Scent Detection

Harness your dog's natural drive to sniff in a fun activity that both you and your pup will love! Descended from drug and bomb sniffing applications, Scent Detection has quickly become one of the most popular dog sports in the United States. Scent Detection is a team sport that helps owners connect with their pets on a deeper level and provides an interactive physical and mental outlet for their dogs.

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Join our Scent Detection classes to get started on detection basics and get to know other owners that are also excited about learning and growing with their dogs! Classes will be posted individually and will fill on a first come, first serve basis. The goal of this program is to provide dog-owner pairs with a fun and enriching way to continue to challenge themselves and build their teamwork and training skills without imposing heavy long term expenses.

 

Dogs participating in this program will learn to detect and indicate on essential oil odors commonly used in the sport of Scent Work, beginning with birch, anise, and clove.

Humans and dogs of all ages and abilities are welcome. This program is designed both for dog owners seeking a great way to supplement their relationship with their pet or handlers hoping to hone their skill for future competition.

Though participating dogs should be under control at all times, previous obedience training is not required to participate in this club. Any dog can learn to detect odor, and moderate to high food or toy motivation is the only prerequisite!

Aside from being a great activity for dogs and owners to work together at, detection has been proven to help address many behavioral problems as well! When added as a supplement to behavior modification plans, dogs struggling with anxiety, leash reactivity, hyperactivity, and other anxiety related behaviors can show notable improvement. Such dogs are able to express natural drives in a safe and low stress environment, and learn to settle their minds and bodies to complete the task, similar to mindfulness practice in humans. 

This course is SHY AND REACTIVE DOG FRIENDLY. Dogs will take turns working, and will likely have little to no exposure to other dogs during class time. Dogs that pose even a minor bite risk to humans should be muzzle conditioned prior to participation in this course to ensure the safety of the trainer and other participants. Though dogs with mild to moderate problem behaviors may still be eligible for this class, by registering, you are agreeing to disclose all problem behaviors to the trainer prior to the first class.

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PLEASE NOTE: This class is run "seminar style," meaning that dogs take turns doing their runs and will be required to be either crated in the building OR crated/contained in their owners' vehicles between their turns. This allows each dog to focus on building their detection skills in the early phases, and ensures that this class remains accessible to environmentally sensitive dogs. Scent detection is a surprisingly physically and mentally demanding sport, so this rest time also provides an important break for dogs to recover between their runs. If your dog is not crate trained or cannot be contained in your vehicle, please email us at info@summitk9training.com for private lesson options!