Milli...
08/01/2025

It’s that time again… 🎉🥉
Please welcome our newest Saturday Bronze UK Sniffer Dog class for 2025!…

Winnie 👋🏼
Ryska 👋🏼
Millie 👋🏼
Millie 👋🏼
(yes two of them!!🤭)
Bailey 👋🏼
Marley 👋🏼

From our conversations so far, I think we have a class of very intelligent dogs that will definitely enjoy putting their noses to the test! 🧠

See you Saturday 🐾

06/01/2025

WILLOW & BISCUIT 🙌🏼🐾🥉

A throwback to November… (I’m a little behind on our social media posts…🤫🤣!)

Back in November, this dynamic duo were both making incredible progress with their vertical and blind searches, and managed to capture their efforts on camera!

Since then, they stepped it up even further, by mastering their searches with strong passive indications for pretty much every live article!!!!
The fun they had whilst training definitely paid off as just before Christmas, they were awarded with distinctions on their Bronze assessments! 👏👏👏

I can’t wait to see you both this Saturday when we welcome you back for SILVER! 🥈🐾

It’s only taken 6 months…. We’ve finally got some bricks!!! 🙄🤣🧱Coming soon to a demo video near you 🤣😉
02/01/2025

It’s only taken 6 months…. We’ve finally got some bricks!!! 🙄🤣🧱
Coming soon to a demo video near you 🤣😉

30/12/2024

🎉 2024 SCENT DETECTION LEADERBOARD 🎉

What a year, from launching in January to signing off in December… I need to say a huge thank you to every student and supporter who helped make this year a sniffing success. I absolutely love this job, and that’s because of you!

So, I hope you will join me in congratulating our dogs on their speedy noses….

UK Sniffer Dog BRONZE
🥉3rd place - Katie and Marley
🥈2nd place - Leanne and Flynn
🥇1st place - Fran and Bertie 2 minutes 11s!!!
Out of a maximum of 8 minutes

UK Sniffer Dog SILVER
🥉3rd place - Helen and Maple
🥈2nd place - Alex and Honey
🥇1st place - Simone and Penny 2 minutes 30s!!!
Out of a maximum of 6 minutes

UK Sniffer Dog GOLD
🥉3rd place - Sally and Pippin
🥈2nd place - Clare and Frizzle
🥇1st place - Helen and Maple 3minutes 33s!!!
Out of a maximum of 11 minutes

For 2025, we’re gearing up to launch bigger and better courses to keep your pet dogs mentally enriched. From enhancing your current skills and mastering one key scent, to venturing into new disciplines to find your dog’s natural superpower.
Keep up the great work, team—I can’t wait to see more dogs soaring to the top of our next leaderboard!

Love, Maisie 💙
Mentally enriching all pet dogs through the fun of scent work!

29/12/2024

Pssssttt…. I’ve been keeping a secret from you this year 🤫😉

Every dog and handler who joined us for our first year of operation has truly made our journey unforgettable; from novice pups to well seasoned scent detectives, we’ve appreciated you all.

But, we’ve been hiding something in the background without your knowledge… you have all been so supportive of us, so it’s now time to celebrate you!

Throughout this year, I have kept all of the data from every student’s mock trial, of which, I have used to pull our 2024 leaderboard!

I will leave you all in suspense until tomorrow evening… tune back in to see who made our top 3 fastest dog and handler teams from Bronze, Silver and Gold!

Good luck! 🎉🥉🎉🥈🎉🥇

You all know ‘Jingle Bells’ right… 🔔🎶🐾Sniffing through the snow,With our noses low today,Through the fields we go,Sniffi...
25/12/2024

You all know ‘Jingle Bells’ right… 🔔🎶🐾

Sniffing through the snow,
With our noses low today,
Through the fields we go,
Sniffing all the way!

Whiffs of turkey and treats,
Scents that fill the air,
What fun it is to sniff around
And smell things everywhere!

Oh, sniff and bark, sniff and bark,
Sniff the whole day through,
Oh, what fun it is to smell
The world with a nose so true!

Sniff and bark, sniff and bark,
Sniff the trails anew,
Christmas scents are everywhere,
We’ll sniff them all, it’s true!

