The Underdog Project

The Underdog Project Mantrailing, Tracking and Scent Work in West Yorkshire for dogs of all shapes, sizes and confidence levels. Confidence • Community • Connection 🧡

Helping underdogs (and their humans!) build skills, trust and adventure together. The Underdog Project is a dog training community in West Yorkshire specialising in scent-based activities such as mantrailing. Helping reactive, anxious and high-drive dogs — the true underdogs — build confidence, connection and adventure with their humans!

🐾 Saturday Morning Mantrailing! 🐾A morning of returning dogs, distractions, decoys and some seriously good decision maki...
05/09/2026

🐾 Saturday Morning Mantrailing! 🐾

A morning of returning dogs, distractions, decoys and some seriously good decision making!

🐾 Archie had a decoy on his first trail and absolutely nailed it. He checked her from a distance and completely dismissed her – no wandering over for a fuss or to see whether snacks might be available! 😂 His second trail took him through plenty of tempting food and bin smells, where he gave us lovely clear head checks and dismissals.

🐾 Bodie gave Archie’s handler Amy the chance to swap one Border Terrier for another and take him out on the long line! 😂 He hadn't trailed for around three years, so we gave him a delayed start to remind him of the game... which he absolutely did NOT need! Clear checks, negatives and body language, and he even ignored two dogs coming over to investigate while he carried on working. He was SO happy with himself!

🐾 Misty was another returning dog after around a year away and she was straight back into it! Her second trail started from a scent article and even included some unexpected decoys wandering around. Previously they might have tempted her away, but this time she stayed completely on task.

🐾 Ollie worked through some tricky wind and open ground before tackling a much harder second trail. She took her time checking the different options at a big decision point, worked it out and was really clear once she'd found the way.

🐾 Murphy gave us another little puzzle piece! We continued using hunting trails to build his enthusiasm and this time he happily went straight into his trail layer for his cheese reward. A lovely bit of progress for a very laid-back boy!

Lots of different dogs, lots of different challenges and plenty of lovely problem solving. 💜🐾

Have you ever been happily following your dog along a trail when suddenly...↩️ U-TURN.They're heading straight back wher...
05/09/2026

Have you ever been happily following your dog along a trail when suddenly...

↩️ U-TURN.

They're heading straight back where you've just come from!

It can be really easy to think they've got confused or made a mistake, but sometimes (usually!) that turn is actually a brilliant piece of information.

Our dogs are constantly gathering and reassessing scent as they trail. Sometimes they need to investigate an area before they can confidently rule it out.

They might travel beyond a junction, follow scent that has moved with the environment or simply gather enough information to decide that continuing forwards isn't the answer.

And then you see it...

The stop.
The turn.
And that purposeful movement in a completely different direction.

I LOVE seeing dogs make those decisions independently.

Good trailing isn't about never changing your mind. It's about being confident enough to respond when the information changes.

So next time your dog suddenly turns around, rather than immediately wondering what went wrong...watch what happens next. 👀

They might be about to show you exactly what they've just worked out.

💬 Does your dog make dramatic U-turns, or are their changes of direction much more subtle?

🐾 Last Friday Morning Mantrailing! 🐾A brilliant morning with rural trails, churchyard challenges, plenty of distractions...
04/09/2026

🐾 Last Friday Morning Mantrailing! 🐾

A brilliant morning with rural trails, churchyard challenges, plenty of distractions and some exciting Ace of Trails achievements! 👃

🐾 Mack did some rural trailing for his final Ace of Trails number card, and showed some lovely casting and independent problem solving. Even when a big search took him away from his trail layer, he kept working without looking for help and eventually brought us right back!

🐾 Myla impressed us with how well she worked through distractions. From an off-lead dog around the church to horses and an excitable dog on her rural trail, she stayed focused and kept working. A big step for her!

🐾 Willow completed her Ace of Trails Level 1 Dog and Handler assessments with full marks! 🎉 She worked through some tricky decisions independently, including taking the time to process odour and wind at a big junction before committing.

🐾 Layla worked brilliantly around the church and graveyard, quickly dismissing a backtrail and even choosing her trailing job over some very tempting squirrels! 🐿️

🐾 Nexo tackled a familiar area in an unfamiliar direction. Rather than relying on memory or simply air scenting his trail layer, he committed to following the true trail all the way around. 👏

🐾 Fleur was speedy, confident and much more focused! She dismissed older odour, made some lovely decisions and worked through being unsure about heading down some steps to find her trail layer.

🐾 Flynn completed his Ace of Trails Level 1 Dog and Team assessments with full marks! 🥳 He gave us some really methodical work, clear negatives and lovely problem solving, including quickly correcting an overshoot at the end.

A morning full of independent decisions, distractions and dogs working things out for themselves! 💜🐾

One of my favourite things about this job is watching dogs exceed expectations.The nervous dogs.The distracted dogs.The ...
04/09/2026

One of my favourite things about this job is watching dogs exceed expectations.

The nervous dogs.
The distracted dogs.
The reactive dogs.
The dogs whose owners start by saying:
"They'll never be able to do that."

And then they do...

Dogs are incredibly capable when we give them the opportunity to succeed.

Never underestimate what's hiding beneath the surface... Your dog might surprise you yet. 🐾

Has your dog ever achieved something you didn't think was possible?

