Each day of the challenge focuses on a different Compass Point:
- Scent
- EnvironmentÂ
- Exploration
- Partnership
There are four Compass Points in Scentventure. Think of them as the essentials to help your dog stay fit, happy and healthy. Every walk, every activity you do together should contain at least one compass point.
There is a little bit of each of the four elements in this challenge. Sometimes there is overlap between compass points, for example, Exploration Zone is about yep, you guessed it, Exploration – but there is also Scent involved too, and the observations you will improve your Partnership.
The four Compass Points of Scentventure:
#1 Scent
Sniffing, searching, scenting and finding is naturally highly rewarding for dogs. Nervous dogs increase in confidence, and anxious or overly excited dogs become calm and focussed. Dogs who are normally highly distracted by the environment learn to search with no loss of focus on the task in hand.
#2 Environment
Obstacles in your home, garden or walks are repurposed for adventure. Work on balance, coordination, strength and endurance. The result is physical fitness and wellbeing, calm confidence and a feeling of safety.
#3 Exploration
Dogs are naturally curious. Humans tend to dislike this curiosity and train our dogs to be more passive. Providing new smells, new sounds, new tastes, new textures and new environments for your dog to explore taps into their natural doggy instincts and makes them calmer and happier.
#4 Partnership
Spending time together and working as a team builds trust, confidence, love and creates a feeling of safety, which are essential to strengthening the bond you have with your dog. This improved relationship creates a dog that’s more focused on you and ignores the many distractions out there.