Dinner Do’s and Don’ts for Sniffer Dogs
When you have a dog, you’ll be feeding them dinner, but hopefully not always in a bowl. Try turning dinner into a feast for the senses, like finding scattered food on your [...]
2 Flash Scholarships – Today Only
It’s your last chance to learn the basics of scent in our new Scent Detection – Imprinting Target Odor for Beginners online course. Class starts tomorrow (Jan. 6, [...]
Scent Theory: How Scent Cones Move
The following is an excerpt from our online course, Scent Detection Imprinting for Beginners: [...]
Give the Gift of Sniff
Have a dog that loves to sniff or needs a job to do? Curious about how dogs can detect everything from bed bugs to cancer? Learn the basics of scent in our new Scent [...]
Radio Interview on Katz on Dogs
Thanks to Katz on Dogs for inviting me for an interview on your radio program. Lori Katz, it’s always a pleasure discussing scent detection training with you and hear [...]
Avoiding the Clever Hans Phenomenon in Scent Detection
This blog has been updated in the IAABC Journal, Spring 2020: [...]
Protected: Verona Scent Detection Seminar March 2019
There is no excerpt because this is a protected [...]
Top Dog Toys of 2018 – Help Your Dog Relax, Chew and Be Quiet
We recently packed up 7 dogs for a 4000 km road trip, and brought and 7 StarMark Everlasting Fun Balls to help the dogs relax. All of the balls made it home, unlike several [...]
How to Build Drive Chasing a Ball on a Rope
One great way to build toy drive is chasing a ball on a rope. Softer toys with squeakers grab attention from most of our students. Even if they haven’t been interested [...]
Judges’ Applications Open for CKC Scent Detection
The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) has announced its requirements for CKC Scent Detection Judges, to officiate at events starting in January 2019. Full details are [...]
Scent Detection Rats Making a Difference
Giant Rats are saving lives by sniffing out TNT in unexploded landmines as featured in National Geographic’s video of detector rats on the job in Cambodia(6). While [...]
Early Neutering May Affect Cognitive Function, Cancers and Joint Disorders
Puppy owners deciding when to neuter may find it interesting to learn more about the long-term health effects. One study compared Golden and Labrador Retrievers with spay [...]
Heat and Sniffer Dog Acclimatization
We’re in the golden period of imprinting scent with our 9 week old litter of puppies. Unfortunately, today Alberta is experiencing record-breaking temperatures (1), [...]
Protected: Scent Dog Foundation STUDENTS ONLY
There is no excerpt because this is a protected [...]
NEW Scent Dog Foundation Online Course Starts Aug. 1, 2018
NEW Scent Dog Foundation Course – Class begins Aug. 1, 2018. From bed bugs to birds, from narcotics to nosework, Hunter’s Heart motivational scent training [...]
Jager Selected for CBSA Narcotics/Firearm Detection Training
Our Brittany Jager has been selected by Canadian Border Services Agency for its narcotics and firearms detection training program. Hunters Heart Jager Cimex, our 9-month old [...]
Canadian Kennel Club Introduces Scent Detection in Jan. 2019
After years of discussions, we’re excited about the opportunity to compete in Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) Scent Detection, starting Jan. 2019. Small dog owners may be [...]
Building the Brains of Scent Detection Puppies with Early Scent Introduction
Starting at 3 days of age, we introduce scents of our litters of puppies, and follow the Biosensor (Early Neurological Stimulation) program (1) daily and introduce a new [...]
NEW Engagement Games Classes
What makes your scent dog happy? Is he more interested in checking out distractions than working with you? In our new ENGAGEMENT FOR DOGSPORTS classes, we use games to [...]
How to Remove Ticks to Lessen Blood Meals with Associated Disease Transmission
Ticks are one pest you and your dog can pickup during outdoor activities, which carries a risk of disease transmission. This fascinating macro video of ticks attaching to [...]
Nosework Makes Us Smile – Join the Fun at our Calgary Classes
Nosework Makes Us Smile – Join the Fun at our Calgary Classes starting May 30 at Kayenna Kennels, Calgary. Level 1 – Motivate your dog to love searching for scent. [...]
