Talking Dogs Scentwork

04/04/2025

Thought for the day on R4’s Today programme had me spitting my coffee! The woeful mischaracterisation of the ‘punishment free’ Monks of New Skete was typical of non dog folks trying to use bits of misinformation to illustrate their point. The speaker had already annoyed me by talking about his Bernadoodle (just say crossbreed!) He was obviously now an authority on dogs since he’d acquired his puppy and so felt confident in talking about once of the nastiest dog training groups of people in glowing terms. This highlights, once again, that just because you’re an expert in one area, that doesn’t qualify you to talk with authority about another.
Rant over!

02/04/2025

Ettie’s had a little trim. Less beard, more Ettie 😍

31/03/2025

Why do trainers seem to have the wrong of the telescope on so many issues? Let's take the once again issue being raised of how bad it is for dogs to play fetch, or get excited and run and jump and play hard. This concept has been around for ages, and it drives me batty.

Long ago, I grew weary of the argument that running and jumping and fetching etc were bad for dogs, caused blood cortisol levels to spike, created stress, etc. It's been around a long, long time. Calm walks only, no chasing, etc. What's the grain of truth at the heart of such advice?

Do some dogs have problems self-regulating? Yep.

Will some dogs play till they keel over? Yep.

Do some dogs have a tendency towards compulsive behavior? Yep.

Do some dogs have physical limitations that mean long-term certain activities will cost them dearly? Yep. But *they* don't know that and so delight in a game is not a matter of informed consent - hell yes that's true for so many dogs.

You know, dogs are just like people in so many ways. Like us, and for so many reasons including human interference and selective breeding and appalling raising practices and unnatural lifestyles and god awful structure and obesity and poor conditioning and crazy expectations, dogs can struggle with making healthy choices that support adaptive and functional behavior.

Imagine if the whole discussion was reframed in terms of functionality - can the dog self-regulate even in the presence of exciting stimuli? is the dog physically capable of doing X at that level of intensity? how does this affect relationships with others?

My GSDs are strong and sound. While they love their games, they can also stop when asked. They can adjust themselves to take a break as needed. The same activities they enjoy were inappropriate for my Lab/Chow cross with crappy structure and bad hocks. One of my dogs long ago did not have the sense to know she needed to rest when playing fetch. Thankfully, she had 2 black spots on her tongue that were perfect markers whatever the temp -- first spot showing meant she was nearing her healthy max; second spot showing meant STOP. Wish all dogs came with such clues.

Oh wait - all dogs DO have such clues! It's called behavior. It's called movement. Always available for us to see, if we have developed the observation skills that let us see what dogs are telling us.

Perhaps most critical in this "no fetch" or "fetch is fine" discussion: does the *handler* know how to make those assessments? Can the handler recognize the shifts in fine motor control or balance or cadence or gait or recovery?

Further, does the handler know what to do with the information gained from those assessments? Do they know how to take care of a dog so to promote healthy interactions, play, and activities that support the dog's mental, emotional and physical well being.

That's our job: to be caretakers, which includes quite literally taking care when a dog is not able to be self-protective or self-regulate or when the dog's lack of understanding about long-term consequences means fun in the moment may create harm further down the line. We have to take care that our encouragement or requests or expectations are within healthy limits for that dog, and that means getting our egos out of the way, always seeking more understanding of the dog as a whole being, developing greater observation skills.

When we start to understand self-regulation its importance for any being to function well, we can make recommendations that are appropriate for each individual dog instead of stupid blanket rules.

Being disregulated is good for no one, that much is true. But what healthy arousal and fun looks like varies for each animal.

While I was teaching in Warsaw at a conference, there was a pretty hot argument about horses, racing and jumping. One person claimed horses only ran or jumped because they were forced to, and it was awful for the poor beasts and so stressful. "No horse would jump just for fun." The knowledgeable horse people were outraged by the stupidity of this statement, as their lived experience with horses echoed mine and was utterly counter to the dumb remark.

Likewise, my lived experience with dogs has shown me that some dogs self-regulate beautifully, others do not, and still others have clueless handlers. What matters is the individual dog. SEE THE DOG.

I've watched handlers who bought into the no fetch advice - and you know what? Some had major problems in their relationship with their dog because they listened to stupid humans rather than their dog. Ditto for handlers who listened to trainers telling them to exercise their dog for hours or pack weights or ... fill in the blank of exercise of choice. They had problems too.

What is almost always a problem for the human-dog relationship is this: opinions of humans vs the facts straight from the dog. Blanket statements automatically exclude listening to the dog.

KNOW HOW TO ASSESS your dog mentally, physically and emotionally so you can support them and enjoy what is good and healthy for them! SEE THE DOG. Always. First. Forever.

08/03/2025

I’m not usually one for celebrating international ‘days’. But with women under increasing pressure and threat around the world it’s important for us to be seen and to celebrate our achievements.

The women of Talking Dogs Scentwork all run our own businesses. We’ve all faced personal and professional challenges. But we’re all here inspiring and lifting other women to achieve their goals.

To all the women who are under attack, living in fear, having their rights and freedoms stripped away, stand strong, work together, be proud. We’re not going anywhere. We won’t apologise for being women. We won’t be invisible. If you don’t stand with us, stand out of our way.

06/03/2025

If you saw my recent reel on the freeze indication you’ll know I’m in agreement with this this fab blog. Have a read as Fiona expands on why indications come in many forms

Indications in scent work can be controversial and some are even fashionable - learn how to choose the RIGHT indication for you AND your dog

04/03/2025

🌞 Fancy some sunny Sniffing at Denny Abbey and The Farmland Museum 🌞

I have space available for SCENT 4 THIS Friday, 7th March, 12:30 - 3:30pm.

Your must have either completed Talking Dogs Scentwork S1-3, OR have done several classes with me and be confident with your directed searches and search patterns (don't worry if you're rusty, I'll help 😉).

You bring your dog, I'll bring the jam donuts 🍩 😋

Book here: https://BookingsforYogaAndDogs.as.me/ScentworkDennyAbbey

17/02/2025

Making a scented article for your dog to find is simple with just a few ingredients. Safety is paramount, then practicality.

16/02/2025

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07/01/2025

Search setting is a skill in itself. Getting it wrong risks demotivating dog and handler. But thoughtful, smart, savvy search setting boosts confidence and inspires excellence.

07/01/2025

Something’s coming - especially for trainers! Can’t say too much yet but I wanted to give you a heads up about a project I’m super excited about. Watch this space.
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05/01/2025

If you don’t know who Karen Prior was, Google her. She has been a huge influence in our industry and has helped many thousands of dog trainers work in a less punitive more thoughtful way. Her pioneering work in bringing clicker training to the masses in the 80’s and 90’s shouldn’t be underestimated. I had the privilege of meeting her a few times and am so grateful for her contribution to my dog training and behavioural knowledge and understanding.

02/01/2025

Congratulations to Kamila, always working to increase her knowledge and scentwork skills!

Finishing the year strong with another amazing scent work course from Detector Dog School 💪🐾
Thank you 😊

02/01/2025

Are you ready to make 2025 your most organised, productive and fulfilling year - for you and your dog? My new Scentwork Planner is the ultimate companion to help you make every day count. And whether you’re a seasoned Scentworker or just starting out, the Organise & Prioritise Package is your ultimate toolkit to help you stay on track, focused and inspired.
You’ve got this, let’s get sniffing!
Grab your planners https://detectordog.co.uk/p/2025-scentwork-planner and here https://detectordog.co.uk/p/organise-prioritise-package

Hint: you save by buying both together 😉