Sniffly Dogs

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Sniffly Dogs

1:1 Scentwork & Dog Training in West Yorkshire. Helping you understand your dog’s behaviour, so training makes sense to both ends of the lead.

For dogs who need space, and humans who want clarity.

27/10/2026

Trans K9 car crate for sale, all proceeds to Spaniel Assist 🐾
This crate has been a godsend for Ember since she was a pup (scroll through the pics and you’ll see what I mean). I’ve upgraded to a bigger one, so it’s ready for a new home. It’s been in my 2015 Audi Q5 but will fit other cars too. Dimensions are on the photos.

Why use a crate for car travel?
✅ It gives your dog a stable surface. Even well-padded back seats can be uncomfortable on a journey especially if your dog is in any kind of discomfort.
✅ It contains the dirtiest of dogs without ruining your car (see last pic!)
✅ You can get your dog happy going in and out of it at home first, well before it goes anywhere near the car.
✅ It’s crash tested with a rear-opening door, so if the worst happens, your dog can still get out of the car.

The not-so-good bits of this crate:
❌ The door has dropped slightly, so it doesn’t close perfectly, but the latches still turn.
❌ No keys for the locks.
❌ Some wear on the door (shown in photos).

A brand new one from Trans K9 costs £540 plus £65 delivery. I’m asking £100, and every penny will go to Spaniel Assist.

Collection from The Kennels, Nostell Estate, WF4 1AB, or Doncaster DN2 or I can deliver within a reasonable distance. You’re welcome to come and view and try first - message the page if you’re interested!

25/10/2026

I know something needs to change, I just can’t say what.

If that’s you, a Natter @ Nostell is where we’d start. You come to The Kennels with your dog and we talk about what life looks like at the moment, what you’ve already tried and what you’d like walks to feel like. We’ll ask questions as we go, and between us we’ll work out what kind of help would make a difference for you both.

It isn’t a class or an assessment, and nobody will be watching your dog to tell you what you’ve done wrong. You can go home afterwards and have a think before you decide anything.
45 minutes · £20 · booking link in the comments.

23/10/2026

Years ago, before I knew there was another way, I took Casper to a training class. I wanted him to walk nicely on the lead, so to show me what to do, the trainer took Casper off me and when the lead went tight, yanked him back with a force that made my stomach flip.

I still feel the shame of putting him in that position. I didn't know it because I didn’t know there was another way.

For the rest of the hour, I was spoken at. In lots of different ways, I was told the same thing: what I’d got wrong and what I should have done instead. I was so ashamed that I couldn’t take much in. I didn’t get the help I’d gone for; I left more confused than when I arrived.

There were treats, which seemed like a good thing, but there was also the stuff I didn’t think was good, like Casper getting a yank on his collar. It felt wrong, but these were dog trainers, who were the ‘experts’. I went twice and never went back.

I remember thinking: if this was dog training, how was I ever going to get help? I didn’t want either of us to go through that again. So I made the only decision I could at the time: I stayed stuck for a long time.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I had no idea there were different ways to train a dog. Why would I? When I eventually dipped a toe back into the dog training world, it began a learning journey I’m still on.

The super spanner is 13 now. He doesn't walk far these days, but when he does, he's on a harness and a long line so he can wander at his own pace and go wherever his nose takes him. He'd be off lead if his hearing hadn't pretty much gone.

I knew that first training wasn't right, I just didn't have the knowledge to explain why. That experience is just one of many that have shaped why Ruth and I work the way we do. It was over 10 years ago, but we know there are still people having similar experiences today.

21/10/2026

When people hear the word scentwork they often picture competitions, or a police dog searching for drugs, and think it isn't for them.

At The Kennels, your dog first learns to recognise one particular smell (we use gun oil). Then we hide it somewhere in the room, maybe in a box, behind a cabinet or up on a shelf, and your dog has to find it. We don't point the way. They follow the scent, decide where to search next, and let you know when they've found it. You're right there with them, learning to read what they're showing you as they go. You don't need any kit, and it doesn't have to turn into a sport unless you'd like it to.

You might have heard that dogs shouldn't be making their own decisions, but we see it differently. When a dog gets to solve a problem and make choices somewhere safe, they grow in confidence, and a dog who feels more confident copes better out in the world and is more able to listen to you when it matters.

You can see it in them by the end of a session too. Their whole body tends to relax and settle, and for a lot of people, it's the first time they've seen how clever their dog actually is.