Sourcing, Residual Odor and Preventing False Alerts FAQ – Part 2
In Part 1, I explained why your dog should be working to source in every search i.e. getting his nose as close as physically possible to the highest concentration of odor. [...]
Sourcing, Residual Odor and Preventing False Alerts FAQ – Part 1
Question: Carla, can you suggest training exercises to help work through dogs (false) alerting on trace or residual odour? I assume that for the most part it’s team [...]
Chasing the Flirt Pole and High Intensity Interval Training for Dogs
Are you the time crunched owner of a dog with energy to burn? The flirt pole can harness a dog’s natural instinctive drive to chase prey. This fun, efficient, high [...]
Baby Body Odor and Human Scent Theory
Do infants smell delicious? A 2013 study in Frontiers in Psychology used brain imaging to show that the scent of 2-day-old infants activates the reward related areas of the [...]
New Bed Bug WDDO Certified Team: Ellen Kraminsky and Truffle
Congratulations to students Ellen Kraminsky & Truffle on passing WDDO double-blind certification as a bed bug detection team! Without knowing the number of bugs present, [...]
Treasure Hunt at Saturday Match (Calgary)
Thanks Calgary Disc Club for a fun nosework match this weekend! The updated Treasure Map is attached FYI. You’re welcome to sniff out the hidden jewels until May 6 [...]
Blocking and Advanced Proofing with Barriers
A student recently described how her dog found most of the hides in SDDA Excellent competition, but had a fringe alert. Did she call alert too soon or block her dog’s [...]
Scent Detection Training Devices and DIY Setups
Stuck in a rut with your scent detection training? Hiding Food Many trainers hide food inside Kongs and stuffable food balls, in snuffle mats (like a deep shaggy rug), and [...]
Only a few spots left! INTRODUCTION TO NOSEWORK class starts Wed. April 18 (Calgary)
Using the same techniques we use for bed bug and narcotics detection dogs, we’ll motivate your pet dog to love searching for target odor. This video features Jager, a [...]
Horses Have the Nose for Search and Rescue on the Range
While horses might not be the first animal that springs to mind for scent detection, there’s no doubt that horses living out on the range regularly employ their [...]
How to Train Your Dog to Sit at Scent – Part 2 Scent Puppy Foundation
This video captures Jager’s first session training a sit indication for high hides at a hot indication box. Jager’s 6-month-old Brittany Spaniel and bed bug [...]
How to Train Your Dog to Sit At Scent – Part 1 “Up-Sit” for Scent Detection
Question: My dog’s indication on hides over 3 feet is good, but not as intense as his indication on low hides. He finds them easily, but he sits looking at me instead of [...]
You’ll Fall Many Times, But Who’s Counting
Even Olympic medallists eventually take a fall. Some are more catastrophic than others, but how they recover from failure helps determine future results. There’s a [...]
Playing Catch to Become the Cookie – How to Be More Rewarding
Sometimes it’s harder to be more interesting than the dirt, with its tantalizing tapestry of scents. Playing catch is one type of food play that can come in handy when you [...]
Finding Looted Syrian Artifacts in Air and Sea Cargo – New Frontier of K9 Scent Detection Research
In the race to save Syria’s archaeological treasures, researchers at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center (PVWDC) are looking into the efficacy of detection dogs trained to [...]
Converging Odors and Single Odor Hides vs. Cocktail FAQ
Lori’s question: Is there ever an advantage to using single odor hides? For example, one hide is wintergreen, another hide is birch with anise, etc.. (We started [...]
Donkey Problem Solving: Are You Limiting What Your Detection Dog Can Do?
In many cases, humans underestimate animals’ capabilities to solve problems. I knew a dog who could open a crate door on the right side, and on the left side, on cue. [...]
How Many Indications or Searches Should We Do In Practice? FAQ
W’s question: I’ve been focusing a lot on indication lately and noticed she’s getting lackluster and starting to wander off. At this stage is it ok to mix it [...]
Triple Bunk Break Down | Components of Elite Searches + Double Blind Tests
Be a splitter not a lumper! To succeed in double-blind scent detection tests (e.g. narcotics certification) or elite searches with clearing in scent work competition, [...]
What Should You Do About False Alerts? Mass Spectometry Would Help
Do you ever wish you had a machine to tell you what scents your dog false alerted on? It would be nice to get a definitive answer, especially when you don’t understand [...]
