🐾 Overcoming Overwhelm: How a Scent Work Challenge (and a Beagle) Taught Me to Slow Down
As someone who regularly encourages my clients to break things down, avoid overwhelm, and take gentle, manageable steps forward… I have a confession to make.
I recently set up an absolute beast of a challenge — not for myself, but for my dog. And let's just say... I didn't exactly practise what I preach.
Here’s what happened.
💨 The 24-Hour Scent Mission
I signed up to the “Me and My Dog Academy Scent Club” — a fantastic community where we explore scent work games with our dogs. Each month, we get a themed challenge, and for June, the goal was to create a confidence course:
Scatter a variety of objects around an area, and hide a small piece of rubber Kong somewhere in the mix — the object of the scent search.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with scent work, a rubber Kong is a durable chew toy with a distinct smell. It’s often used as a scent article in training to help dogs build their tracking and indication skills.
Now… I joined the challenge quite late. And instead of easing into it (as I literally tell my clients to do when facing a big task), I gave myself just 24 hours to complete the whole thing.
Naturally, I went full throttle:
✔️ Piled in lots of items — including ones my beagle is not particularly comfortable around
✔️ Created a wobbly, unstable, chaotic course
✔️ Hoped for success, despite knowing she hadn’t done anything like this before
Within seconds of seeing the pile, she looked at it… then walked away.
I coaxed her in gently, and bless her, she did give it a go. She even made it to the middle at one point.
But it was all a bit much. And honestly? I don’t blame her.
By the end of the session, she’d had enough — no interest in “pass” or “fail” — just quietly took herself off to bed. Meanwhile, I was left feeling frustrated and disappointed, even though she had actually done so well in such a daunting set-up.
🌀 The Reflective Pause (Always the Real Magic)
That night, I gave myself the kind of pep talk I might give a client:
“Was this really about her failing… or me expecting too much, too fast?”
Of course it wasn’t her fault. The whole course was overwhelming. And more than that — I had created it in a way that went against everything I know and believe about learning, growth, and confidence.
So the next day, I did what I should’ve done from the start.
I simplified.
I started with just one or two objects.
Made them stable.
Let her explore freely.
Then, gradually throughout the day, I built up to a reasonable pile of “scary” items.
This time, she sniffed. Indicated. Wagged her tail.
Success. In every sense of the word.
💡 So, what’s the takeaway?
There are a few. And they’re not just for dog training — they’re for life:
🌿 Break things down into baby steps.
Even when time feels short, rushing rarely leads to better outcomes. Start small, build gradually.
🌿 Celebrate the tiny wins.
My beagle walking towards the pile on day one was a success in itself — but I was too focused on the end goal to appreciate it.
🌿 Don’t put too much on your plate at once.
Whether you’re training a dog, starting a business, or healing something tender — less really is more.
🌿 Reflect before reacting.
Frustration is human. But so is grace — and it’s in the pause that wisdom surfaces.
✨ A gentle reminder (for you and me)
Whether it’s a scent course or a life challenge, we all sometimes dive in too deep, too fast, and forget the power of going gently.
So next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, ask:
Am I expecting too much too soon?
Could this feel lighter if I took just one small step?
You don’t have to conquer the mountain in a day. You just need to take one confident, curious sniff in the right direction. 🐶
P.S. This little story reminded me that growth — whether canine or human — happens one step, one choice, one gentle moment at a time.
Let’s keep remembering that, together.