19/10/2026

What do you actually want life with your dog to look like?

Most people struggle to answer that, because it’s much easier to list what’s going wrong. You dread the walk before you’ve got your coat on, then spend the whole time scanning for other dogs, and when one sets him off, your mind goes blank and you grab the lead. Afterwards you replay it in your head for the rest of the day, trying to work out what it was about that dog that set him off, while everyone else in the house tells you he’s just a dog and you’re making too much of it.

When all your energy goes into getting through all that, it’s easy to forget what you wanted from having a dog at all.

So instead of continuing to scroll, have a go now. Forget the problems for a minute and picture an ordinary day with your dog that you’d be happy with. Where are you, and what are you doing together?

It might be something small, like a walk where you’re not scanning every corner, or sitting in the garden with a cup of tea while he sniffs about. Then next time you’re out, look for the moments that already look a bit like that, like him turning round to check where you are, or walking past a dog without any fuss. They’re easy to miss when you’re braced for the next problem, but once you start looking for them, it changes how you see him, and how you feel heading out of the door.

25/09/2026

If you’d like a harness for your dog but not sure which to choose to suit your dog’s shape, Jane and Andrew’s shop is over in Doncaster, they have a separate room where your dog can try before you buy so you get the right fit

18/09/2026

One of the odd things about looking for help with your dog is that you’re often expected to know what kind of help you need before you ask for it.

You might know what has become difficult, or that something between you and your dog isn’t quite working, without knowing what to call it or which service to choose. That is enough to come for a Natter @ Nostell.

For £20, you and your dog can meet Louise one-to-one at The Kennels, Nostell Estate, Wakefield. There is time to talk about what life is actually like, what you’ve already tried and what you’re hoping for, even if you aren’t completely sure yet.

When people describe their experience of working with us, they often mention our patience, the time taken to understand their individual dog and being offered different things to try rather than one fixed answer. They talk about understanding more and feeling reassured, not being told everything they’ve been doing wrong.

You aren’t buying a programme. You’re giving yourself a way to make sense of what is happening and decide whether working with us feels right for you and your dog.

Book your Natter @ Nostell:

https://snifflydogs.com/natter-at-nostell/

16/09/2026

The second edition of our monthly newsletter, Beneath, is now out, featuring the article "The Power of Silence."

Giving dogs time and space to work things out on their own is already part of our training at Sniffly Dogs. What prompted us to explore it in Beneath this month was an observation from one of our clients after watching a video we’d sent her of Ruth searching with her dog, Willow. It led her to recognise how much she might learn about her own dog if she gave him the space to do his thing.

This isn’t about never talking to our dogs. It’s about noticing when our words are useful and when they might be getting in the way of seeing what our dogs can do for themselves.

What might we learn if we watched for a little longer before stepping in?

Beneath is our monthly newsletter, where we go a little deeper into a variety of matters of life with our dogs. If you haven't signed up yet, there’s a link in the comments where you’ll receive the Welcome Edition and access September's edition.

13/09/2026

When the dog you've got doesn't match the picture you had in your head of what bringing a dog into your family would be, it's hard.

You might feel sad. You might feel angry. This isn't what you signed up for. You did everything right, and it still turned out harder than you were expecting.

And it's easy for all of that to land on the dog. When really, he's the one part of this who never signed up for your picture in the first place.

There's a grief in here, and most people don't realise that's what it is. That's what the new blog is about, link to read is in the comments

11/09/2026

You can read that scentwork may build confidence, exercise a dog’s brain and leave them ready for a rather long sleep.

Our reviews describe all of those things and more. But somebody else’s dog can’t tell you how yours will respond.

That’s what a Sniffly Starter is for.

For £20, your dog gets a relaxed one-to-one opportunity to search for food amongst everyday items, at their own pace. You get to watch how they explore and solve the problem while we help you understand what you’re seeing.

People often remember how much they enjoyed watching their dog. They describe anxious dogs relaxing into the space, dogs becoming absorbed in the search and going home tired and content. Others discover something they enjoy practising together at home.

That doesn’t mean every dog will respond in the same way. The point of the Starter is to find out what your dog makes of it while you experience the environment and how we work.

There’s no commitment to further sessions. You decide afterwards whether scentwork is something you’d both like to explore.

Click the link to check out available times and book your dog's Sniffly Starter:

https://snifflydogs.com/sniffly-starter/

Address

Nostell Estate
Wakefield
WF41AB

Website

http://snifflydogs.com/

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