Scentventure Guide Justine

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Scentventure Guide Justine

Scentventure Guide Justine Dog Trainer based in the North East England. Scentventure Guide and Mantrailing UK instructor.

25/03/2025

Phoenix thankfully showed off her superb tracking skills on Saturday to find my purse (yes, my actual purse! 😅).

When dogs find items carrying the same human scent they’re tracking, they’re taught to freeze on the item—mimicking real-life scenarios where they’d find evidence. That freeze is important because we wouldn’t want that evidence destroyed… or, in this case, my actual purse! 😂🙌

24/03/2025

Honestly, some of the best moments aren’t when you’re training your dogs. 🤷‍♀️ However, the training leads you to the best moments.

I absolutely love my adventures with Alfs, sometimes doing our favourite training activities and sometimes just being together, taking in the world. But doing either without worry was thanks to the training. 🧡🐾

23/03/2025

“Excuse me, you owe me treaties.”

Subtle, Fudge, real subtle 😅 but well earned! 😍

Today, he tackled walking trail layers and aged trails like an absolute pro! 👏🐾

22/03/2025

🌟Dexter was back at Scent Detection today!💫

I’ve introduced you to Dexter before, and I promised to keep you updated.

We decided to take a short break from Scent Detection because he was getting frustrated and not experiencing the benefits it can bring. We needed to build calm first—outside of Scentwork—and explore other scent-based activities that might be a better fit for him.

It’s clear Dexter loves searching, but Scent Detection, where we train dogs to find and indicate on a specific odour, wasn’t quite right for him at the time. There were a few factors at play—he’s a teenager, a new rescue, and indoor environments can be overwhelming for him. However, at the time, he also lacked the focus to start training outside.

📚But I’ve not just studied training Scentwork—I’ve also trained in adapting it, particularly for reactive dogs, through my learning with .

👃So, I tapped into Dexter’s world—where his nose was always to the ground, leading the way. We gave tracking a go, and boom! We saw a completely different dog—engaged, raring to go, and an absolute natural. Normally, we build tracking skills step by step, but Dexter just got it instantly. A fluke? Nope—he smashed it repeatedly!

And here’s the exciting part—tracking helped him build calm first because he felt fulfilled🧘

Now that Dexter is calmer, we’ve stepped back into Scent Detection, and wow—what a transformation! He’s now enthusiastic, engaged, and loving it!

That’s the beauty of Scentventure—we have lots of different types of Scentwork, so we can find the right match for your dog. It’s not just about training Scentwork itself—it’s about understanding each individual dog and adapting the training to help them reach their full potential.

Here’s Dexter today doing Scent Detection! 🧡

21/03/2025

Guess what tomorrow is? Seriously, you’re still calling it Saturday?!? It’s now just called Scentventure day 🙌😆

We have a brand new Scentventure cadet joining us, Maxi! I can’t wait to start their Scentventure adventure 😍

💌If you’re thinking of starting your own Scentventure journey with your dog, message me to find out more and how it could benefit your dog! 🐾

20/03/2025

📷Such a simple photo, but it speaks volumes about Simon’s achievements. When we first started outdoor training, Simon would step out and refuse food or engagement in training.

Step by step, we’ve built his confidence—and this week, he was able to enjoy a big treat search!

🍗Dogs refuse food for many reasons, but when they consistently stop taking food in the new environment, it’s often a sign that building confidence in that setting is the key to progress.

Well done, buddy! 😍

19/03/2025

Well-earned fudge! 😋 I have a feeling your mum was pleased you tapped into ground scenting where your traillayer had gone, rather than air scenting the route and trying to go over a 6-foot fence at Mantrailing this week! 😆😆😆

Whilst we can see visual barriers, that doesn’t mean scent hasn’t gone through—and technically, that would be the quickest route! Albeit, you’d practically need to be an Olympian to follow 😆

It’s absolutely fine to ask our dogs to find an alternative route to their traillayer, even when they’re technically right! Sometimes, the most direct path just isn’t practical for us (or an ambitious Fudge😅) to follow!

