Talking Dogs Scentwork

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Talking Dogs Scentwork We speak your dog's language! Our aim is to work together with our dogs so that we better understand each other and make the most of every day together.

🎉 Facebook recognised me as a top rising creator this week!
01/12/2025

🎉 Facebook recognised me as a top rising creator this week!

01/12/2025

Some dogs get the game instantly. They know exactly what they’re looking for and the confidence to put themselves out there to find it - even if it’s one of their very first searches!

The joy of seeing dogs having the best time succeeding in scentwork never gets old.

So come on, what’s stopping you from starting? Hit the link in comments.

This month’s bonus is a cracker! It’s all about planning for next year, putting systems in place to make life easier. Fr...
30/11/2025

This month’s bonus is a cracker! It’s all about planning for next year, putting systems in place to make life easier. From brain dumps to savings goals, daily schedules to monthly overviews, trackers to lists, this bumper 30 page kit has all you need to plan your 2026 adventures.

Get your free kit by clicking the link in comments.

Big thanks toKay Potter, Nathan Squires, Joanne Duncan, Paul Anthony Ireson, Lynn Gibbins, Ann Fawcett, Moira Owersfor a...
29/11/2025

Big thanks to

Kay Potter, Nathan Squires, Joanne Duncan, Paul Anthony Ireson, Lynn Gibbins, Ann Fawcett, Moira Owers

for all of your support! Congrats for being top fans on a streak 🔥!

29/11/2025

It’s not enough for our dogs to hit the target scent. The task is to take us to the source of the scent.

Here you can see my girl Cherry hitting the scent. She hits the target scent and then follows that scent back to the source. In this case the source is a toy scented with catnip hidden in a hole in the kerbstone.

If you’d like to experience the same joy and pride in your dog as I do when watching a Cherry working, you know what to do. Hit the link in comments and let me show you the ropes.

28/11/2025

This dog makes me feel so calm. A beginner scentworker but he has a quiet confidence that makes me feel secure in his skills. His natural methodical style leaves me in no doubt that he will find the scent.

So to answer my own question, slow and steady is way more than good enough, it’s a bonus.

Learn how to teach your dog scentwork by hitting the link in comments.

27/11/2025

If the growing popularity of scentwork for fun has taught us anything (and it’s taught us lots!) it’s that scentwork isn’t a breed specific activity. All breed types can be successful scentworkers.

For example, Newfoundlands are known as versatile working dogs. But I bet when you think about them working you don’t necessarily imagine them doing scentwork.

As you can see, that would be a mistake 😂 Arthur is an enthusiastic scentworker. A little impatient but then when you love the task this much that’s no bad thing. With thoughtful search design and handler support the speediest sniffers learn to steady themselves to a pace that brings them the best chance of success.

So the next time you think you have to have a specific breed type to do scentwork - think again!

Start scentworking with me by clicking the link in bio.

26/11/2025

A core element of scentwork is that our dogs learn that the target scent could be anywhere. Not just in a box or a pipe or a toy. If the dog ignores everything except the one object/place/material you always use you are cutting off one of the main features of scentwork.

From a teaching POV it’s also good to ensure that the handler can’t predict the hide either. So from very early stages in scentwork (this clip is from a second workshop S2) I make sure to keep the handlers focused on their dogs telling them where the target is rather than them trying to second guess.

For example, just because there are boxes in the search area doesn’t mean I won’t hide it in the chairs.

Stay predictably unpredictable when it comes to hides. Your scentwork will be so much better for it.

If you’d like to learn more about scentwork, hit the link in comments. I’d love to see your dog strutting their scentwork stuff like Pepper!

25/11/2025

Most scentwork dogs are discriminating between their target scent and other scents all the time - it’s very rare to work in environments that are anywhere near sterile.

But checking that the dog isn’t guessing where the scent might be or what you might want them to choose (that topic is a whole course in itself!) is a useful check on the accuracy of your scentwork.

In this search I’ve placed used dog toys in the search area. They smell of the toy and of dogs but not of the target scent. Wilson here checks each one careful but rejects each one as they are not the targets.

He stays at one (the red wubba) a little longer than the rest, but his handler asks the question (have you got something?) to which he answers ‘no’ by moving on.

And I thought you would enjoy seeing his actual indication so that you can compare it to his interest. Enjoy!

23/11/2025

Meet Arrow. This wonderful clip shows him searching with energy and purpose. He very quickly hits the target scent but it takes him a little longer to track it back to source.

I particularly love watching this part of the scentwork process because it’s one of the few times that we get a glimpse into how and where the scent is moving.

if you’ve enjoyed watching this wonderful scentworker (and who wouldn’t!) and think your dog would love to be a scentwork dog, you know what to do - hit the link in comments.

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Talking Dogs Scentwork®

Founded in 2011 by Pam Mackinnon, Talking Dogs Scentwork® combines all the knowledge and experience of 25 years working with pet dogs and their owners with the operational experience of a professional Detector Dog Handler. Working with thousands of pet dogs since it’s formation, Talking Dogs Scentwork® excels at teaching all breeds, ages and abilities of dog to find specific scents in a variety of environments. Using our comprehensive training system delivered through workshops, online courses in our Detector Dog School www.detectordog.co.uk , DVDs and our manual ‘Detector Dog’, we have successfully helped turn pet dogs into detector dogs all over the UK, and beyond. To learn from the best in the business come visit us at scentwork.com