Talking Dogs Scentwork

Talking Dogs Scentwork We speak your dog's language! Our aim is to work together with our dogs so that we better understand each other and make the most of every day together.

You've spotted five things you could improve. Which one do you coach first?It's a deceptively simple question. Most expe...
31/05/2026

You've spotted five things you could improve. Which one do you coach first?

It's a deceptively simple question. Most experienced trainers can identify opportunities for improvement. The challenge isn't spotting them. The challenge is deciding what matters most right now.

A piece of advice can be technically correct and still not be the most useful conversation to have in that moment. Because every coaching decision influences where the handler places their attention. And attention is a valuable resource.

The longer I teach, the more convinced I become that effective coaching isn't simply about recognising what could be improved. It's about understanding what will have the greatest impact on that dog and handler at that stage of their development.

Sometimes the most important thing to coach isn't the first thing you notice.

And sometimes the best coaching decision is the thing you choose not to address today.

Foundations of Tailored Scentwork is now open to applications.

Most training methods work well - until they don’t.When a dog struggles, it’s easy to assume the activity isn’t right fo...
28/05/2026

Most training methods work well - until they don’t.

When a dog struggles, it’s easy to assume the activity isn’t right for them. Sometimes it’s true but more often than not the challenge isn’t the activity, it’s the way we’re approaching it.

The dogs who have taught me the most over the years haven’t been the ones who fitted neatly into the plan. They’re the ones who’ve forced me to rethink it.

Good coaching isn’t just about identifying what could be improved. It’s about deciding what matters most. The most visib...
27/05/2026

Good coaching isn’t just about identifying what could be improved. It’s about deciding what matters most.
The most visible problem isn’t always the most important one.
And the most obvious solution isn’t always the most useful one.

Experience teaches us what we could coach.Judgement helps us decide what she should coach.Those aren’t always the same t...
22/05/2026

Experience teaches us what we could coach.
Judgement helps us decide what she should coach.
Those aren’t always the same thing. And the gap between the two can have a surprisingly large impact on how a dog and handler progress.
It’s something I’ve been exploring a lot recently.

I’ve been a little quieter than usual because I’m deep into a project that’s turning into something much bigger than I’d...
21/05/2026

I’ve been a little quieter than usual because I’m deep into a project that’s turning into something much bigger than I’d originally imagined (‘What’s new?!’ I hear you say)

What started as one idea has grown into pages of notes, countless revisions and more than a few moments of stopping mid sentence to scribble something down before I forget it.

It’s exciting, slightly overwhelming and exactly the sort of project I love.

In the meantime here’s Ettie finding her own amusement in the garden.

18/05/2026

Luck and free searching will only get you so far in scentwork. If you want to search in more challenging places, add more variety to your hides and search for longer, you need a plan!

Not strictly scentwork related, but it’s def a part of the process of building trust. And that’s what made this little l...
14/05/2026

Not strictly scentwork related, but it’s def a part of the process of building trust. And that’s what made this little live wire turn on a dime when I called her away from a deer (who popped up a few meters away from her) Ball was the reward - number 1 in her reward hierarchy and hidden in my pocket, she didn’t know I had it with me. We both ticked all the boxes today and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She trusted me to make it worth her while to recall instead of chase. Scentwork plays a huge part in building that key elect. Trust is always rewarded.

Don’t let anyone tell you that scentwork isn’t a team activity. The more you work together the better the results. Ask a...
13/05/2026

Don’t let anyone tell you that scentwork isn’t a team activity. The more you work together the better the results. Ask anyone who plays team sports and they’ll tell you that supporting your team mate builds trust, confidence and enormous hits of all the good chemicals.
So go out, set up a search and be your dog’s #1 team mate

11/05/2026

If you rely on good luck to locate finds you’re doing your dog a huge disservice. Same areas being re-searched, other areas being missed, hides not investigated deeply enough, finds being missed. None of that builds confidence or trust. So get a system and plan your searches.

Starting scentwork can seem unnecessarily confusing. Do you need boxes?Which scent?What sort of indication?What if your ...
05/05/2026

Starting scentwork can seem unnecessarily confusing.

Do you need boxes?
Which scent?
What sort of indication?
What if your dog just free searches?

You do not need to piece it together randomly. I’ve made the pathway clearer so you can start properly, build real skills and progress with confidence.

If you’ve been curious about scentwork but unsure where to begin, this is your sign.

Start with clarity
Start with structure
Start here: click link in comments

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464 Bearsden Rd
Glasgow
G61 1QH

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