29/05/2026
I do love a Facebook memory! One of the main reasons I post photos if I'm honest. What came up today, I wanted to share with you.
10 years ago I started my scent training journey. Cuba and I went to a Scentwork UK workshop where we learnt how to search items like chairs and boxes and to start an indication (freeze when found odour). I wanted to learn more about scentwork to help support the behaviour clients I was working with to give the dogs some mental enrichment especially for those that might struggle with daily walks. So something safe and fun to do at home, that any dog could do, was my goal .
So this is how it all started. Cuba and I learnt our searching skills in village halls and searching items such as boxes, luggage, tables, chairs etc. We had great fun and worked our way up to level 5 with Scentwork UK. I always love sharing my learning so also started scent training with my clients at the same time. They also got the bug! I think scent training is one of the best things we can do with our dogs. They love it! It's something they naturally do every day, so for us to join in with their joyful activity just makes sense.
5 years ago, my friend Heather saw a Facebook post with a scent trainer offering a scent workshop where you got to search an aeroplane museum (Positive Connections) and this is where I met Jo Dyer. I felt so overwhelmed (so did Cuba!) that we were going to search this huge area, with planes and all sort of other things that we had no experience of doing. Jo was amazing and helped us work through our nerves and from that day I knew I was wanting to change how I did scent training. This is cool! This was much more fun for me and Cuba and yes it was definitely out of my comfort zone but I just had to learn more.
I learnt so much from Jo and she introduced me to a more detection style scent training, learning how odour moves, how you can help support your dog when searching, how it is all about the team effort, and it made my love of scent grow. She also introduced me to Georgie from Endeavour Canine and I now spend many weeks up in Wales training with her 😂🥰
It's so important to learn from others but the best trainers are always the dogs. Cuba, Bria, Hallie and now Bramley (my dogs) have been the best teachers. They are all difference breeds, all different personalities which I love to figure out how to best work with them. And then of course I have worked with all you guys 😁 working with all your dogs also teaches me and keeps me on my toes and keeps me learning.
I am now running Detection Dog Trials competitions, running detection workshops and am really excited to be pairing up with Sooz from Top Gunn Canine to now run our first 3 day workshop in September. If you have never done more that an group class or few hour workshop, I cannot tell you how much more you will get out of doing these sorts of workshops. Seeing the other dogs work is also just as important in your learning, as what you and your dog are learning. I am really excited for this 😃
If you haven't started your scent training journey yet, I really want to encourage you to dip your toe in and find out more - your dog will really appreciate it 🐶
