A Scentwork Course Like No Other!

  • Built for Beginners. Enriching for Pros.

    Perfect for the scent-curious and the highly experienced alike. Sharpen scent recognition and discrimination plus take away tools you can use right away no matter your starting point!

  • Weekly Games, Real Science, Big Inspiration.

    Explore new scent games and exercises you can do at home with dogs or cats! Learn how animals use scent to conserve, and change the world - you’ll never look at the dog on your sofa the same way again.

  • Teach the Nose. Transform the Outcome.

    Learn how intentional Scentwork enhances behavior cases, training plans, and everyday life. Discover how using scent with purpose improves focus, confidence, and emotional wellbeing. Practical, science-based, and immediately applicable.

What People Are Saying About Practical Scentwork with Melissa

5 star rating

Excellent course

Victoria Gideon

I am an NACSW CNWI and train recreational and professional hunting dogs for Truffles. This class was wonderful! Melissa is very through and clear on so many ...

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I am an NACSW CNWI and train recreational and professional hunting dogs for Truffles. This class was wonderful! Melissa is very through and clear on so many things! (I cant wait for the next classes!) She paints clear information to help human learners understand that animals see things differently than their human partners. Even if your a skilled handler you will be glad you took this class!

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5 star rating

Colin spence

Colin Spence

This is only the first week, i cant wait forthe rest as Melisa is an absolute fab instructor.

This is only the first week, i cant wait forthe rest as Melisa is an absolute fab instructor.

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5 star rating

Stunning !

Maciej Dziedzic

If you want to expand your knowledge about dogs and what's important to them...you simply MUST watch this webinar. A huge dose of knowledge presented in a su...

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If you want to expand your knowledge about dogs and what's important to them...you simply MUST watch this webinar. A huge dose of knowledge presented in a super "digestible" way.

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5 star rating

Approachable, practical, and deep dives for nerds!

Payton Bernett

Melissa has clearly done a lot of research and practice that shows in her approach to this course. She provides clear instructions, engages the viewers, and ...

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Melissa has clearly done a lot of research and practice that shows in her approach to this course. She provides clear instructions, engages the viewers, and includes levels of scientific explanations that are extremely interesting. I am so happy to join as someone who forages and has always dreamt of training my dog to help me find plants and fungi!

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Each week, Melissa will explore a different facet of Scentwork...

From improving outcomes in behavior cases to appreciating the work different animals do with scent to save our environment, this course will look at how using a dog's nose with purpose can supplement any training or behavior plan.

There will be exercises and games you can do at home with the pet of your choosing plus stories of the incredible things animals can do using their superior sense of scent.

Melissa's unique approach to scent works well for students and handlers looking to continue building a bond between dog and handler, as well as pet professionals looking to diversify their training and behavior offerings.

This easy-going, funny, and science-centered course is bound to have attendees looking at the world a little differently....from a place of awe as to what animals can do, including the one sleeping on your couch right now!

See what's included below...
Photo of the Instrutor Melissa McCue McGrath sitting at her desk next to her dog Captian. She is smiling and wearing a black shirt and red glasses.

What to Expect from Practical Scentwork

This course has something for everyone, from the novice who is curious about how Scentwork works to advanced handlers looking for ways to improve scent recognition in a variety of contexts.

Click the down arrows to expand the sections.

  • 1

    Welcome to Scentwork with Melissa McCue-McGrath, CPDT-KA, PACT ATI / ABTC ATI

    • What to Expect

  • 2

    Getting Started

    • How to Attend the Live Events and Stream the Pre Recorded Content

    • The Hierarchy of Awesome: What is it?

    • Melissa's Slide Pack: Low Res for Student Use Only
  • 3

    Week 1: Live Webinar - Introduction to Scentwork. Now Streaming!

    • Watch the Recording of Week 1 (1hr. 43 mins)

    • Scent Foundations: Discussing the Four D's of Learning and How they Apply to Scent work

    • Alexandra Horowitz TedEd Video: How Do Dogs 'See' With Their Noses?

    • Case Study: Honey Bees Trained to Find Bombs in Croatia Using Scent

    • Pause to Practice (AKA Homework!)
  • 4

    Week 2: Pre Recorded Webinar - Scentwork for Fun and Games. Now Streaming!