18/03/2025

Otis was introduced to tracking during Scentventure on Saturday, and he did fabulous! 🐾 I started him off on straight-line tracks initially. On the 3rd track, I didn’t let Otis or Mike watch or know the track, and the results made me giggle. 😆

Otis came out, started tracking straight away, and accurately chose the points I added some sneaky turns. However, Mike was convinced Otis had gone wrong, as he was still expecting that straight line!

As the saying goes: “Trust your dog’s nose!” 🐶👃

17/03/2025

On Saturday, Alfs had a very special visit to Auntie Katie’s. These two 🥹—when Alfs first met Katie, he was so wary of people. Watching his walls melt away and seeing him build a love for life has been incredible. And of course, their bond is for life. ☺️ always sprinkled in kisses 🧡

Life would be so different for both of us without Katie. 🧡 I first met her when I was seeking support with Alfs—back then, he was reactive to both humans and dogs. Walks felt difficult and stressful, and honestly, I didn’t have much hope. But I also knew we didn’t have much to lose. How wrong I was—it was truly life-changing.

👂Katie cares. And I don’t just mean that in a throwaway way. She really cares—for both dogs and humans. She listens, she understands—not just the training and behavioural side (which she’s incredible at) but also the emotional human challenges that come with it. Above all, she genuinely wants change for both dog and human.

🐾But for Katie, just her caring isn’t enough. She wants you to care for yourself too. She’s created an entire training approach that makes stressful walks a thing of the past, taking both the human and the dog into account and building real, practical solutions.

Katie sets a standard—not just for the training community, but as a person too. And she’s built a team that reflects that same standard, each member bringing their own unique approach while upholding the same values. I’m so proud to be part of this team, working alongside such passionate and dedicated trainers and behaviourists.

🙌And now, here’s the exciting part—Katie is launching a brand new show! Stress-Free Walks, a show where you can get your weekly dose of calm, connection, and dog-walk magic —fitting it into your life no matter what you’re doing.

🪄But this won’t be just any show. This will be a show sprinkled with Katie’s magic, covering the topics of stress-free walks and helping dogs and humans get the walks you deserve.

We found our way through the Scentventure Stress-Free Walks method, thanks to Katie. 🧡 And so can you…

Head over to the Dogwood page to find out more!

16/03/2025

Auntie Justine, if I look cute and do bear on your shoe (two paws up), can I have some treaties? 🐻👀

I either said no at this point… or how many do you want? I’ll let you guess 😅

15/03/2025

🐾 Dexter is going from strength to strength! It’s hard to believe he’s only 12 tracks in!

Dexter is all about the scent—any scent! He just loves using his nose. Now, on occasions, that’s got him into bother, but his tracking is helping him get that fulfillment in safe, wanted ways 🙌

Today, we worked on going through gates—he handled it like a pro, tackling two of them 😍 with a very clear indication to let Carole know which way to go. And this was from a blind track, where neither Carole (his handler) nor Dexter got to see the track being laid!

👨‍🎓At only 12 tracks in, Dexter has earned his promotion to join group classes, where he’ll practice these skills in the outside world and gradually add distractions.

Well done, Buddy!🧡

14/03/2025

Do you think he’s found something? 👃🙌

Love Benji—he definitely knows that odour pays! Once he’s found it, he’s not moving off it 😆

Great work, buddy! 🐾👏

13/03/2025

🐾It was lovely to see Nancy and her handler, Janet, in our Scent Detection class at the weekend—the progress in both of them is so clear to see!

This week, the teams tackled blinds, and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone for rising to the challenge! Blinds are one of the trickiest parts of Scentwork, but they bring so many benefits, making them a fantastic addition to class. Both dogs and handlers did an amazing job, and it was brilliant to see them spotting those key moments when their dogs were on odour!👃

So what are blinds? They’re when the handler isn’t told where the hides are—just the search area to work in. Instead of knowing where the hides are, the handlers and dogs search as a team and check in when they find a hide, then report back with how many hides they’ve found.

