All About Scent Work Podcast

As Scent Work Instructors, given our learning, background and expertise, we oftentimes have a fairly solid grasp for how a sniffy journey may go, common pitfalls teams may fall into and ways to avoid those pitfalls. Our desire is to help guide our clients to have the smoothest and most successful journey possible. However, some learning can only be obtained by doing. In this episode, Dianna discus...

"It depends", one of the most common responses Scent Work instructors will give regarding what to do when a dog misses a hide in training. While this may be met with frustration and consternation from our clients, there is good reason for it. Solutions are NOT one-size-fits all. There are a multitude of factors which may result in drastically different approaches being implemented for the best out...

Watching baby puppies tackle a Scent Work search is endearing to say the very least. We can easily get swept away by how amazing these tiny little babies are at solving their searches. Before we know it, we are offering more and more challenging searches for them to tackle. However, we must remember that they are indeed babies, not simply small adult dogs.  In this episode, we discuss how it is fa...

In this episode, we speak with Lori Timberlake of Do Over Dog Training regarding one of her favorite topics: training dirty in Scent Work. This discussion highlights the power of this training approach, how and when teams should incorporate these concepts and clearing up any misconceptions regarding how this may differ from the proper handling of our odor training aids. This is an excellent discus...

A common approach teams take when they are prepping for a Scent Work trial is to focus on the requirements for a given level. However, that oftentimes means teams are solely obsessing about tackling super difficult searches in the upper levels whereas newer teams are holding off on introducing key concepts until much later in their training journey. This can be problematic. Enter all-level trial p...

The AKC Scent Work Buried Class can be a BEAR for dogs and handlers alike! In this episode, AKC Scent Work Judge, professional instructor and accomplished competitor, Natalie McManus, will outline some of the reasons for this and ways handlers can better approach the Buried class. Doing so will help this class make more sense to the dogs and thus allow teams to more successful. Want to learn more...

We are incredibly fortunate in that there is a slew of dog sport activities that all focus on our dogs tapping into their wonderful sense of smell. In this episode, Dianna discusses how we should be leveraging all of these sniffy possibilities, since doing so can actually improve our dog's Scent Work game as well.  ----more---- Scent Work University  is an online dog training platform focused on a...

When it comes to handler discrimination, it common for handlers to become frustrated and for dogs to be confused of what game they are supposed to be playing. Why does this happen? We discuss some of the common reasons in this podcast episode. Interested in getting started in Handler Discrimination? Check out the online Handler Discrimination course we offer through Scent Work University. ----more...

It is common for Scent Work handlers to want to get off training primary as quickly as possible. "We want to hunt for the real stuff!" However, there are ways to fully leverage hunting for primary to help solidify crucial skills that will serve you and your dog well into your sniffing careers. In this podcast episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Judith Guthrie about how she uses primary...

In this podcast episode, Dianna has the privilege of speaking with Barbara Deg of Front N'Scenter Animal Behavior & Consulting regarding her new Scentsitive Soul Program designed to help dogs with big feelings by leveraging the power of Scent Work. Learn more about Barbara and her program: Online platform for Scentsitive Soul Program and related services Front N'Scenter Animal Behavior & Consultin...

In this podcast episode, Dianna discusses the final traditional search element of Interior searches and how they are oftentimes tackled as a "stuff" search instead of an interior search. Are you leveraging these interesting and exciting search elements to their full potential? Find out in this episode! Does your dog struggle with slippery floors? You are in luck! Kayla Dever and Samantha Winslow w...

As we embark on our Scent Work training journey, the prospect of tackling exterior searches with our dogs can be incredibly exciting! However, as we progress along our sniffing journey, we may find the challenges thrown at us by the environment become too much to deal with! Suddenly, exterior searches morph from this exciting venture to something that is excruciatingly painful and fraught with cou...

