Why You Shouldn't Scent Train Your Service Dog

I bet the headline shocked you a bit. Yes, I scent train service dogs as my primary career and passion in life.

It’s something I love and find so fun.

But I really don’t recommend it.

Here is why I don't recommend scent training your service dog:

Scent training a service dog takes YEARS of hard work and dedication.

While I know every handler can succeed at it, it is hard emotionally. There is no getting around that. It can be scary, and even frustrating at times.

You have to handle your allergen, track your medical events closely, and put up with symptoms while training your dog every single day. It’s difficult, and it takes a long time when done correctly.

So if I don’t recommend scent training, what do I recommend?

Well…

Most conditions can be managed without a scent trained service dog (key word most).

Let me explain.

Let's talk about a condition like POTS for example. POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and it can result in frequent fainting episodes along with symptoms like breathlessness, dizziness, and more.

This one is close to my heart, because I have it!

With POTS, your body doesn’t regulate your heart rate and/or your blood pressure very well, which can lead to a myriad of uncomfortable symptoms. Some people even pass out completely unconscious.

While I have had success with scent training for this condition, there are many other options that take much less time and stress that may work just as well for some handlers, such as:

• Alerting to changes in position (for example a quick stand up)
• Alerting to changes in motion (for example, shaky legs or hands)
• Alerting to changes in breathing
• Alerting to swaying or stumbling

Or even things that can fully prevent symptoms in the first place like:

• Retrieving dropped items
• Retrieving items from store shelves
• Closing doors
• Reminding handler to take breaks

All of these other options, if they would work for you, take much less time to train and are much less intense in terms of energy expenditure.

Let’s think about another condition: Celiac Disease

I also have this one! 

Many handlers feel that they only way they will be safe and healthy is through a detection dog. For some people, that is the case, and scent training is right for them.

For others, they find the same amount of benefit from working with a celiac specific dietitian to monitor their nutrition and teach them how to stay safe on their own. My favorite is Tayler, a dietitian who works with me to provide services to my clients.

This is one that I have experienced personally.

I was convinced that all of my food was out to get me. I was unsafe and couldn’t find anything that wouldn’t provoke symptoms.

I stressed over training my dog for this task and ended up burning both of us out from the pressure. Not to mention the training that I was doing (before I became a professional detection trainer myself) was completely unscientific and risky.

At the end of my rope, I visited Tayler and made some changes that she recommended. 

I am now able to eat SO many new things, and my symptoms are (almost) gone.

For me, the biggest thing holding me back was not scent training my dog but was my lack of knowledge and education on what was safe and unsafe for me.

Working with Tayler was so much less expensive and so much faster than scent training a dog.

Not to mention the fact that ALL celiacs should be able to be safe without their dog. Detection dogs will never be 100% accurate, and they are living beings who can get sick and struggle to work at any time.

Sometimes Scent Training IS the Answer

For folks who are unable to work with any of the other options, sometimes scent training is the only answer for an improvement in symptoms. 

And that’s when all of the work and effort is worth it.

Now, training scent based tasks, even if you have other options is totally valid and an option for anyone! 

BUT it does take time, energy, and effort, and I always like to be up front about other less expensive options with my clients.

Are you struggling to decide whether you need (or want) a scent based task for your service dog? I’m happy to help walk you through some options so that you can pick the best one for you! Send me an email at [email protected]!

And if you're dead set on scent based tasks, you'd enjoy my program to teach anyone how to train medical alert or allergen detection service dogs - you can read more about it here.