Scent Work Classes In Pirbright, Surrey

Dingley Dell Agility is based in Pirbright, near Woking in Surrey. Our facilities are set in a rural location, giving dogs and owners the opportunity to train and learn in a safe environment.

We encourage kind, effective, reward-based training. We welcome all handlers, from children to adults. The classes are held in Pirbright, Surrey. 

What is Scent Work

Scent work is a fun and engaging activity where dogs use their powerful sense of smell to find hidden target odours. It can be enjoyed at home, in training classes, or even competitively! It's inspired by how detection dogs (like drug or bomb sniffers) work, but it’s been adapted into a safe, accessible game for any dog, of any age or breed. The dog is taught to locate a specific scent hidden in an environment and to signal when they've found it. The handler doesn’t lead - the dog uses their nose and natural instincts to search independently.

Why do Scent Work

Scent work (also known as nose work) is a fun and mentally stimulating activity, building confidence and strengthening the bond between dog and handler. Scent work is a natural behaviour for dogs, and essential in hunting and finding prey. Although it’s not high-impact, scent work can be both physically tiring and mentally stimulating. Sniffing naturally lowers a dog’s heart rate and reduces anxiety. It provides a self-soothing outlet, especially for nervous or high-energy dogs. Great for dogs with anxiety, reactivity, or overstimulation issues.

Dogs’ Brains Are Built for Smell

• A dog’s olfactory bulb (the part of the brain that processes scent) is about 40 times larger than a human's, relative to brain size.
• Dogs can smell up to 100,000 times better than humans.
• They have up to 300 million scent receptors, compared to a human’s 5–6 million.
• In the wild, dogs use scent to hunt, track, identify territory, and find mates.
• Even in a home environment, sniffing provides mental stimulation and satisfies instinctual drives.

Dive into the world of scent training and unlock your dog’s full potential. Our classes and workshops will cover essential training techniques, including motivation, scent recognition, scent discrimination and indication behaviours. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice with your dog and learn fundamental handling skills. It’s a fantastic way to bond and have fun with your furry friend.