Introducing a New Scent
Category: Active Enrichment • Olfactory • Level: All Dogs • Time: 5–10 minutes per session
Your dog’s nose is their primary sense — but knowing how to use it as a learning tool takes a little guidance. These two sections go together because they work together: understanding classical conditioning is what makes the scent introduction process actually work.
Read through both sections before you start. You’ll need about five to ten minutes per session, a scent your dog hasn’t encountered before, and a handful of high-value treats. The rest your dog will figure out on their own.
Section 1: Classical Conditioning
What it is, why it works, and how we use it to introduce new scents
What Is Classical Conditioning?
Classical conditioning is one of the most foundational principles in behavior science — and it’s happening all the time, whether we’re aware of it or not.
Here’s the simplest way to think about it: when two things happen together, repeatedly, a dog’s brain starts to link them. The new thing (a scent, a sound, an object) becomes associated with the existing thing (a treat, a feeling of safety, something exciting). Over time, the new thing on its own starts to produce the same response as the thing it was paired with.
You’ve seen this in action if your dog hears the rustle of a treat bag and immediately appears from another room. They didn’t learn that through training — they learned it through association. The sound and the treat happened together enough times that the sound alone now means “something good is coming.”
Classical conditioning: a neutral thing + something the dog already loves = the neutral thing starts to produce the same positive response on its own.
Why It Matters for Scent Work
A new scent is neutral to your dog — it doesn’t mean anything yet. It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just a smell.
Classical conditioning is how we give it meaning. By pairing the scent with something your dog already loves — a high-value treat, enthusiastic praise, a moment of play — we teach their brain to associate that smell with something positive. And once that association is built, your dog isn’t just following a scent because you asked them to. They’re following it because they genuinely want to find it.
That internal motivation is what makes scent work so powerful and so sustainable. You’re not bribing your dog with a treat every time. You’re building a conditioned emotional response — a dog who lights up when they catch that particular scent because their brain has learned: this smell means something wonderful happens.
This is also why the order matters. We always classically condition the scent first — before we ask the dog to search for it, before we add any cues, before we make it a game. You cannot skip to the fun part without building the foundation first.
What Classical Conditioning Looks Like in Practice
Pavlov’s Dog’s
You might have heard of Pavlov — even if you don’t remember the details. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who, in the early 1900s, discovered this principle entirely by accident while studying digestion in dogs.
He noticed his dogs would start salivating before their food even arrived — just at the sight of the person who usually fed them, or the sound of footsteps in the hallway.
The food hadn’t appeared yet. But the association was already there. He went on to demonstrate this more formally by ringing a bell just before feeding, and over time the bell alone — with no food present — was enough to make the dogs salivate. The bell had become meaningful. That’s classical conditioning
Section 2: Introducing a New Scent
A step-by-step guide to using classical conditioning to build a scent association
Your dog’s nose is their primary sense — but knowing how to use it as a learning tool takes a little guidance. This lesson covers two things that work together: understanding classical conditioning, and using it to build a genuine association with a brand-new scent.
You’ll need about five to ten minutes per session, a scent your dog hasn’t encountered before, and a handful of high-value treats. The rest your dog will figure out on their own.
Why It’s Enriching
Classical conditioning is one of the most foundational principles in behavior science: when two things happen together repeatedly, your dog’s brain links them. A neutral thing — a scent, a sound, an object — paired with something your dog already loves starts to produce that same good feeling on its own.
A new scent means nothing to your dog yet. It isn’t good or bad — it’s just a smell. Classical conditioning is how we give it meaning, so your dog isn’t just following a scent because you asked them to. They’re following it because their brain has learned that this smell predicts something wonderful.
This is also why the order matters: we always build the association first — before adding a search, a cue, or a game. You can’t skip to the fun part without the foundation underneath it.
What You Need
- A new scent your dog hasn’t encountered in a training context — see the dog-safe scent list below for ideas
- A small container to hold the scent — a tin with holes, a small jar with a perforated lid, or even a cloth bag works well
- High-value treats — the stronger the smell the better, since you’re competing with a new scent for your dog’s attention
- A quiet, low-distraction environment for the first few sessions
- 5–10 minutes per session — short is better here
Dog-Safe Scents to Try
If you don’t have a kit with pre-prepared scents, any of these work well for beginning scent introduction:
- Clove: distinct, strong, and one of the most commonly used scents in nose work
- Anise: dog-friendly, widely used in scent sports
- Lavender: calming, easy to find, gentle on sensitive dogs
- Mint or spearmint: sharp and easy for dogs to detect
- Rosemary: aromatic and widely available
- Thyme or lemon balm: both gentle and dog-safe
Always start with one scent only. Introducing multiple scents at the same time prevents your dog from building a clean, clear association with any single one. One scent, one tin, one session. You can add variety later once the first scent is established.
