Senior Scentwork

Don't forget about your senior dog, help keep your dog healthy and happy for as long as possible using scentwork brain games.

  Enrol on Course
ENROL HERE

You can teach an old dog new tricks! Giving our oldies the opportunity to continue to exercise their brains gives them continued quality of life. Rather than retiring them to the scrap heap, you can experience the joy of seeing their delight at finding hidden treasures.

Scentwork is super for senior dogs. It is low impact, builds confidence, provides positive mental stimulation, is suitable for all abilities/disabilities, it helps seniors acquire new skills and most of all, it brings pleasure! This short course shares ideas and techniques for using scentwork to enhance the life your senior dog, just as I did with my old lady dog Megan who appears in the lectures.

And for those who like to dig a little deeper, our second lecture takes you through the current research on how olfaction is affected by ageing. On completion you will receive a graduation certificate.


Course Curriculum


  Sentwork for senior dogs
Available in days
days after you enrol

Enjoy your dog's senior years by using scentwork to make every day special.

This is a Core Course, Starter level, so your dog doesn't need any prior training. Let's get started!

Get started now!



Your Instructor


Pam Mackinnon
Pam Mackinnon
As a professional dog trainer for 30+ years, I have used scentwork to help thousands of dogs work with their owners to be more attentive, less reactive, more relaxed, less agitated. As a universal skill that can be learned by all dogs and all owners, the flexibility, fast results and good old fashioned fun found in scentwork led me to form Talking Dogs Scentwork® in 2011.

Since then I've been working hard to keep up with demand, such is the interest in scentwork. I work hard to stay at the forefront of my profession, staying creative, pushing boundaries and confounding expectations of what pet dogs can do. As the first national provider of scentwork training for non-selected (pet) dogs in Great Britain, TDS has quickly grown into the go-to scentwork training provider, with the TDS Detector Dog manual proving more popular than I could have ever imagined, selling well all over the world, but particularly in the UK, Europe and USA. I specialise in teaching all breed types, all ages, all abilities (physical, mental and emotional) Combining my years as a professional drug detector dog handler for HM Customs with my experience as a pet dog training and behaviour consultant, I tailor my teaching to dogs who don't have jobs, those who have been selected as companions rather than tools of the trade.

I work full time teaching Talking Dogs Scentwork® at workshops. online, at conferences and with major organisations, including Dogs Trust, Puppy School, Victoria Stilwell and the prestigious Woof! Conference.

Some of my working highlights include:

  • Drug Detector Dog Handler with HM Customs & Excise
  • Sirius Puppy Trainer in association with Dr. Ian Dunbar
  • Assistance Dog Trainer for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
  • Behaviourist for Wood Green Animal Shelters
  • Founding & running Talking Dogs Scentwork®, part of Talking Dogs Ltd.
  • Creating TD Rally® - a sport for pet dogs & their people

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days and we will give you a full refund.
Do I receive a certificate when I complete the course?
Yes!
Will scentwork be too much for my senior dog?
Not at all. The beauty of scentwork is that you can tailor it to your individual dog. For example, if your dog has mobility issues or can't jump up, simply hide the scented articles within reach. If she can only concentrate for short periods, no problem, set up quick searches. And in the unlikely event that your senior dog doesn't want to be a senior scent worker, then you have the 30 day money back guarantee. You have nothing to lose, so give your senior the chance to fulfil a career goal by becoming a detector dog!