Senior Scentwork
Senior Scentwork shows you how to adapt scentwork thoughtfully for older dogs, keeping their minds engaged while respecting physical changes. Through structured, achievable exercises, you’ll support focus, confidence and enjoyment without overfacing your dog. Scentwork’s flexibility makes it an ideal activity for seniors who may need to slow down physically but still benefit from meaningful mental work. The course also explores how scent and cognition change with age, giving you a deeper understanding of how to adjust training in a way that supports long-term wellbeing.
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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.
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Course Curriculum
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!
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Your Instructor
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 (companion) dogs in Great Britain, TDS has quickly grown into the go-to scentwork training provider. 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 a trade.
Since 2011 I've worked full time teaching Talking Dogs Scentwork® skills online, at workshops, at conferences and with major organisations, including Dogs Trust, Puppy School, The Kennel Club, Victoria Stilwell and the prestigious Woof! Conference. Previously I worked as a veterinary referred behaviour consultant, appeared in court as an expert witness and was a frequent expert contributor on radio, TV and print media. I've taught many workshops to veterinary professionals, fellow dog trainers, rescue staff and non-pro dog enthusiasts on topics from safe and defensive handling, resource guarding, puppy behaviour and trick training.
Some of my working highlights include:
- Drug Detector Dog Handler with HM Customs & Excise
- Sirius Puppy Trainer in association with Dr. Ian Dunbar
- Dog Trainer for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
- Behaviourist for Wood Green Animal Shelters
- Creating TD Rally® - a sport for pet dogs & their people
- Founding & running Talking Dogs Scentwork®, part of Talking Dogs Ltd.