How to Introduce the Scent
Step 1: Prepare the Scent Container
Place your chosen scent inside a small container with holes or perforations — something that lets the scent escape without your dog directly accessing it. If you’re using dried herbs or spices, place them inside the container rather than loose, and keep the amount small — a pinch is enough. Dogs detect scent at concentrations far below what we can smell.
Step 2: Consent Check First
Before you begin conditioning, check whether your dog has any reaction to the scent as-is. Hold the container near — not directly under — their nose and watch their response. Nose toward it with a relaxed body and natural sniffing means you’re good to go. Leaning away, turning their head, or any sign of aversion means try a different scent. Not every dog likes every smell, and that’s completely fine — never condition a scent your dog is avoiding.
Step 3: Classical Conditioning — Scent Then Treat
This is the core of the whole session. Hold the container out and let your dog sniff it. The instant their nose touches or approaches the container, deliver a treat — from your other hand, not from inside the container. Don’t ask for anything or wait for a specific behavior; it’s simply scent presented, then treat delivered. Repeat 8–10 times per session, and watch for your dog to start anticipating — orienting toward the container as soon as you bring it out. That’s the association forming.
Step 4: Introduce a Second Container
Once your dog is consistently and eagerly approaching the scented container (usually after 2–3 sessions), introduce an identical unscented container alongside it. Your dog should gravitate toward the scented one — when they do, mark it (“Yes!”) and reward. If they go to the unscented one first, don’t correct them, just wait and let them work it out. This is the first real step toward scent discrimination.
Step 5: Add a Cue Word
Once your dog is reliably orienting to the correct container across several sessions, add a verbal cue — “Find it!”, “Sniff!”, or “Search!” all work well. Say the cue as you present the containers, then mark and reward when they go to the correct one. Repeat until the cue reliably triggers the search.
Step 6: Begin Hiding the Container
Once the cue is working, make it a game. Place the scented container somewhere easy to find — visible at first, then partially hidden, then fully hidden as your dog builds confidence. Use the cue word, let them search, and reward generously when they find it. This is where classical conditioning becomes a game, and where most dogs absolutely light up.
Pro Tip
Keep sessions short and always end on a success — three to five really good reps beats twenty mediocre ones. If your dog is losing focus or showing calming signals (yawning, looking away, sniffing the ground), end the session. You can always come back tomorrow.
Also watch for scent contamination: your hands carry your dog’s primary scent away from the container, which can create false trails. Handle scent containers minimally, and consider washing your hands before each session if you’re working toward more formal scent discrimination.
Special Section: Modifications
Low food motivation: Try a toy as the reward instead — a quick tug session or a thrown ball immediately after the correct indication. The reward just needs to be something your dog genuinely wants.
Anxious or hesitant dogs: Go slower. Start with the container across the room, not in your dog’s face, and let them approach at their own pace. Scatter treats near (not on) the container for the first few sessions so they’re moving toward it voluntarily. Never present the container directly to a dog who is avoiding it.
Dogs who already love foraging: This will likely move fast — Foragers in particular take to scent work quickly. The risk is rushing the steps. Let the classical conditioning phase play out fully (a minimum of 2–3 sessions) before adding discrimination work; a strong foundation makes the advanced work far more reliable.
Multi-dog households: Train each dog separately for scent introduction. One dog’s enthusiasm and treats create too much distraction for another dog to build a clean association. Once both dogs have the scent conditioned individually, you can practice in the same space with each taking turns.
Sniff & Seek Download
Included with the Sniff & Seek Kit
The Sniff & Seek download is the quick-reference companion to everything covered in the two sections above. It’s designed to be printed and kept nearby during training sessions — a at-a-glance guide to the steps, the kit contents, and the troubleshooting tips without having to scroll back through the full lesson.
If you received the Sniff & Seek Kit with your box, your kit includes:
- Clove spice in a tin — a safe, strong, dog-friendly scent to introduce first
- Anise spice in a tin — a distinct scent commonly used in scent sports
- One empty tin — for training exercises or future scent introductions
Even if you don’t have the kit, the download is a useful companion reference for the steps covered in Section 2.
Download NowWhat’s Next
Once your dog has a conditioned scent association and is reliably indicating the correct container, here’s where to go in the Barkive:
- 3-Container Game — the natural progression from two containers to three, adding scent discrimination
- Shell Game — adds movement and misdirection to the scent search
- Backyard Toy Hunt — takes the search game outside
- Sniff Walk — structured nose work in a real-world environment
- Scent Trail — hides the scent along a path for a longer, more sustained search
DN-CET | MS. PSY
Curated by a certified canine enrichment and behavior professional.