Last chance – Scent Detection classes start tomorrow (Calgary)
Last chance – Scent Detection classes start tomorrow (Calgary) Level 1 – Motivate your dog to search for target odors Level 2 – “Show Me” where source is Level [...]
Listen Up! When Your Dog Stops Sniffing
Did you notice that many scent detection dogs stop breathing when they reach source? One of the best ways to read your sniffer dog is by listening to changes in his [...]
Table Distraction Game for Sniffer Dogs
Reliable scent dogs must ignore food, toy, and environmental distractions to find target odor. This video shows the Table Distraction Game we play with our scent dogs away [...]
How Long Should Hides be Aged? – Scent Work Competition FAQ
Pat’s question: How long do you age a hide prior to the start of a nosework trial? Is it the same for all the elements? Answer: Aging is the amount of time between [...]
Entering Your First Nosework Competition FAQ’s on UKC Nosework
It’s an exciting time when you enter your first nosework competition. Having said that, you probably feel uncertain about what to expect. Below are FAQ’s for [...]
Welcome to Hunter’s Heart Scent Detection Training
Welcome students! We’re looking forward to meeting you and your scent dog. We’ve inspired hundreds of students internationally, including dogs of all ages, [...]
Bed Bugs May Transmit Chagas Disease to Humans
While it was previously thought that bed bugs were unable to transmit disease to humans, recent studies that suggest bed bugs may be able to transmit Chagas disease to [...]
Bed Bug Stowaways Crawl Over Seats and Disrupt Flights
One British Airways flight crew recently walked off their airplane because it was infested with live bed bugs crawling over its seats (2). Passengers were delayed 4 hours [...]
Upcoming Scent Dog Training with Hunter’s Heart
Classes at Kayenna Kennels, Calgary Learn nosework at Kayenna Kennels (near Southland and Macleod, Calgary) with a 6-week class. Level 1 – We’ve inspired hundreds of [...]
Wife Detects Parkinson’s by Change of Husband’s Scent
An Australian woman noticed her husband smelled differently, but dismissed it until after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Upon attending a lecture on [...]
Positive is Not Permissive – When to Say No
While pondering what to write about for American Brittany Magazine this month, inspiration struck! Several times. In fact, imprinting scent with three 12-week-old pups [...]
Israeli Drone Dog Teams Find Hidden Terrorists To Save Lives
In the Israel Dog Unit (IDU), scent detection dogs are being utilized in conjunction with aerial drones with thermal imaging to apprehend suspected terrorists. In the past, [...]
Scent Dog Training Classes Start Wed.
While it’s cold outside, come join us for some fun nosework! Classes start this Wednesday evening Dec. 13, 2017. at Kayenna Kennels (near Southland and Macleod, Calgary). [...]
How to Get Your Dog to Play Tug
With just a few tweaks, you can dramatically improve your dog’s play drive. You may even be surprised to convert a reluctant chow hound to an avid tugger. Read on to learn [...]
Top Scent Dog Training Books and Websites 2017
Shopping for the holiday season? You can never have too many scent dog training books, right? Here’s a list of our favorite canine books and websites you might enjoy: [...]
Alberta RCMP K9’s Trained Using Actual Human Tissue
This week Kevin Maimann reported that the first Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cadaver dog teams trained using actual human tissue have completed their training program [...]
Costume Contest for Students Enrolled in Classes Starting Nov. 1 (Calgary)
For students registered in our new set of Nosework classes starting Nov. 1 at Kayenna Kennels, you are invited to dress up and celebrate Halloween with some spooky searches. [...]
Nosework Seminar this Sunday (Calgary)
We have some openings for our nosework seminar this Sunday. If it’s challenging for you to attend weekly classes, this is a great opportunity to try nosework, or work [...]
Brittany Puppies Find the Milk | Hunter’s Heart BB x Boo litter Week 1
This Brittany puppy uses scent to find his dam’s milk at 1 week of age. At birth, healthy puppies are blind and cannot hear, for at least 10 days. A dam simply cannot [...]
What Do Sperm and Puppies Have in Common?
They both rely on scent. Sperm use olfaction to navigate to eggs, and newborn puppies use olfaction to navigate to the milk in their dam’s breasts. For animals like fish, [...]
