How to Train Your Dog in Nosework

Co-authored by Melissa Muñoz

Last Updated: August 3, 2025 Approved

Professional canine handlers use nose work to help find lost people, bombs, cancer, bed bugs, pirated CD's, endangered animals and much more. Any dog can by taught how to find a target odor in a just few easy steps and with lots of repetition. This guide will help you get started!

Steps

. It should be an extra special treat, something your dog LOVES.^{[1]
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Melissa Muñoz
Animal Trainer

Expert Interview}
. Small cardboard boxes are ideal but any container will work. Place the boxes on the ground. The environment should be free of other dogs or distractions.

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. Having a friend here is helpful, they are going to hold your dog on leash.^{[2]
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Melissa Muñoz
Animal Trainer

Expert Interview} Or if you are alone, you can tie the dog back. Pick up one of the boxes and make a show of putting the treats in there, once the dog shows interest, put the box down among the other boxes.
^{[3]
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Melissa Muñoz
Animal Trainer

Expert Interview} Follow your dog to the boxes, keeping the leash loose. Because you made it clear that the hide (treat) is in one of the boxes, your dog should check the containers. As a handler, your biggest job is to stay out of the dogs' way and let them search.
. Once your dog finds the correct box, reward with more food. Feed right next to 'source', where the odor/food is.
. Once your dog has eaten all of their food, you are going to restrain them again, add more treats to the box and shuffle the boxes around (like a shell game). Release your dog to search again.
. After the dog starts to understand the game, add a level of difficulty. You can try stacking the boxes, adding a few boxes, moving to a new location or closing the containers part of the way (making sure the dog can still get to the treats in the box). Be creative!
. Once the dog really starts to understand the game and is hunting independently, you can progress to adding a target odor.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Melissa Muñoz
Animal Trainer

Expert Interview} This is clove (Syzygium Aromaticum) essential oil on a cotton swab, an odor used in the sport of K9 Nose work. But you can use any scent you want your dog to find! Put the odor in the box and tape it down, pair the odor with treats (this is to create a positive association).
. Follow steps 1-8 again with the paired odor.

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How do you train a dog to find a smell?

Melissa Muñoz
Animal Trainer
Melissa Munoz is an Animal Trainer and the Owner of Pawsitive Perspective Animal Training. She has more than 16 years of experience in reward-based animal training, exotic animal management, and wildlife education. Melissa holds degrees in Animal Behavior and Ethology, Wildlife Education, and Animal Management from the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College.

Melissa Muñoz

Animal Trainer

Expert Answer

First teach your dog to fetch and drop toys in exchange for treats. Once the fetching is going pretty well, you can start attaching some labels to certain toys using smells like essential oils.

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If my dog has already gotten used to searching with help and finding treats hidden around a room, has the training been messed up?

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This shouldn't have a negative effect on the training. It might also help you and your dog if you put a snack in folded paper and drop it on the floor. The dog would have to flip the paper over and eat it so it might help the nosework.

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Do I use an odor my dog likes or dislikes? We use essential oils in our home, and there are some she's not a fan of.

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You should use the odor of the thing you want her to find. If you wanted her to find, let's say her collar, you would want the collar to smell of something attractive, then train her that that is the collar scent.

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Warnings

Some dogs will guard food, be careful putting your hand in the box if you don’t know the dog or if he resource guards. Try throwing the food in the box from a distance, if you are working with one of these dogs.

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