I'm a little behind on recaps - here is the Thursday before last's Mantrailing! 🐾A lovely evening with lots of problem s...
03/09/2026

I'm a little behind on recaps - here is the Thursday before last's Mantrailing! 🐾

A lovely evening with lots of problem solving, some tricky conditions and plenty of confident decisions from the dogs! 👃

🐾 Juke worked really thoughtfully across both trails, including dismissing older odour, waiting calmly for another dog to pass and working out of an area that initially pulled him in. His second trail was his first proper twilight trail in around three years and he handled it brilliantly! He also collected his final Ace of Trails Level 1 number card, which means assessments are next! 🥳

🐾 Ollie was definitely back in trailing mode! She worked confidently across both trails, checking and dismissing previously rewarded areas before committing to where she needed to go. It was lovely to see her working with so much confidence again.

🐾 Neo and Kirstie had a very special evening, completing both Ace of Trails Level 1 Handler and Trail Layer assessments with full marks! 🎉 Neo showed some lovely clear negatives, thoughtful checking and fantastic proximity behaviour, particularly when working through the wind around the café and skate park.

🐾 Lyla gave us some really interesting problem solving. Rather than simply following the route her trail layer had taken, she searched independently across a much wider area and kept working until she found the information she needed. She was incredibly clear once she came into proximity on both trails!

🐾 Nexo also showed some brilliant independent work, including figuring out how to actually access his trail layer once he'd located her behind a hedge! His second trail was single blind and finished in the dusk, with some lovely checking and very clear proximity behaviour when he'd found the right area.

A really interesting evening watching each dog work through the problems in their own way. Lots of checking, dismissing options and trusting those noses! 🐾💜

🐾 NEW FOR SEPTEMBER! 🐾Underdog Treats are here! 🦴✨We're now stocking a selection of natural dog treats, available to pic...
01/09/2026

🐾 NEW FOR SEPTEMBER! 🐾

Underdog Treats are here! 🦴✨

We're now stocking a selection of natural dog treats, available to pick up while you're at your Underdog Project sessions!

We've started with a little selection of some of our favourites, including pâté, hairy rabbit ears, XL pig ears, pizzles, lamb braids, turkey necks and fishy flats. 👀

Stock is limited at the moment while we figure out what your dogs love most, so if there's something you'd like, feel free to drop me a message and I can put it aside for you ready for your next session.

And this is where I need your help...

🐕 What else would you like to see in the Underdog Treats stash?

Is there a particular chew, training treat or favourite snack your dog would love us to stock? Let me know in the comments or send me a message. I'm putting together the next order and would love to know what you'd actually like to buy!

All thoroughly Underdog Approved, of course. 😉🐾

🐾 SEPTEMBER AVAILABILITY 🐾These are the very limited remaining Mantrailing spaces for September! 🍂All remaining spaces c...
01/09/2026

🐾 SEPTEMBER AVAILABILITY 🐾

These are the very limited remaining Mantrailing spaces for September! 🍂

All remaining spaces can be booked as either an Introduction to Mantrailing or a Progression Session.

I also have limited availability throughout September for 1-1 Scent Work and Tracking sessions. Drop me a message if you'd like to chat about these or find a date that works for you!

📩 Message me to book or grab one of the remaining Mantrailing spaces through the link below! 👇🏻
🔗 https://theunderdogproject.as.me/

Confidence. Connection. Adventure. 🐾

30/08/2026

Think about the things you enjoy doing, the hobbies that help you switch off, the things you look forward to at the end of a busy week.

Now imagine never having that.

Our dogs deserve that feeling too! Not because they need to be busy every minute of the day, but because having something that's truly *theirs* can build confidence, strengthen your relationship and bring so much joy into both of your lives.

For some dogs, that's mantrailing.
For others, it's tracking or scent work.

It doesn't really matter what the hobby is, what matters is that your dog gets the chance to do something that makes their eyes light up.

Because every dog deserves something to look forward to!

💚 If your dog could choose a hobby, what do you think they'd pick?

🐾 One of my favourite reactions from new handlers is..."There's no way they'll find someone in a car!"And then, a few mi...
29/08/2026

🐾 One of my favourite reactions from new handlers is...

"There's no way they'll find someone in a car!"

And then, a few minutes later...
Their dog confidently leads them straight to the vehicle.

It's a brilliant reminder that dogs aren't searching with their eyes, they're searching with their nose.

Even when someone is hidden inside a vehicle, tiny scent particles are still escaping into the environment. Your dog's job is to work out where that scent is coming from.

That's why you might see them investigate different parts of the car before confidently indicating the trail layer.

They're not guessing, they're solving another scent puzzle.

One of the reasons I love using different hides is that it helps dogs become adaptable. Every trail is different, every scent picture is different, and every successful find builds confidence.

💬 Has your dog ever amazed you by finding someone in a vehicle?

I don't want dogs to become someone they're not, I want them to become more comfortable being themselves!The goal at The...
28/08/2026

I don't want dogs to become someone they're not, I want them to become more comfortable being themselves!

The goal at The Underdog Project isn't perfection.

The goal isn't obedience for the sake of obedience.

The goal is understanding.

Because when dogs feel understood, confidence grows.
Trust grows.
Relationships grow.

And that's where the really good stuff starts. 🐾

What is your favourite thing about your dog's personality?

Address

Huddersfield

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 9:30pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447984158851

Website

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