Sniff! Scent Detection Games For Pet Dog Fun

Name: Sniff! Scent Detection Games For Pet Dog Fun
Rating: 5.0 (3 reviews)

Ten different scent based games to play with your dog that involve your dog's favourite activity - sniffing!

Created byKate Lloyd

Last updated 4/2025

English

What you'll learn

Fun and easy scent-based activities for a pet companion dog
Give your dog the joy of sniffing
Watch your dog show off their amazing skills
Learn your dog's body language

Course content

4 sections • 15 lectures • 2h 2m total length

Introduction1:22
This lecture introduces participants to the content of the course

Benefits of Sniffing Games and Activities4:01
This lecture discusses some of the main reasons why dogs sniff, the enjoyment they get from using their sense of smell, and the benefits of these playing these scent-based sniffing games which allow dogs to use their natural instincts
Odour Movement And Dog Body Language8:02
This lecture discusses odour movement, using a visual interpretation to demonstrate. Dog body language during searching is described.
Using A Treat Pod6:24
This lecture demonstrates how to teach the dog to open up a treat pod (lotus ball) and get a treat out. The pod can be used as an alternative in some of the games, for dogs that are not interested in playing with toys or fetching toys.

Game 1: Find It! Search For Hidden Treats11:56
This lecture describes and demonstrates a food searching game in which the handler places out a covered bowl of food and the dog learns to locate the hidden food and communicate the find to the handler.
Game 2: Find And Fetch11:41
This video describes and demonstrates a scent game where the dog's toy is thrown into long grass, or out of sight behind rocks, and the dog is sent to go and search for the toy using their nose. For dogs that don't fetch toys, an alternative game using a treat pod is described.
Game 3: Where's Mousie?14:36
This lecture describes and demonstrates how to teach your dog to find a special toy scented with a specific odour.
Game 4: Ooops - I Dropped It!11:25
In this game, the handler "accidentally" drops an item while out on a walk with their dog, and then sends the dog back down along the route to locate the lost item, and either bring it to the handler, or show the handler where the item is.
Game 5: Shell Game6:44
This lecture describes and demonstrates how to teach your dog to play the "Shell Game", in which a food item or a toy is hidden under one of three cups or covers, the cups are mixed around, and the dog uses their sense of smell to identify the correct one.
Game 6: Stinky Sock Trail8:44
This lecture describes and demonstrates how to lay a scented trail for the dog to follow, with a toy or food reward at the end of the trail
Game 7: Hide And Seek6:49
This lecture describes and demonstrates how to teach a dog to play Hide and Seek using their sense of smell to search for someone who has hidden, and to learn the names of different people.
Game 8: The Lost Keys8:58
This lecture describes and demonstrates how to teach your dog to find your keys, in case you mislay them!
Game 9: Show Me The Money!9:31
This lecture demonstrates how to teach your dog to find which hand holds the money, and to correctly identify the money hand by touching it with their paw.
Game 10: Detector Dog11:41
This lecture describes and demonstrates how to teach your dog to find an orange, in the same way that a working Detector Dog would screen packages for prohibited imports such as fruit, seeds, plants or meat that could present a biosecurity risk.

Requirements

No dog training experience is required

Description

This course takes you through ten different games or activities that you can play with your dog, inside or outside. The video lectures show you how to use these games to engage your dog's nose and utilise their natural sense of smell to find food, toys or other items by recognising their specific scent or odour. These fun activities will give your dog mental stimulation and satisfy their natural instincts to hunt and scavenge, by providing a safe and structured alternative.

The training techniques use praise (verbal encouragement) as well as food rewards or toy rewards to encourage your dog, and to motivate them so that they want to participate. The games and activities are designed to be fun and achievable for both you and your dog, and the course is perfect for beginners with no experience in dog training or scent detection training.

This is a clicker-free course, meaning that you don't need a clicker, or any specific knowledge of shaping techniques. Of course if you already use a clicker to mark behaviours, you can incorporate the use of your clicker into these games :-)

The ten games are:

Find Hidden Food

Find And Fetch

Where's Mousie?

Oops! I Dropped It

Shell Game

Stinky Sock Trail

Hide and Seek

Find My Keys

Show Me The Money!

Detector Dog

The course also includes a fun explanation of how odour (scent) moves in the air, and what body language your dog will show while following the odour to find the hidden food, toy or other item.

Some of the games involve the dog fetching an item, but if your dog doesn't fetch that's fine, you can still play the games and use a Food Pod instead. There is a lecture explaining what a Food Pod is, how to teach your dog to use a Pod, and how you can use a Pod in place of getting your dog to fetch the item.

Who this course is for:

This is a course for everyone who has a dog, and wants to enrich their dog's life

Sniff! Scent Detection Games For Pet Dog Fun

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 1min

Let's Get Started!3 lectures • 18min

Ten Scent Detection Games10 lectures • 1hr 42min

Conclusion1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: