20/03/2025
What are the Benefits of Teaching Your Dog Scentwork & the Power of a Freeze Indication
Scentwork is one of the most enriching activities you can offer your dog. It taps into their natural instincts, builds confidence, and strengthens your bond — all while mentally and physically tiring them out.
💡 But did you know that teaching a freeze indication alongside scentwork adds even more value and versatility?
Why Teach Scentwork?
• Natural Fulfillment: Dogs experience the world primarily through their noses. Scentwork satisfies that primal need, offering them the freedom to do what they naturally desire.
• Mental Stimulation: Searching and problem-solving builds focus and engagement, which helps reduce boredom and related behavioural issues.
• Confidence Building: Nervous or reactive dogs especially benefit as scentwork teaches independence and decision-making in a safe, controlled way.
• Strengthens Your Relationship: You become a team, learning to read your dog’s subtle body language while they learn to trust you in return, which in turn helps you in other situations. Why Teach a Freeze Indication?
A freeze indication — where your dog stops moving and holds position when they locate their target odor — is not only useful in formal scentwork but translates into everyday life situations:
• Precision Alerts: In scent detection tasks (like nosework trials, conservation detection, or even working dogs), a freeze gives a clear, unmistakable signal they’ve found the source.
• Enhanced Focus: The freeze encourages dogs to control their excitement at the moment of “success” and builds on their impulse control.
• Everyday Crossover: You can adapt the freeze indication for fun search games at home or during hikes.
It’s also a great skill for teaching dogs to stop and focus on you around distractions.Bonus Benefit — It’s FUN!
Watching your dog problem-solve, freeze, and then light up with the presentation of their reward is genuinely one of the most satisfying experiences for both of you.
Whether you’re training for competition, working toward a practical application, or just looking for a fulfilling activity, scentwork — paired with a freeze indication — opens up a world of possibilities.Ready to get started?
You soon can sign up to my online course where I’ll send you weekly tutorial videos, you will be part of a private community Facebook group where you can post videos for feedback & ask any questions. You will also have the option to add on a 1-2-1 at a discounted rate to tweak the skills you learn online. Keep your eyes peeled for updates.
Check the video below of 8 month old Jill having her first 1-2-1 session with me, onto Pigeon learning to have more duration in her freeze then onto Monkey the pro who isn’t budging off her indication for anything (other than her reward lol)