Hide and go Sniff

02/04/2025

A Weekend of training, trialing and most importantly fun with your dog.

Spectator tickets now added for those who couldn't get on but would like to come and participate in the discussions around the scoring system and what judges are looking for.

Trial places still available.

https://bookwhen.com/hideandgosniffevents

01/04/2025

With no cracks, holes or discernable hiding places, yesterday's "invisible hides" workshop ensured that these dogs had to rely entirely on their noses and not look for the likeliest hiding place.

Excellent work and concentration from all the dogs and fantastic to see the improvement since the last time we did this.



Music: Miyagisama https://pixabay.com/music/-miyagisama-music-box-workshop-cinematic-fantasy-urban-modern-9455/

31/03/2025

Rats, cats and all things horses will be the distractions, but you can search for any odour at any skill level at the livery yard.

27th April, booking is live: https://bookwhen.com/hideandgosniffevents

27/03/2025

Check out the rebrand over at Clever Clicks.

Make sure you like and follow their new page to stay up to date, especially if you like a seasonal themed workshop/trial!

26/03/2025

DDT is a trial that you can compete in on any odour, that isn't judged on time!

You and your dog are scored together and individually over 10 sections. You receive feedback and are still scored in most sections even if you don't find.

https://bookwhen.com/hideandgosniffevents/e/ev-sh1l-20250412130000

18/03/2025

Are You Paying Your Scent Detection Dog a Salary or Commission?

So many handlers focus on the find, but what about the search? I see too many dogs only get rewarded when they make a find, leading to frantic, stressed, or even disengaged searchers.

But what if we changed our approach?

By rewarding the searching—not just the result—we can create more motivated, methodical, and resilient dogs. A simple shift in mindset (and a well-timed reward) can make all the difference.

Want to know how to build a detection dog who loves the search, not just the find? Read the full blog here:

Want to try some nosework? Hide and go Sniff can help. We specialise in scentwork and mantrailing across Norfolk.

03/03/2025

Did you know?

WHEN VOLKSWAGEN MADE A DOG TOY

Did you know that the Kong dog toy started out as part of a hard rubber rear suspension bump stop for a Volkswagen Bus?

Joe Markham invented the Kong in the mid-1970s when he tried to distract his German Shepherd, Fritz, from chewing rocks and threw him some left over rubber parts from a VW bus he was working on.

The picture is not a Kong -- it's a rear bump stop from a 1964-1979 VW Bus.

25/02/2025

Yesterday we spent the day searching at Letton Hall, one of our favourite venues ( and not just because they offer tea and biscuits and shelter from the rain 🤭).
As always this was an opportunity for teams of any level to search with as much or as little help from me as they wanted. Brin and Linda even took the opportunity to complete some ball searches, getting used to the sights, sounds and smells of this kind of venue, whilst we work on his indication away from the search.



Music: Love Tap Musician: Erik Vargas

13/02/2025

Probably the biggest difference between the "find it" games that you are already playing with your dogs at home and the scent detection we teach at Hide and go Sniff, is the introduction of an "indication", but what is that?

Simply put, an indication is just a behaviour a dog performs to show us that they have found the odour we've trained them to find. It could be a sit, a down, a stare, a bark, or even a combination. Most commonly, for sport purposes, we choose a freeze/stare making it clear not only that the odour source is found, but also it's location.

I'm not fussy about whether that happens in a stand, sit or down, preferring to allow the dog to choose a postion which they find comfortable depending on their mood or the location and/or height of the hide.

Here's Trev finishing this mornings 121 with some simple indication training. 👇

01/02/2025

An excellent first day at Sciscent, but now my head hurts, so time for food and an early night ready for day two...

21/01/2025

More non-competative training searches at Letton Hall, 24th February.

Morning and afternoon spaces available.

www.bookwhen.com/hideandgosniffevents

12/12/2024

With simple toy searches and lots of fun games, 5 month old Cady is doing great at her

Is you dog ready to try something new? Check out the comments for details of my January beginners workshop 👇

03/12/2024

Scentwork is a great activity for dogs, offering benefits that enrich both their lives and the bond they share with you. Here are five reasons you should sign up for our next beginners only workshop:

1. Mental Stimulation: Scentwork engages a dog’s powerful sense of smell, providing a mentally stimulating activity that can tire them out in ways physical exercise just can't. It's a natural behaviour that keeps their brain active and sharp.

2. Stress Relief: Engaging in scentwork can have a calming effect on dogs, by fufilling their natural hunting instincts, reducing anxiety and stress by allowing them to focus on a rewarding task that feels instinctual.

3. Builds Confidence: For shy or timid dogs, scentwork offers a low-pressure way to develop confidence. Successfully finding scents gives them a sense of accomplishment and helps them feel more secure.

4. Strengthens the Dog-Human Bond: Working together in scentwork fosters teamwork and trust between you and your dog. It creates opportunities for positive interaction and communication.

5. Accessible for All Dogs: Scentwork is suitable for dogs of all ages, breeds, and physical abilities, including those with mobility issues or senior dogs who can no longer handle high-impact activities.

Booking link in the comments 👇

29/11/2024

Phoebe has been working on her indication both statically and dynamically and we'll be adding in the search very soon.

25/11/2024

There was an imposter in todays terrier line up...

Today started with Johnny, Jeep and S**a in for their monthly session, followed by Jasper's fortnightly 121.

23/11/2024

Two dogs, one hide, but which indication is better?

In my opinion, neither.

Both are focused and clear, and both handlers were able to identify the location of the odour.

When teaching indication, I don't insist on a nose touch (in fact I discourage it), which helps the dogs to understand that when a hide is higher, they don't have to climb if they don't want to.

Not only does this make it easier for less physically able dogs but also reduces the frustration of less experienced dogs when they can't physically reach. Scent detection is supposed to be accessible to all dogs after all.

20/11/2024

In Archies 121 last night we worked on the transition from a static indication exercise to a simple search. Introducing the odour (Kong) to the search like this will help, him to understand that we still want that freeze behaviour even during a search.



Music credit: Jason Shaw URL: https://audionautix.com License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode