Unleashing the Superpower of Mantrailing: A Dog's Journey in Scent Detection
16/05/2023 - Dog Blog
Have you ever marveled at the incredible abilities of our dogs. Dogs possess a superpower that sets them apart from us humans—their exceptional sense of smell!
Beyond their loyalty and companionship, dogs can be trained to use their olfactory prowess for noble purposes like search and rescue missions. One fascinating discipline that taps into their extraordinary sense of smell is mantrailing.
We all leave an individual scent wherever we go, mantrailing is about training a dog to follow that scent and is a combination of tracking and trailing, where the dog uses all of his resources and tools at its disposal to get to the source of the scent.
This technique is utilised by search and rescue teams to find missing people, by the police to apprehend criminals fleeing a crime scene and to help locate people who may be suffering from Alzheimer's, memory loss, etc.
Mantrailing is also considered an established sport in many countries and is growing steadily in popularity within the UK.
So what exactly is mantrailing and scent work and how does it work?
Scent Work is a sport that mimics the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent (e.g., explosives or narcotics) and communicate to the handler that the scent has been found. Scent Work offers your dog a great way to use their natural talents and is a positive, challenging activity that allows dogs the opportunity to use their strongest natural sense in a way that’s fun, engaging, and that builds and strengthens a foundation of trust between the handler and dog.
Dogs have been bred to work alongside us; teaching them to use their natural talent of smell keeps them happy, stimulated and entertained.
It gives them a feeling of purpose and helps dogs thrive when they feel like they have a job to do! It’s even better when it’s something as simple as teaching them to sniff things out for you.
The benefits of teaching your dog ScentWork include:
• Fun way to give your dog more mental stimulation
• Gives your dog extra physical stimulation
• Nose work builds your dog’s confidence
• Gives your dog a job to do
• Builds a stronger bond with your dog
• Nose work is fun & rewarding for dogs
All you need is a harness, a long line (about 10 meters in length), lots of high value treats, a toy or ball, appropriate dress for Scottish weather and of course a scent article.
So, the next time you see a dog with a wagging tail and a curious nose, remember that behind those playful eyes lies a potential hero ready to unleash their superpower—the power of mantrailing!
If you’re eager to learn more about this activity or even considering taking your dogs for a scentwork raining session or workshop we’d recommend you get in touch with K9 Manhunt and Scentwork HERE
Beyond their loyalty and companionship, dogs can be trained to use their olfactory prowess for noble purposes like search and rescue missions. One fascinating discipline that taps into their extraordinary sense of smell is mantrailing.
We all leave an individual scent wherever we go, mantrailing is about training a dog to follow that scent and is a combination of tracking and trailing, where the dog uses all of his resources and tools at its disposal to get to the source of the scent.
This technique is utilised by search and rescue teams to find missing people, by the police to apprehend criminals fleeing a crime scene and to help locate people who may be suffering from Alzheimer's, memory loss, etc.
Mantrailing is also considered an established sport in many countries and is growing steadily in popularity within the UK.
So what exactly is mantrailing and scent work and how does it work?
Scent Work is a sport that mimics the task of working detection dogs to locate a scent (e.g., explosives or narcotics) and communicate to the handler that the scent has been found. Scent Work offers your dog a great way to use their natural talents and is a positive, challenging activity that allows dogs the opportunity to use their strongest natural sense in a way that’s fun, engaging, and that builds and strengthens a foundation of trust between the handler and dog.
Dogs have been bred to work alongside us; teaching them to use their natural talent of smell keeps them happy, stimulated and entertained.
It gives them a feeling of purpose and helps dogs thrive when they feel like they have a job to do! It’s even better when it’s something as simple as teaching them to sniff things out for you.
The benefits of teaching your dog ScentWork include:
• Fun way to give your dog more mental stimulation
• Gives your dog extra physical stimulation
• Nose work builds your dog’s confidence
• Gives your dog a job to do
• Builds a stronger bond with your dog
• Nose work is fun & rewarding for dogs
All you need is a harness, a long line (about 10 meters in length), lots of high value treats, a toy or ball, appropriate dress for Scottish weather and of course a scent article.
So, the next time you see a dog with a wagging tail and a curious nose, remember that behind those playful eyes lies a potential hero ready to unleash their superpower—the power of mantrailing!
If you’re eager to learn more about this activity or even considering taking your dogs for a scentwork raining session or workshop we’d recommend you get in touch with K9 Manhunt and Scentwork HERE
