Let’s talk about what you need to get started with nose work or scent work. If you’re interested in taking a class in K9 Nose Work, or if you want to start playing scent games for dogs at home, I’m going to cover everything you’ll need.
Boxes
The first thing you’ll need are boxes! In the beginning of most scent work classes or most types of training, your dog will be playing lots of box games. For example, you might place a toy or treat in a box, and then place that box out amongst many other boxes, so that your dog can go out there and sniff out their reward.
A popular choice is cardboard such as amazon boxes or old shoe boxes. These work really well for teaching beginner scent work and they are easy to get a hold of. You probably have some lying around your home already! But you can also use other containers such as plastic boxes, desk organizers, bowls, or even food storage containers from your kitchen cabinet.
Whatever containers you use, you need to make sure that they are not too tall for your dog. Your dog needs to be able to easily stick their head and nose into the boxes. If you have a tiny dog like a chihuahua, or if you’re beginning nose work training with your puppy, then you’ll need rather small boxes, so bear that in mind.
Rewards
The second thing you’ll absolutely need when beginning scent work is your dog’s rewards.
Typically this is either
- high-value treats, or:
- your dog’s favorite toy
Let’s talk about treats first.
You will have the most success starting out in scent work if you use really delicious treats for your dog – think something extra special than the treats they normally get, such as chicken, hot dogs, or bits of cheese. Liver treats are also a really nice shelf-stable option. (Read more about choosing the best training treats in my post all about it, here.)
The better treats you use as your reward, the more fun your dog is going to have playing the game. So don’t skimp out!
You can also use toy rewards in nose work. HOWEVER:
Rewarding with treats is the more common way of training in K9 nose work and it is the way I would recommend for most people who are just starting out in scent work.
I’d only recommend someone new to K9 Nose Work use toy rewards instead of treats, if:
- You are an experienced dog trainer, AND:
- Your dog is absolutely toy crazy (meaning they will do anything for a game of tug or fetch, anytime, any day)
There are multiple factors to consider, such as the fact that using treats to reward your dog is simpler and more beginner-friendly. But ultimately, which type of reward you should use comes down to what your dog find the most valuable to them.
Now – If you’re just going to be playing nose work or scent work at home in your living room, then boxes and rewards are all you really, absolutely need. But: If you attend a nose work class, or want to take your dog’s nose work “on the road” and practice away from home, you’ll need both a proper leash or long line, and a proper collar or harness
Leash or Long Line
If you’re just starting out with scent work, a regular 6 foot leash is completely fine to use. So there’s no need to go out and buy a special leash right away (unless you want to of course!).
As you get a bit further in your Nose Work journey, you may want to invest in certain gear, in which case, I highly recommend a biothane long line.
A long line is exactly what it sounds like – it is a longer leash that gives your dog more freedom to move around while they are working out a scent problem. Having a longer leash means that your dog won’t constantly be running into the end of the leash all the time and dragging you around the search area.
Some reasons to invest in a long line are:
- You have a fast-moving dog, or:
- You are interested in trialing
How long should the long line be?
If you are just starting out, I recommend a 10-12 foot long line. It gives most dogs ample length to search more freely, without adding too much excess leash for you to have to manage.
I use a 10ft, 5/8″ wide biothane line for every search with my dogs, whether it’s practice or a trial. In my experience, 10ft is the “just right” amount of leash, without being overly troublesome to wrangle. But your personal preference given your handling style, or your individual dog, may vary.
You can purchase biothane long lines for scent work on site like Etsy. I like one with a handle on the end for that extra security and comfort, but you can purchase them handle-less if that’s your preference.
Harness or Collar
The last item I’m going to talk about is another important piece of gear – and that is your dog’s collar or harness. And yet again, which one you use comes down very much to the personal preferences of you and your dog.
You definitely want to have one of the following (which are the types of gear allowed in most trials):
- A flat buckle collar
- Martingale collar
- Or a non-restrictive, back-clipping body harness
My personal recommendation to you is a body harness. And here’s why:
A body harness, in my opinion, is the most likely to provide the greatest comfort and freedom of movement to the greatest amount of dogs while searching. Of course, there are exceptions such as dogs who are uncomfortable putting on a harness. If that is your dog, no worries! Plenty of very successful teams search with line attached to a regular collar.
But in general, I recommend a body harness because it will best distribute any pressure your dog feels from times when they might hit the end of the leash during a search. And while searching, you want your dog to be able to completely hone in and focus solely on their task of searching, without distraction or discomfort.
Odor Kit
Okay, there is one last bonus item I’m going to talk about – and that is a scent kit or odor kit.
The reason this is a bonus item is because you don’t actually NEED it to begin playing nose work. Even though it’s kind of counterintuitive right? Don’t you need odor for your dog to find?
And the answer is no, you don’t! You can play the game of nose work for your dog’s entire life using purely their rewards – where you dog hunts for their toy or treat. No other target odor is needed.
Now, if you want to train for competition, or if you just want to level up your dog’s scent work skills, then you will need at least a minimal odor kit.
Starter Odor Kits for NACSW Nose Work are available from places like:
I will save an in-depth look at makes for a minimal or a more extravagant odor kit for another day.
Eager to start Nose Work, but not sure where to start? Check out the NACSW trainer directory to find a K9 Nose Work class near you.
