Welcome to Scent Seekers, an exciting beginner nosework course designed to help dogs build confidence, problem-solving skills, and a love for searching. In this foundation-level class, dogs learn to use their natural sniffing abilities in a fun, low-pressure environment while their humans learn how to support the search without interrupting it.

Nosework is not obedience training. Instead of asking dogs to follow cues, we allow them to lead the game, make choices, and solve scent puzzles at their own pace. This makes Scent Seekers a wonderful option for many different dogs, including shy or fearful dogs, energetic dogs, adolescent dogs, reactive dogs, and dogs who simply need more mental enrichment.

Course Overview:

Scent Seekers is the first class in our nosework series and focuses on building the dog first. Before introducing formal odor, we use food-based searches to help dogs develop confidence, independence, motivation, and a strong foundation for future scent work.

Over six weeks, you and your dog will learn how to approach search games in a way that is fun, supportive, and dog-led. Handlers will practice observing their dog’s body language, following their dog’s movement, managing the leash quietly, and creating successful search experiences that keep the dog excited to play.

This class is designed to prepare teams for future nosework classes in which dogs will begin working with birch, anise, and clove odors.