Yes! All dogs are welcome at Dogs First.

Our Scent Work training is great for reactive dogs  – dogs are in their car/crate until it is their turn to sniff, and have separate entrances and exits so that they don’t run into each other.

Our Playful Paws courses are less suitable for highly reactive dogs as they are run as a group session with all dogs working in the same space. Dogs will still have space between each other though as we keep our class numbers very low to keep everyone feeling comfortable.

However, if we feel that your dog is unduly stressed by the class environment, we may advise of alternative training.

You will be sent an email a few days before class that will tell you everything you need to know – dates, times, venues and what to bring to class.

If you don’t receive this email check your spam folder.

We have a variety of training venues. You can find out all about them on our Contact Us page.

If you are doing an Imprinting, Scent Team Synergy, Playful Paws or Xtra Playful Paws class you will be sent an email a few days before class starts that will let you know where your training will take place.

For Develop & Prepare and Advance & Prepare classes, you can check our calendar for venue information.

We recommend a good training harness with a rear-clip option.

You will also need a long line – there are many varieties available. It should be approx 3m long, with a clip at one end and no handle at the other end.

Obviously e-collars, choke collars (check chains) and semi-choke collars can not be used. Martingales are fine, if appropriate for your dog. Haltis are also not acceptable for doing Scent Work.

In this sport your dog needs to have the ability to (and should be encouraged to) pull towards the scent. The dog should be able to do this without feeling any discomfort or restriction on their breathing. Choke collars, halties and no-pull harnesses are not appropriate as they tend to inhibit the dog’s pulling reflex.

Yes.

Yes. For the protection of all our dogs, and the venues that we work in,  all dogs must be fully vaccinated at all times.

Puppies must be at least two weeks past their second vaccination.

Dogs should also be up to date on their worm and flea treatments.

Not for Scent Imprinting classes.

For all other classes you can either:

1. Bring more than one dog but they will have to take turns to search – i.e. Dog 1 does search 1, Dog 2 does search 2, Dog 1 does search 3, and so on. 
2. Book two class spaces for your dogs. For Playful Paws classes you will need to bring an another handler for any additional dogs.

Yes, your dog can wear a coat in class. You should still be able to access the back clip on the dog’s harness.

There are two main methodologies – both of which are perfectly acceptable for home training.

From the Scent Sport Association of New Zealand (Trial Regulations, August 2025) :

Odour Preparation:

Three to five drops of a single essential oil are to be placed on a cotton make up remover pad at the base of a sealable glass jar. Q-tips/cotton buds are then added to the jar. Note that Q-tips/cotton buds must not have plastic handles. The jar is then sealed with an airtight lid to allow the odour to infuse. QTips must be prepared a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 72 hours before use at a trial.

From the Dogs NZ website:

Creating A Scent Aid:

• Put on your gloves! Whenever you are handling or preparing and handling your scent aid, you should first have your gloves on. This precaution ensures that whatever else you touch (other than your Essential Oil and Scent Aid), does not become an accidental Target source. Of course, this means removing your gloves AFTER the Scent Aid has been constructed and placed where you want it to be. Remember though to glove up again when you remove the Scent Aid from its location at the end of training.
• Place TWO drops of your Essential Oil down the inside of a 250ml jar and rotate the jar to get a greater surface spread. Each Essential Oil should have its own specific preparation jar, and they should never be used for any purpose other than that Essential Oil. Even if they are later washed. So, if you are preparing Scent Aids for all four Essential Oils, you will need four jars (clearly labelled to avoid cross contamination).
• Into the jar, place thirty Cotton Bud halves and seal the jar.
• At this point, you can take your gloves off and DISPOSE of them RESPONSIBLY. Remember, wherever your gloves go, they become a potential Target Odour themselves.
• Vigorously shake the jar containing the cotton bud halves for two full minutes, then place in a cool dark place for 48 hours.

If you create an account/login to your account before purchasing your classes, your classes will be linked to your profile.

When you want to view the classes you have purchased, just login again and click Orders.

LIMA (Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive) is a style of behavioural training that, at its most simplistic, means using humane, ethical training that increases the use of positive reinforcement and works to eliminate the use of punishment. Have a look at the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants’ definition. 

Congratulations on taking the first step in the exciting world of Scent Work.

You should take a further few weeks to practice the skills learnt on Scent Imprinting at home. Following that, the next step is our Scent Team Synergy course. It will help you to read your dog’s cues better and help them to further develop their sniffing and indication skills.

After Scent Team Synergy you will be ready to compete (if you want to)!

SSANZ trials are advertised on the Scent Sports Association of New Zealand – Members Group Facebook page. Note – you will need to be a member to enter a trial and also to join the Facebook page. You can join on their website.

Dogs NZ trials are advertised in their members magazine. Dates are also advertised on their Scent Work Calendar. Note, you will need to be a member to enter a Dogs NZ trial. You can join Dogs NZ here. 

You can find all the details of how SSANZ (Scent Sports Association New Zealand) and Dogs NZ run their scent trials in our Scent Sport Rules section.

We strive to be as eco-friendly as possible! From recycled business cards to recyclable bioplastic cups. We recycle everything we can, use reusable containers as much as possible and consider the environment in all our buying decisions and operating practices.