How to Train a Freeze Indication Using Leash Pressure
Many people ask how we train a freeze indication with focused attention. Once a dog is confidently and proficiently finding source, we use gentle leash pressure to teach the [...]
Amp Up the Fun! Hunter’s Heart Fall Nosework Seminars
Interested in trying nosework? Join us for the most fun you’ve ever had with your dog. We’ll motivate your dog to love searching for odor at our hugely popular [...]
Odor Hygiene at Nosework Competitions
Odor hygiene refers to properly handling target odor, so you know with certainty where odor is located, and where it is not located. Good odor hygiene enables more teams to [...]
Fear, Fender Benders and Following Your Fearless Dog
My Brittany Spaniel, Boo, and I spent our summer competing in nosework on a cross country road trip: from Calgary to California, Seattle to Wisconsin. The experience was [...]
Hunter’s Heart Black Betty’s Debut
BB sped directly to odor at her debut in Excellent B Nosework (for professionals and experienced handlers) at Sniffing Dog Sports competition in Gig Harbour, Washington. She [...]
Back to School Survey for Hunter’s Heart Nosework Classes (Starting Sept. 20, at Kayenna Kennels, Calgary)
Nosework classes resume this week and we’re going to have some fun motivating your dog to search for odor! If you’re registered, please complete this survey in [...]
Join Us for Summer Nosework Fun Events, Calgary
Hi everyone, I hope you’re staying cool, and you can join us for some summer nosework events. NOSEWORK DROP-IN NIGHTS AT KAYENNA KENNELS, CALGARY Test your skills in [...]
Please vote for Nosework!
Your support counts! Please take 30 seconds to answer the Canadian Kennel Club’s 1 question nosework poll at http://www.ckc.ca/en. Virtually every dog can enjoy scent [...]
SDS Judge’s Summary by Level | Sniffing Dog Sports Nosework
Brain overload? Sometimes keeping track of multiple hides is enough to keep your brain busy. Print this summary of SDS rules and you’ll be sure to set up practice [...]
SDS Distance Game Demonstrations
Can your scent dog search independently at a distance? Watch demonstrations with coaching as our students test their skills with the fun SDS Distance Handling Game Version 1, [...]
Canada’s First Sniffing Dog Sports Nosework Competition, Oct. 7-8, Calgary
Join Sniff Alberta for Canada’s first Sniffing Dog Sports Nosework Competition, Calgary, Oct. 7&8, 2017 You’ll love SDS: Save $. Only 1 pass required to title at [...]
Back by Popular Demand: Nosework Crash Course Weekend, July 15/16, Hunter’s Heart (Calgary)
Take your nosework to the next level Juno’s video demonstrates strong commitment to odor in scent work. Sometimes blind searches are confusing for the handler. Juno [...]
Top 5 Scent Work Tips on Training Your Down Indication
Here’s our Top 5 Tips on proofing your down indication for K9 Nosework. Tip #1) Always mark or reward finding source. Then you can give extra rewards for the down [...]
Delayed Rewards Are Missed Opportunities in Scent Dog Training
From the dog’s point of view, rewards are the most important component of dog training. Sadly, many handlers are lousy rewarders and dogs are left confused and rewardless. [...]
Calgary Nosework Classes – Video of Keata (Border Collie) Learning to Indicate Scent
Only 6 days left! Register now for Nosework classes starting April 5, Calgary Info: https://www.kayennakennels.ca/nosework-classes This video features Keata at our Level 2 [...]
Scent Maze Video: Can Your Dog Find His Way to Source?
This fun scent maze challenged our advanced nosework students to navigate around gates impeding access to the box containing odor to get to source. Teams were allowed perform [...]
Break Down Scent Work for Success from Day One
Hunter’s Heart trains nosework by breaking it down into small achievable steps, setting teams up for success from day 1. Rewarding is crucial to motivating the dog to [...]
Work for the Whites of His Eyes
Scent work is a game, and some rewards are better than others. You know you’re on the right track when your dog is so excited you can see the whites of his eyes. What did [...]
Scent Work – How to Train Distractions with Fun Nosework Games
Scent work is a game, with its roots in hunting and finding prey. In nosework, dogs must learn to ignore distractions to search and find the target odor. We use games to [...]