Have you ever questioned why people even bother doing vehicle searches? Are they a search element you simply do not practice or train? In this podcast episode, Dianna will discuss how fun vehicle searches can be, how they can be an excellent learning opportunity for dog and handler alike and why everyone should give them a try! Intrigued? Be certain to check out Michael McManus' Perfect Patterns:...

Speaker: Dianna L. Santos Do you DESPISE containers? Are they dumb, boring and your least favorite search element ever? You are not alone apparently! There is rather large contingency within the Scent Work community who are not fans of Container searches. In this episode, Dianna will do her very best to try to make the case FOR Containers, describing how valuable of a learning tool they can be and...

When we are training, trialing or making decisions about our sniffing journey, we oftentimes solely focus on the "how". In this podcast episode, discover the importance of understanding the "why". ----more---- Scent Work University  is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses, seminars, webinars and eBook are not only for those who are interested in competition...

Your dog is tackling a search and you just don't think they are going about it the right way. They are coming off the containers or vehicles, or perhaps they are attempting to go outside the barrier cones for an exterior search. Silly dog, you think to yourself, as you step in to direct them, illustrating the "right" way to go about searching this space. In this episode, we discuss how our human e...

Owning a senior dog means you must make some tough choices. This includes what activities you choose to do together. How to keep their age-related limitations in mind while still maximizing on the time you have together. In this episode, we discuss Scent Work-specific considerations. This is a sensitive and emotional subject. These decisions must be individualized and customized. There are no righ...

We've all heard how important it is "rise to the occasion" or to "meet the challenge head-on" or "anything worthwhile requires hard work" and so on. Essentially, if you hope to achieve anything, you must be ready and willing to put in the time and effort required. The same applies to Scent Work. Eyeing the upper levels of competition? Better be ready to toughen up and put that time in! Your dog mu...

Have you ever been in the middle of a search with your dog, and it seems as though their brain just...well, exploded? Maybe they started barking at you. Or perhaps they rushed off to grab a toy. Maybe they disengaged all together, seemingly giving up on the search. What you may be witnessing is the dog reaching what Dianna calls their "frustration threshold". In this episode, Dianna explains how s...

The allure to rush, whether it be while training or trialing, can be so incredibly strong. Yet the fallout is very real. Rushing can cause a huge multitude of issues that will take an immense amount of time and effort to undo and fix. Worst still, the results of rushing can cause frustration, confusion and a slew of other negative emotions to enter into the picture, chipping away at the relationsh...

You read that right, your dog is guessing. Guessing what the Scent Work game is really all about. What they are supposed to be hunting for. What they are being rewarded for. What we want them to do! In this episode, we discuss this reality and how we, as handlers and trainers, need to be as clear as possible with our dogs to help them truly understand the sniffing game we want them to play. We pul...

In the latest installment of our ongoing series, where we speak with participants of Cyber Scent Work, Inc., we have privilege of learning more about Tracy Martin's journey into Scent Work, her wonderful dogs as well as how she is helping her clients learn about and thrive while playing the sniffing game.  You may learn more about Tracy and her training business here: http://www.martintrainingbeha...

When it comes to dog training, not to mention Scent Work, there is a tendency to lump things together. This can make the whole process rather confusing to our dogs. An excellent approach is to "break it down" or split up a given exercise into smaller pieces or steps to help the dog better understand. However, the benefits of "breaking it down" applies to BOTH ends of the leash! This means we, as h...

The second in our ongoing series where we strive to learn more about participants of Cyber Scent Work, Inc., in this episode we have an engaging conversation with Jo Ann Dombeck about her journey into Scent Work, having three awesome little sniffing dogs and her experience with Cyber Scent Work.  A huge "THANK YOU" to Jo Ann for sharing her story with us and also sending an adorable video afterwar...

A common sentiment within the dog-owning community is accepting who your dog is. This is absolutely correct albeit not entirely complete. While we avoid trying to turn our dogs into something they are not, we should be working toward helping them be the best version of themselves. If for no other reason, than to allow our dogs to have the highest quality of life possible. Finding this delicate bal...