Merry Christmas 🎅🏻🐾❄️

You’re having a bigger impact on your dog than you think…. 🤔Many of our students take part in our scent classes because ...
18/12/2024

You’re having a bigger impact on your dog than you think…. 🤔

Many of our students take part in our scent classes because it looks fun or because their dogs go home and sleep for the day… this is very lovely to hear of course, but do you actually know the positive impact you are having on your dog in all other aspects of their life because of your new hobby?

🦮 Dogs are born to engage with the world through their noses, and denying them of this natural behaviour could lead to particular frustrations. Scentwork satisfies this need and lowers their cortisol levels; reducing the chances of them channeling it into undesirable behaviours like excessive digging, chewing, or scavenging.

🐩 Scentwork requires students to practice concentration and patience, teaching the dogs to focus on a task for extended periods. This translates to better impulse control and managing frustrations which can support the rest of your training journey. 🚳

🦴 For shy or reactive dogs, successfully finding scents boosts their confidence and gives them a sense of accomplishment. They learn to trust their abilities and may even become more comfortable and independent in new environments.

🐕‍🦺 Scentwork strengthens the dog-owner relationship through teamwork. Your dog learns to rely on your guidance, and you gain better communication and understanding of their body language. - Helping you to recognise these changes to prevent unwanted behaviours

🐕 By focusing on scentwork, reactive dogs can shift their attention away from triggers (like other dogs or loud noises), reducing over-arousal and aggressive tendencies over time.

We must include, that not all dogs have the behaviours required to enjoy scent work, and that is okay. But for those that do, I hope you feel proud of the positive and lasting impact you are having on your dog’s life! 🐾👏

I am so appreciative of everyone who has contacted us to be involved in our scentwork classes 🤪🐾Scent work is one of the...
08/12/2024

I am so appreciative of everyone who has contacted us to be involved in our scentwork classes 🤪🐾

Scent work is one of the fastest growing sports for pet dogs and it’s obvious why! It’s fun for all dogs, at any age, any experience level - and there’s so many ways to customise the training! 🤪

So, due to our interest, we decided to launch another Bronze course but ….. it has been fully booked by our waiting list! 🎉
This class will be starting 11th January 10-11am, if a space opens up, we will advertise it on here. Keep an eye out or contact us to be added on our waiting list. 🐾👀

Our Bronze course covers all the basics of scent detection, allowing you to venture out on your own to do some novice searches with the target odour. But silver and gold is where we really get going.

I am equally as appreciative of our silver and gold clients who continue their dedication to the training and have fun whilst doing so! I look forward to welcoming you back in January. Keep up the homework in the meantime 🥈🥇🎉

TRUSTING YOUR SCENT DETECTION DOG 🐾🤨Over this past week, we escaped to the countryside for some very enriching adventure...
06/12/2024

TRUSTING YOUR SCENT DETECTION DOG 🐾🤨

Over this past week, we escaped to the countryside for some very enriching adventures. We had the time and space to trial some new skills with Ruby (stopping for some pictures along the way of course!)

But this got me thinking about how you can read and trust your dog’s signals in an active search, as I talk about trust alot in class… but what does that actually mean…⁉️

For a dog, trust means feeling safe and supported in their environment and with their handler. For a handler, trust involves confidence in the dog's abilities and instincts. 🤝

So how can you make your dog feel safe and confident enough to perform at their best, in almost any search?

Start simple, build on your routine and predictability. Be consistent with your commands, rewards, even your walking gear, so they know exactly what to expect and what is being asked of them.
Be regimented with how you set up your beginner searches and the routine leading up to it, then you can mix this up later.

Advocate for your dog, be patient and let them learn through experience. Don’t expose them to triggering searches if they are struggling with their behaviour.
Observe their body language, this will signal whether they have detected a scent or need encouragement. This will help you when you start to progress into different searches in new locations.

Most importantly, if you aren’t having fun, there’s a good chance that your dog isn’t either.
Your dog will notice a change in your tone of voice, they will sense your hormones and pick up on your emotions, and they will observe your body language. If you aren’t enjoying your scent detection games, it’s time to change it up or find a new hobby.

If you can give it your best, so will your dog! 😏😎

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Crawley

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Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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