🧍‍♀️Blinds give us the chance to properly observe our dogs’ searching body language. When we already know where the hides are, it’s easy to miss those subtle signs. They also prevent us from accidentally giving our dogs clues about where the scent is—something we can all do without realising!

🐕I’m there to help support the teams and talk through what they’re observing in their dogs. Sunday gave handlers the opportunity to fine-tune their skills and really tune into those subtle changes in body language.

Well done, everyone!🧡

12/03/2025

👃This time last year, I was just starting my three-part City & Guilds Handler and Instructor Scent Detection course with the .

What an incredible year it was—learning from the team alongside fellow (now) instructors!

There’s something truly special about the College. The outstanding learning they provide, the instructor development that goes beyond just what we need for our classrooms, and the incredible support they nurture within the learning environment—it all makes such a difference.

🐾I’m definitely missing the College of Scent Dogs this year! But they gave me so much last year, and I knew I couldn’t let all that learning go to waste. This year, my focus is on development—taking everything I’ve learned and turning it into even more learning and development for you!

🧡Thank you, College of Scent Dogs! Keep being amazing—I can’t wait to be back!

11/03/2025

Dexter was back this week to continue his Scentventure journey, and first stop was tracking! 🐾

For many dogs, the search is just as rewarding as the end reward—and Dexter is definitely one of those dogs. 🧭 He absolutely loves the search and is a natural at it!

🪵This week, we began introducing obstacles for Dexter to climb over while following the track. Not only does he love searching, but he also enjoys climbing! It was impressive to see him navigate and climb over the exact spots where the track had been laid.

We then finished the tracking session by exploring roundabout tracks. Essentially, this involves a circle with false tracking leads, and the dog has to work out the direction of travel. Dexter had zero problems with this and seemed to have his very own scent sat nav! 🚗💨

Soon, I’ll be diving into how dogs actually do this—it’s incredible what’s happening with that nose of theirs! 🐕👃

Well done Dexter! 🙌

10/03/2025

Otis was back for Level 1 Scentventure on Saturday! 🐾 His human, Mike, wanted to refine Otis’ indication.

Otis had a clear way of telling Mike he’d found odour—he would sit and look at him. 👀 While this gave a general direction, it didn’t allow Mike to pinpoint exactly where the odour was. 🎯 So, we worked on shaping a clearer and more precise indication.

Before defaulting to his sit, Otis naturally offered the behaviour we wanted—hovering his nose near the odour. 🐶👃 By reinforcing this before the sit happened, we helped him understand this was the behaviour that would get rewarded. Instead of letting him get frustrated when his sit no longer worked, we simply let him know what was going to pay.

Through shaping—a game of hot and cold 🔥❄️—we developed lovely close-proximity freeze-nose indications. Now, Mike can accurately identify the odour location, and Otis knows exactly what earns him his reward. And guess what? Not a single sit! 🙌

While an indication can take many forms, refining it to work for both the dog and the handler makes all the difference. 🐕💡

08/03/2025

After a busy but lovely day training dogs with my wonderful clients, I couldn’t think of a much more perfect way to end the day than a sunset visit to with Alfs ☺️

07/03/2025

Bertie is like one of those drivers who knows all the shortcuts to get to the destination quickest! 😆 One sniff of the scent article, and he’s already working out if there’s a faster way to the trail layer—using air scent rather than following the direct ground scent route.

