Scentwork Workshops – What To Expect

If you’ve heard about scentwork and you're curious about getting started, attending a workshop is a brilliant way to learn. Whether your dog is energetic, anxious, young, old, playful, or sensitive, scentwork is an activity that can be adapted to suit them. But if you’re new to it, you might be wondering what happens at a scentwork workshop. 

Here’s exactly what you can expect. 

What is a scentwork workshop?

A scentwork workshop is a structured, practical session where you and your dog learn the foundations of scent-based searching in a fun, supportive environment. It’s designed for beginners and doesn’t require any previous experience or specialist equipment. 

Workshops focus on building your dog’s natural sniffing abilities, increasing confidence, and helping you understand how to guide them. 

Who are workshops for?

Scentwork is suitable for almost every type of dog, including: 

• Puppies and adolescent dogs 

• Senior dogs needing low-impact enrichment 

• Nervous or anxious dogs (very reactive dogs may benefit from 1:1 sessions)  

• Working breeds who need a “job” 

• High-energy dogs who struggle to settle 

• Rescue dogs lacking confidence or stimulation 

• Dogs on restricted exercise 

• Pet dogs that simply love to use their noses! 

  
  

If your dog loves food, toys, or exploring—you’re already off to a good start. 

What you'll learn

During the workshop, you’ll be introduced to the foundations of scentwork in a relaxed, step-by-step way. You’ll learn how to: 

• Teach your dog to search for a specific scent  

• Read your dog’s body language while they’re sniffing 

• Set up simple scent games at home 

• Increase challenges as your dog progresses 

• Use scentwork to improve confidence, focus, and calm behaviour 

  
  

Each activity is tailored to the individual dogs in the group, so no one is pushed too fast. 

What your dog will gain

Dogs leave scentwork workshops feeling satisfied, calmer, and more confident. Benefits include: 

• Mental stimulation and problem-solving 

• A natural outlet for instinctual behaviour 

• Lower stress and arousal levels 

• Improved confidence in new environments 

• Better focus and independence 

• Stronger bond with you through teamwork 

  
  

Sniffing is tiring in the best possible way—most dogs go home ready for a big nap! 

What happens during a typical session?

All sessions are slightly different as it's tailored to the individual dogs but here’s a general outline of what you can expect: 

1. Introduction & settling in - You’ll get a quick overview of the session, meet the other participants, and give your dog time to relax. 

2. Food searches - We usually start with simple food searches to help dogs focus and feel safe, especially if they’re nervous. 

3. Scent searches and hides - These include teaching dogs to locate the scent of cloves and indicate once they have found it. Before progressing on to scent hides, box and room searches.  

4. Coaching & support - You’ll get guidance on how to encourage your dog without taking over, and how to recognise when they’re using their nose effectively. 

5. Progression at your dog’s pace - As confidence grows, the difficulty can increase - new objects, higher hides, or different environments. 

6. Wrap-up and next steps - You’ll be emailed training notes to follow at home and information about further workshops or discounted 1:1 sessions if you want to continue.  

What to bring

To help your dog get the most out of their session, bring: 

• High-value treats

• A harness and lead 

• Kibble (if kibble fed)  

• Poo bags 

  
  

You don’t need any scentwork equipment. Water for dogs, tea, coffee and biscuits for humans will all be provided!  

A calm and supportive environment

Workshops are designed to be stress free and inclusive. Dogs aren't forced to interact with others and sessions are kept small, so each dog gets space, breaks and personalised attention. Worried or more sensitive dogs are welcome as long as you let me know in advance.

Ready to try a workshop?

If your dog loves to sniff (and let’s be honest - they all do!) a scentwork workshop is a fun, mentally enriching experience that leaves dogs tired, happy, and more confident. 

I offer: 

• Beginner scentwork workshops (intermediate and advanced coming soon) 

• 1:1 scentwork training (great for nervous or reactive dogs) 

  
  

If you'd like to book a spot or register your interest, just get in touch and I’ll send you the next available dates! https://www.super-novadogtraining.co.uk/contact-8

Scentwork workshops