How Much Scent Work Should Your Dog Do?
The science behind sniffing, searching, and a properly tired dog
At Paw & Order, we often hear: “I walked them for an hour… and they’re still full of energy.” It’s a common frustration — and usually not a sign your dog needs more exercise, but that they need the right kind and scent work can offer exactly that.
Why scent work is so effective
Dogs experience the world primarily through scent. Their olfactory system is highly developed, with significantly more scent receptors than humans and a large proportion of the brain dedicated to processing smell. When a dog searches, they’re not just moving — they’re:
Problem-solving
Making decisions
Processing information
Regulating their emotions
This level of cognitive engagement creates mental fatigue, which is often more effective at promoting calm behaviour than physical exercise alone. Research also suggests that allowing dogs to engage in natural sniffing behaviours can reduce stress and support emotional wellbeing.
How long should your dog do scentwork?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that dogs need long sessions to feel tired. In reality, scent work is most effective when delivered in short, focused bursts. Just 5–10 minutes of active searching can; take the edge off excess energy, improve focus, encourage calmer behaviour at home
The ideal session
For most pet dogs is 10–20 minutes of total searching, split into multiple short searches, each lasting around 30 seconds to 2 minutes. This mirrors how working detection dogs are trained — with short, purposeful deployments rather than continuous searching.
Why longer isn’t better
Extended or continuous searching can lead to mental fatigue that reduces accuracy, frustration or disengagement and lower motivation over time Studies in detection dogs show that performance can decline with fatigue and repeated exposure without adequate breaks - At Paw & Order, we try to prioritise quality over quantity.
How this fits into our classes
Our group sessions typically run for 60–90 minutes, with up to six dogs, however, each dog is not working continuously, instead, they:
Take turns completing short searches
Rest and reset between exercises
Observe and settle while others work
This means each dog usually completes 10–20 minutes of active searching per session, working this way we aim to prevent overload, maintain motivation and improves learning outcomes; it also reflects best practice used in both sport and operational scent work training.
Can scent work replace a walk?
Scentwork can be a powerful alternative when needed. in many cases 15–20 minutes of scentwork can provide similar levels of fatigue to a moderate walk, this makes it particularly useful when time is limited, the weather is poor or the dog need a calm, structured activity. However, it should not fully replace walks long-term as dogs also need physical movement, environmental exposure and opportunities to explore and be a dog.
The most effective approach is a balance of both.
Why scent work works for every dog
Scentwork is one of the most accessible activities you can do with your dog. It is suitable for:
High-energy dogs needing an outlet
Nervous dogs building confidence
Older dogs requiring low-impact enrichment
Puppies learning focus and engagement
Because at its core, scentwork taps into something deeply natural: Using the nose to understand the world.
📚 References
Bálint, A., Eleőd, H. and Pongrácz, P. (2020) The effect of sniffing behaviour on dogs’ emotional state, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 232, 105153.
Gazit, I. and Terkel, J. (2003) Explosives detection by sniffer dogs following strenuous physical activity, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 81(2), pp. 149–161.
Horowitz, A. (2017) Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell. New York: Scribner.
McGann, J.P. (2017) Poor human olfaction is a 19th-century myth, Science, 356(6338), eaam7263.