How To Teach Target Sniffing In Mantrailing
- Jul 12
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 19
Before your dog can follow a trail, they first need to know exactly where to take scent from so they know which scent they are being tasked to follow.
It sounds simple, but target sniffing is one of the most important foundation skills in Mantrailing.
Without it, your dog can't confidently identify who they're looking for.
After all... If there's no start, then there's no trail.
What Is Target Sniffing?
Target sniffing is the skill of teaching your dog to confidently place their nose exactly where you direct them to take scent.
Rather than generally sniffing the surrounding area, we want the dog to deliberately investigate the scent article we've presented.
In Mantrailing, scent articles can include a variety of everyday objects, such as gloves, hats, scarves, keys, door handles, car seats, mobile phones or other personal belongings - Basically, anything that has your scent on it!
Sometimes these articles are presented inside a scent bag, while other times they're found on different surfaces or at different heights.
Whatever the presentation, the goal remains the same: To teach the dog to confidently target the scent article we ask them to without hesitation or avoidance.
Why Is Target Sniffing So Important?
The scent article is your dog's clue.
It tells them exactly who they're searching for before they begin the trail.
If the dog doesn't confidently investigate the scent article, they're missing the most important piece of information before they even start!
That's why we spend time developing this skill before increasing the difficulty of our trails.
The more accurate your dog's target sniffing becomes, the more confidence they'll have at the beginning of your trail.
How to Teach Target Sniffing
Teaching target sniffing should always be fun and rewarding.
The aim isn't to force your dog to sniff an object. Instead, we want them to actively choose to investigate it because they know good things happen there.
Here's a step-by-step guide to teaching a Target Sniff:
Step 1: Put your small item of clothing into your re-sealable bag. The scent item used for this training exercise should not be the one you will actually use when Mantrailing to avoid it being contaminated with food.
Step 2: Roll down the sides of the re-sealable bag so that the article is easily accessible for your dog to sniff.
Step 3: Whilst holding your dog out of reach of the bag with one hand, place some tasty treats on top of the article inside the bag.
Step 4: Release your dog and allow it to go and sniff and eat the food from in the bag. No command word is needed at this point as we are just creating value to the article.
Step 5: Repeat the above step for multiple repetitions, with no verbal command to create the expectation to your dog that they will find 'good stuff' in the bag, building value to the article.
Step 6: Decide what your verbal command word for 'take scent' will be. This word needs to not be used already for any other activity and must be the same word you use each time for consistency. Your command word is the word you will use when asking to take scent from an article during Mantrailing. IE 'Sniff, 'Take Scent', 'Check it out', etc..
Step 7: It's now time to add in your visual and verbal cue. Hold the dog back with one hand and point to the bagged article with the other hand using a finger gun motion with 2 fingers whilst saying your chosen 'take scent' verbal command. Release your dog to get the treats from the bag. Repeat this step multiple times.
Step 8: We now need to withdraw treats from being in the bag and begin to mark the behaviour instead. Remove any treats from in the bag, keeping them readily available in your treat bag/pocket ready to reward. Perform your finger gun cue and 'take scent' command whilst pointing at the scent article in the bag. When your dog sniffs where you point, use a marker word such as 'yes' (or a clicker), then reward your dog with a treat over the top of the bag with your free hand.
Generalise The Skill
Once your dog understands the game, it's time to practise in different situations.
Try presenting scent in different ways. In high and low positions and from different objects they may encounter during Mantrailing, such as car seats, door handles, gates, benches, bags and different types of scent articles.
Changing the presentation helps your dog learn that the cue remains the same, regardless of where the scent is located.
Why This Foundation Pays Off
Target sniffing isn't about teaching your dog to just touch an object with their nose. It's about teaching them exactly where to sniff so they can gather the information they need before beginning the search.
A dog that confidently takes scent from the requested item or area is more likely to make accurate decisions at the start, understand who they're searching for and reduce the risk of following the wrong scent on the trail.
Like all foundation skills, the time you invest now will pay dividends throughout your Mantrailing journey.
Because before your dog can follow a trail, they first need to know exactly where to take scent from.
Remember: No start, no trail.
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