In Mantrailing, dogs can use ground scent (odour left on the ground by the trail layer), air scent (odour drifting through the air), or a mixture of both. There’s no right or wrong—dogs can be efficient trailers using either or even both!👃

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Sedgefield

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https://www.dogwoodadventureplay.com/training-behaviour

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Videos

Keeping Alfs Happy, Even on Restricted Walks! 🍎🍊 As I’ve mentioned, Alfs is currently on restricted walks while we focus on helping him feel more comfortable physically. But don’t be fooled—he’s still sharp as ever! 🧠 We’ve been using Club @dogwoodadventureplay February activity, ‘Apples and Oranges’, a fun game where we teach our dogs to differentiate between objects by their verbal name and show us which one they choose! Today, we’ve been working on identifying the banana. It’s the perfect way to keep Alfs mentally enriched, ensuring he stays happy and frustration-free despite the lack of physical exercise. Not only is this game fun, but it also taps into Alfs’ puzzle-solving skills. This kind of mental stimulation can help reduce anxiety and improve impulse control in daily life. 🧩 I’ve got to say, while this training has so many benefits for Alfs, I’m really loving having something new and fun to focus on. It’s been a wonderful dose of smiles after a stressful few weeks. 🧡 Here’s Alfs in action, showing us how he can identify bananas🍌🍊 #Scentventure #ClubDogwood #MentalEnrichment #PuzzleSolving #HappyDogs #DogTrainingFun #ReactiveDogs #DogEnrichment #BrainGamesForDogs

⏱ Struggling to Fit in Dog Training? Read This! ⏱ If you find it hard to fit in or remember training, set an alarm—but make sure it’s at a time you’re actually free, or you’ll just switch it off! Overcommitting might sound impressive, but it’s not practical.It’s consistency that delivers results. Overcommitting leads to overwhelm, making it harder to stay motivated. ⏱️ I tell my clients to set a timer for just 2–7 minutes. Small sessions add up quickly—way better than overcommitting and doing nothing! Ways to fit in training: • 📺 During TV ad breaks • ☕ While waiting for the kettle to boil • 🚶‍♀️ On walks do your training. No comparison needed! 🛑 Everyone’s time budget is different. You’re not falling behind—just focus on using your time well. How often should you train?🤷‍♀️ 📅1–2 sessions per week per skill = is an effective method! 🐕2 new skills max per a week 💤 1–2 rest days weekly to help both your dog’s brain and your motivation. Consistency beats overcommitment every time. You’ve got this! 🙌🐾 #DogTrainingTips #ConsistencyIsKey #Scentventure #ReactiveDogs #DogTrainingJourney #RewardBasedTraining

🌟 Dexter absolutely loved being introduced to finding scented toys! 🌟 I’m really looking forward to progressing Dexter on his scent journey.🙌 #ScentworkForDogs #DogTraining #Scentventure

📱Whether you use your phone on walks or not isn’t the real point here. The real question is: do you allow time for your dog to just be a dog? Sniffing, exploring, and taking in the world are vital activities for a healthy dog, whether on or off the lead. Without these natural, enriching experiences, behavioural issues can start to show. 🧠I see it time and time again—too much focus on training can actually be harmful to a dog’s mental fulfilment. Don’t get me wrong; training is important (I wouldn’t be in this job if it wasn’t!). But sometimes, we get caught in a cycle of trying to train away behavioural issues without addressing their underlying causes. Instead of helping, this can sometimes make the issues worse. We simply can’t train away everything. We need to go deeper, building your dog up step by step, ensuring they’re getting their fill of naturally beneficial activities. Training is just one piece of the puzzle! 🧩 So, whether you’re scrolling on your phone or sitting and watching the world go by, make sure you leave time for your dog to simply be a dog. Let them sniff, explore, and enjoy being in the moment. It’s just as important as any training session! 🌳🐶 🖥️If you’d like to find out how I can support you and your dog, follow the link in my bio. #DogTrainingTips #LetDogsBeDogs #Sniffari #DogBehaviour #DogEnrichment #WalkWithYourDog #PositiveReinforcement #ClubDogwood #TeessideTraining #DarlingtonDogTrainer #DogTrainingTips