Dream Dogmobile
I’d like one of these integrated mobile dog showers [...]
How to Enter a UKC Nosework Trial
This 33 minute tutorial explains how to enter a UKC Nosework Trial, using Sniff Alberta’s Premium list and entry forms as examples. It answers FAQ’s including how [...]
Shopping for Nosework Supplies
Question: Where do you buy your shipping labels, cardboard boxes and blotting papers for cocktailing hides? I think I’d like to set up some kind of scent lab in my [...]
Scent 101 SCENTSCAPES Presentation
Get a glimpse into your dog’s fascinating world of scent – Fri. Jan. 5, 2018, in Calgary Scentscapes & Scent Theory 101, presentation (no dogs) – $50.00 [...]
Nosework Lesson #1 is Motivation! Register now for Feb. 22 Classes
Watch our students enjoying their motivational introduction to scent at their first nosework class. Our approach is to make target odor so rewarding it would be crazy to [...]
Nosework Theory 101 – Feb. 24, 2017 (Calgary)
Wonder how scent works? Learn about the science behind olfaction and how dogs learn scent detection. Topics include: What is Scent detection? Nosework demonstration How scent [...]
Nosework Train Your Puppy to Search for Scent
Watch a puppy’s first training session in “Nosework – How to Train your puppy for scent work”. This 8 week old Brittany Spaniel puppy from [...]
Welcome to Calgary Scent Detection Classes at Kayenna Training Academy
Welcome students! Hunter’s Heart is excited to offer Calgary scent detection classes, seminars and events at Kayenna Training Academy. Register at: [...]
How to have the most fun with your dog? Nosework/Scent Dog Training Compilation 2016
Nosework can be the most fun you ever had with your dog! We’ve received many requests to help nosework students explain why they love nosework to people who [...]
Abominable Loser vs. Well-Mannered Winner
Some people have a knack for winning graciously and looking worthy even when they lose. I’ve had the pleasure of competing against people who are classy in how they [...]
Training a Rock Solid Indication – “Show Me” Week 1
This video shows the first step in training a rock solid indication: https://youtu.be/EeDguH0ZJ8o Goals The goal of this session is for the puppy to form a positive [...]
Would You Like a Rock-Solid Indication?
Many dogs have subtle indications. Their handlers frequently say they “need to learn to read their dog better”. Reading your dog is a good thing. But if you’d like a [...]
Preventing Mouthing, Biting and Retrieving in Nosework
Many dogs love to retrieve, but in canine nosework, mouthing, biting and retrieving are problematic. Nosework is inspired by [...]
What’s Next? (FAQ)
Question: As we progress with scent training what is the plan you might envision to keep pushing the puppies. I wasn’t sure how this all works as time goes on I do [...]
Comparing SDDA and UKC Nosework
In today’s blog, I’ll compare and contrast nosework competition under the Sporting Detection Dogs Association (SDDA) and United Kennel Club (UKC). Please note that [...]
K9 ABC Games – Adventures in Nosework
(Adopted from an article featured in American Brittany Magazine, 2016) I recently had the pleasure to attend the K9 ABC Games nosework event hosted by Kinetic Dog Training, [...]
Nosework Safety
Have you seen a dog get his head stuck in a nosework box? If you watch a few pre-trial or container searches, you’ll observe that many dogs do. While that’s not [...]
French Nosework Maze
Check out this French Nosework maze by Olivier Comyn with his Golden [...]
Windy Vehicle Search Virtual Alert Challenge
How well do you understand the impact of wind on vehicle searches? Here’s a link to a 2 minute video of an advanced vehicle search so you can test your knowledge of [...]
Why Wind Matters in Nosework
Wind is complicated, but it’s important to succeeding in scent detection. Depending on wind direction, you may need to check all sides of a vehicle (or any object) [...]
Why Scent Travels
Why does scent disperse, instead of just staying inside the hide? It’s a law of nature. Scent spreads out. Read on if you want to learn more about the science behind scent [...]
How Close is Close Enough?
How close should your dog get to source? Will you know it when you see it? After your dog indicates and you call “alert”, the judge can ask “where is [...]