    • Watch the Pre Recorded Week 2: Scentwork Games (1hr 6min)

    • Learning the Search Cue

    • Scent Games: Box Game

    • Reenforcing the Scent Cue: Start Working on Height

    • Case Study: Rats in Africa Trained to Find Malaria Using Scent

    • Pause to Practice (AKA Homework!)
  • 5

    Week 3: Teaching an Odor

    • How to Watch the Pre Recorded Lesson

    • How to Pair an Odor

    • Primary Reinforcers - The Science of Learning with Scent

    • Case Study: Cats and Scentwork

    • Pause to Practice
  • 6

    Week 4: Live Webinar - Scentwork for Behavior Cases

    • How to Attend the Live Webinar

    • Meeting Dogs Where They Are

    • The Coin Game

    • Aquaphobic Cases and Confidence Building

    • Urban Dog Handling

    • Reactive Dogs and Scent

    • A Look In Melissa's Case Book

    • A Note About Best Practice

  • 7

    Week 5: Can Scentwork Help The Environment?

    • How to Watch the Pre Recorded Lesson

    • Invasive Species Work

    • Horses and SAR Work

    • Vultures and Sky Burials

    • How You Can Get Involved
  • 8

    Week 6: Live Wrap Party

    • How to Attend the Live Event

    • Celebrating our Wins!

    • Reframe the Game

    • Troubleshooting

    • Next Steps in Scent
  • 9

    Continue Learning

    • Scentwork Resources and Further Study
  • 10

    What's Next?

    • Course Certificate of Completion & CEUs

    • More Courses at the Academy That You May Love!

More Details

Dates, Times, Format and CEUs

  • Dates and Times

    This course will be run Hybrid Live style meaning some of the content will be delivered in live webinar format, and some will be pre recorded for you to stream.

    Live webinar dates are as follows:

    February 16, 10am Pacific Time
    March 9, 10am Pacific Time
    March 23, 10am Pacific Time

    Pre recorded lessons will be ready to stream on the following dates:

    February 23
    March 2
    March 16

  • Format

    All live events will take place in Zoom, presented by Melissa and hosted by Tom Candy. Sessions will be attended by Grisha Stewart, and supported by Academy Administrator Claire Goyer. They will run for approx. 1 hour with additional time for Questions and Answers.

    Accessibility

    CC will be enabled for all live events and you can toggle it off or on and set your language preference.

    Recordings will all be subtitled.

  • CEUs/CPD


    CCPDT: 6 for Trainers. IAABC: 6.

    A Certificate of Completion will be available to download from your account once you have finished the course. You can use this to obtain CEUs/CPD hours from other member organizations.

About the Instructor

Behaviour Consultant

Melissa McCue-McGrath, PACT-ATI/ABTC-ATI

Melissa McCue-McGrath is a dog trainer, author, and professional problem-solver for quirky pets and their humans. With over twenty years of experience, she has worked on everything from urban behavior cases in Boston to invasive-species detection dogs in Maine.

She is the author of Considerations for the City Dog and Misadventures of the World’s Okayest Dog Trainer (2026), and is the first American resident to be on the prestigious ABTC register in the UK. She is a faculty advisor for Victoria Stilwell’s Academy, and an instructor for Grisha Stewart’s Academy!

Melissa is known for bringing humor, honesty, and science to every stage she steps on.

Ready to Start Sniffing?

It's your choice: buy this course or get it (and a lot more) INCLUDED with a Diamond Membership.

  • $90.00

    $90.00Practical Scentwork with Melissa McCue McGrath. 6 Week Hybrid Live Course. Week Two Streaming Now! Week Three Released March 2

    One-time payment to add this course to your library. Attend the live events, plus watch the recordings. Your access will never expire.
    Buy Now

  • $29.99 / month

    $29.99 / monthDiamond Membership All Access Pass

    Community Supported Rate.
    Sliding scale choice, same membership access as the standard rate (see below). Choose this option if the higher rate is not in your budget at this time. Cancel anytime.
    Sign Up!

  • $39.99 / month

    $39.99 / monthDiamond Membership All Access Pass

    This is the best choice if you are a professional or aspiring dog trainer and are looking for more than just webinars.

    This pass not only includes access to all our live events and recorded webinars (over 170 at last count!) but also:

    Exclusive Member Events including:
    Holding Space Member Mentoring and Support with Danielle Beck.
    Live Case Studies with Tom Candy.
    Monthly Member Meet Ups.
    Book Club with Grisha Stewart.
    Exclusive FB Group.
    Free listing in our Dog Trainer Directory.
    Exclusive opportunity to become a CBATI-KA/KSA.
    Sign Up!

  • $19.99 / month

    $19.99 / monthGSA Library Pass

    On-demand access. The ideal choice if you are interested in a great value membership option, are unable to attend the live webinar, and don't need all the extras of the Diamond Membership.

    New content added every month, and you can get CEUs with this pass too!
    Sign Up!

If you choose to purchase a Membership, your subscription will go for a month from the start date and then renew automatically each month after that. You can easily cancel renewal at any time and your access to the content will just expire on your renewal date.


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