What is the Scent Lab?
The Scent Lab is an 11-day live online experience designed for people who want to understand their scentwork dogs more deeply - and have fun doing it.
Over five at home experiments, you’ll explore how scent travels, how your dog searches and what they can teach you when you let them take the lead.
For teams who are already searching for a specific target scent, this Lab will spark your curiosity and deepen your understanding of the invisible factors that shape every search - airflow, temperature, human movement and the dog’s own decision making. You’ll see familiar work through fresh eyes, noticing subtle patterns and behaviours that often go unseen in day to day training.
How It Works
The Scent Lab runs over 11 days with a rhythm that keeps learning light, reflective and rewarding.
You’ll take part in five short at home experiments, each revealing a new aspect of how scent moves and how your dog interprets the world through their nose.
Step 1 - Join the Kick Off (8 January, 8pm UK)
We begin live on Zoom, setting the tone for the Lab and guiding you through your first experiment.
You’ll learn how to watch your dog’s natural search patterns, note environmental influences and collect simple observations that build into real insight.
Step 2 - Run the Experiments at Home
Across the next eleven days, you’ll follow five easy to set up scent challenges.
No specialist kit, no pressure, just everyday environments and genuine discovery.
Each experiment focuses on a different principle, such as air flow, height or temperature, helping you see how small changes shape big outcomes.
Step 3 - Join Live Debriefs
Every other day we meet live to share results, questions and surprises.
I'll help you interpret what you’ve seen and prepare you for the next experiment.
These sessions are relaxed, supportive and full of “I never noticed that before!” moments.
All meetings are recorded so you can catch up anytime.
Step 4 - Wrap-Up and Reflect (18 January)
Our final session brings everything together.
You’ll celebrate what your dog showed you, discuss themes emerging across the group and explore how to keep the learning alive in everyday life.
After the Lab, you’ll receive the Scent Lab Findings Report, a light, engaging summary of what we all discovered, combining participant data, reflections and key insights from the live sessions.
Why Join the Lab?
Because sometimes, even when we know our dogs love to sniff, we’re not sure how to turn that into meaningful learning.
The Scent Lab bridges that gap, helping you move from guessing and Googling to genuinely understanding how scentwork works.
You’ll uncover answers to the questions that frustrate so many handlers:
“Why does my dog seem to lose interest halfway through a search?”
“Why does scentwork calm some dogs but wind others up?”
“What actually happens when the scent moves and how can I use that knowledge to help my dog succeed?”
Across 11 days of guided experiments, you’ll stop wondering what’s going on and start seeing clear patterns.
You’ll leave with the confidence to set better searches, support your dog’s focus and enjoy scentwork as the enriching, relationship building activity it’s meant to be.
What You’ll Come Away With
By the end of the Lab, you’ll have something much more valuable than a checklist of training tips. You’ll have clarity.
You’ll know how scent behaves in real spaces, how your dog responds to 'invisible' changes in the environment and how your own presence affects the search.
You’ll come away with:
- Sharper observation skills
- You’ll spot the tiny signals that show when your dog is thinking, investigating or committing to pinpointing the source.
- A relaxed, more confident dog because your setups will make sense to her rather than confuse her.
- The tools to design better searches. You’ll understand where to place hides, how to use airflow and height, and how to adjust difficulty without frustration.
- The confidence to trust what you see. No more second guessing whether your dog is 'Doing it right.'
- A richer partnership. You’ll stop directing and start collaborating, letting your dog lead the learning.
This isn’t about making your dog faster, sharper or more competitive. It’s about giving you both the joy of discovery and the knowledge to make scentwork truly meaningful.
What's Included?
Everything inside The Great Scent Lab is designed to make learning effortless, structured, and genuinely fascinating — for both you and your dog.
You’ll receive:
6 Live Sessions with me (Pam)
Join the live Kick Off, five Debrief sessions and the Final Wrap-Up. Or catch up via replays in your private course area.
Each session is your chance to ask questions, share insights and deepen your understanding of what you’re seeing.
5 Guided Experiments
Simple, practical setups using everyday items.
Each one explores a different principle, such as air flow, height, temperature or handler position, helping you test and observe with purpose.
Printable Scent Scientist Lab Book
Your companion notebook to record notes, sketches and reflections. It turns your observations into a personal scentwork record you’ll refer back to again and again.
The Scent Lab Hub (on Detector Dog School)
A private online space where you’ll find all experiment briefs, session replays, and upload links in one tidy place. No digging through inboxes.
The Scent Lab Findings Report
A post-Lab summary bringing together what we all discovered. Trends, surprises and collective insights from across the cohort.
Certificate of Participation
A keepsake to mark your contribution to our first ever Scent Lab. Your place in the start of something special.
Everything is paced, guided and clearly explained. No guesswork, no pressure and no expensive equipment. Just you, your dog and the joy of discovery.
Experiment briefs and links to live sessions will be released every two days once the Lab opens on 8th January.
FAQs
Q: Do I need scentwork experience?
A: The only experience you need is to have taught your dog to search for a specific scent. The Lab is about observation, not performance. You’ll be guided through each step.
Q: I've learned the basics with another training provider, can I still join the Scent Lab?
A: Of course! All are welcome. The Scent Lab is perfect for dogs with active or passive indications.
Q: My dog can be anxious, excitable or easily distracted. Will this still work for us?
A: Yes. The Lab isn’t about control or precision, it’s about observation and understanding.
You’ll learn how to set up searches that reduce pressure and build your dog’s confidence at their own pace in the safety of familiar environments.
Q: I’m already teaching or competing in scentwork. Is this still relevant?
A: Absolutely. For established teams, the Lab offers a chance to step back from outcome driven work and explore the subtle factors that influence performance, from air movement to handler impact.
You’ll rediscover curiosity and gain insights you can apply to future teaching or training.
Q: What if I can’t attend the live sessions?
A: All live sessions are recorded and uploaded to your private Lab hub within 24 hours.
You’ll have full access to every replay and downloadable resource.
Q: Will I need special equipment or odours?
A: No specialist kit or target scents are required. Simply continue to use whichever target scent and articles you normally use.
For the experiments you’ll use everyday items you already have at home. And each experiment comes with a clear, simple setup guide.
Q: How much time will I need to commit?
A: Around 20–30 minutes per experiment, plus six optional one-hour live sessions.
You can complete everything at your own pace, it’s designed to fit around real life.
Q: Will I get individual feedback?
A: During each live debrief, you’ll have the opportunity to share what you observed and ask questions directly.
You can also submit your reflections privately if you prefer to observe quietly.
Q: Can I join if I’m outside the UK?
A: Yes! All sessions are hosted online and replays are available to watch anytime.
The only thing that changes is your time zone.
Q: What happens after the Lab ends?
A: A few weeks after the final session, you’ll receive the Scent Lab Findings Report - a summary of group insights and discoveries.
You’ll also get suggestions for how to keep experimenting and a gentle invitation to continue your scentwork journey through Talking Dogs Scentwork® resources or memberships.
Q: Is there a refund policy?
A: Yes. If you need to cancel before the Lab begins, you’ll receive a full refund (minus any transaction fees).
Once the Lab starts and materials are released, refunds are not available but you’ll retain access to all replays and resources.
What your investment supports
Your payment doesn’t just reserve your place, it supports the creation of new scentwork resources, the analysis of group findings and future opportunities for everybody who wants to learn more about scentwork.
Together, we’re building a learning community that helps more people understand and celebrate their dogs through scentwork.