The short version
You don’t have to own a military or police K-9 to teach your dog how to recognize a scent. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house.
What Is AKC Scent Work?
AKC Scent Work is a sport that mimics the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent (e.g., explosives or narcotics) and communicate to the handler that the scent has been found. Scent Work is a positive, challenging activity that allows dogs the opportunity to use their strongest natural sense in a way that’s fun, engaging, and that builds and strengthens a foundation of trust between the handler and dog.
Many dog clubs offer Scent Work or “nose work” classes, but if you’re just looking to try it out or teach your dog a new skill, you can follow these instructions in your home.
What You Need for Scent Work Training
The first step in teaching your dog Scent Work from home is finding the necessary supplies. Almost everything you’ll need can be bought on Amazon or found around your house.
Prep the Odor and Scent Vessel
After the training session, you can reuse the cotton swab if your dog doesn’t drool, and if food or soil doesn’t contaminate them.
Scent Work Training Tips
When setting up, wear gloves, and always handle the cotton swab with tweezers.
The odor should always be “novel,” so don’t contaminate the environment with it. Be sure to dispose of everything that came in contact with the source odor properly (in a sealed plastic bag, preferably outside in a garbage can, away from where you’re training).
Choose a location to set up your odor that’s far away from where you’re training. I set up everything in a bathroom, with the door closed.
5 Tricks You'll Want to Show Off
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Frequently asked questions
How to teach your dog scent work at home?
The AKC walks through this step by step — the key points are covered above, sourced to the AKC article linked on this page. You don’t have to own a military or police K-9 to teach your dog how to recognize a scent. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house. AKC Scent Work i…
How to teach your dog scent work?
The AKC walks through this step by step — the key points are covered above, sourced to the AKC article linked on this page. You don’t have to own a military or police K-9 to teach your dog how to recognize a scent. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house. AKC Scent Work i…
How to teach your dog nose work?
The AKC walks through this step by step — the key points are covered above, sourced to the AKC article linked on this page. You don’t have to own a military or police K-9 to teach your dog how to recognize a scent. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house. AKC Scent Work i…