Fringe Alerts
A fringe alert occurs when the dog indicates close to the target odor, in the odor plume, but not at source. For example, the dog indicates by lying down on the driver side [...]
Comparing Dog and Human Olfaction
A dog’s sense of smell (aka olfaction) is 10,000 – 100,000 times stronger than a human’s. What does that mind-numbing number mean? Picture it on a map. [...]
Differences Between Nostrils
When a dog enters the scent cone and detects odor, how does he follow it back to its source? A dog’s sense of smell is so fine-tuned that he can distinguish which nostril [...]
How Scent Works: Scent Cones, Wind and Aging
WHAT IS SCENT DETECTION? From the first domesticated dog, humans and dogs evolved together for a long time. Originally, dogs helped humans in tracking and hunting game. [...]
Types of Nosework Events
Types of Nosework Events (Printable PDF File) The main types of searches in Nosework include: Container searches, Interior, Vehicle and Exterior and Handler Discrimination. [...]
UKC Nosework Requirements by Level
I confess: I can never remember the requirements for nosework searches at different levels of UKC competition. This table helps me and my students when we’re planning [...]
United Kennel Club Nosework Links
United Kennel Club (UKC) Helpful Links (As of Feb. 26, 2016) Register Your Dog with UKC [...]
Vary Everything But The Odor
Over time, you should vary all aspects of the hides besides the odor itself. For example, don’t just use metal tins. You should practice with hides made of many [...]
Why Bother Making Hides?
You may be wondering if all the steps in making hides are really necessary. Why can’t you just put out some oil out for the dog to find? There are several reasons why we [...]
Should I be able to smell the odor?
The human sense of smell is so much weaker than a dog’s that most people have a difficult time trying to understand what their dog is doing. The human can’t usually help [...]
Making Single Odor Hides
Here are the steps to make single odor hides... [...]
Making Cocktailed Hides
Once your dog is searching for odor, you’ll need some hides in order to practice nosework at home. (A “hide” is the package of target odor inside a ventilated [...]
Storing Scent
Storing your scent properly is important to your success in nosework. You always want to know where odor is, and where it isn’t. Here are some key tips. One of the [...]
Scent Detection Kit Instructions and Supplies for Nosework
Once your dog is trained to search for odor, you’ll need to acquire some hides in order to practice nosework at home. (A “hide” is the package of target odor [...]
Recipe: Noncrumbling Tuna Fudge
Every canine scent detection class I teach begins with a taste test of the available food rewards, because building drive depends on making it rewarding for each individual [...]
How to Reward
In the scent detection lab, these are the steps the trainer will take to reward your dog: Say “Yes” or click the instant dog’s nose touches the food bowl (or hole in [...]
The Trainer’s Role
At first, your dog will learn to search for food in a food bowl. The cues to searching are the lab setup and the handler bangs the bowl on the floor. Your trainer will: Start [...]
The Dog’s Role
In the nosework lab, the dog’s job is to search the area and find the food bowl and/or target odor. He should: Put his nose as close to the food bowl and/or target odor as [...]
The Handler’s Role
When you take lessons in the scent detection lab, you are the handler and the instructor is the trainer. This blog focusses on the role of the handler. Once your dog is [...]
Rules and Etiquette
There are some rules we follow in our scent work events, classes and competitions, so searches run smoothly, and all participants have the greatest chance of succeeding and [...]
Preparing for Nosework Lessons
Whenever you’ve scheduled a nosework lesson, it is critically important to bring a hungry dog with his highest value treats, (not the usual dry dog food dinner or [...]
Obedience to Odor
Our scent detection training is based on obedience to odor. That might sound pretty scary, but it’s all based on rewarding your dog. A dog that’s obedient to odor is [...]
Nosework Training in the Lab
Hunter’s Heart scent detection training is inspired by Andrew Ramsey (renowned law enforcement canine detection trainer, who helped advise the United Kennel Club while [...]
Scent Detection Terms in Nosework Training and Scent Work
A "hide" is the package of target odor inside a ventilated container that is hidden in the search are for the dog to find. The photo shows a very common type of hide, made from blotting paper scented with target odor inside a metal tin with magnets, which easily secure the hide to a metal surface. Other favorite hide containers include metal tins with holes, shipping labels, plastic tubes, etc.. [...]
