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the Scentsable K9 is a dog training business in El Cajon, California offering Group Classes and Private Lessons, with published programs from $40.
El Cajon • CA • Uses rented space • 5.0 ★ (2 Google reviews)
Last verified: Sep 5, 2026
52 / 100
Limited information
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What they say about themselves
The Scentsable K9 draws on an instructor roster with serious professional detection backgrounds. Founder Pete Stevens spent 20 years handling and training police K9s during his law enforcement career, including narcotics interdiction work, and serves as a CA POST evaluator and NACSW nosework trial judge. Co-founder Cameron Ford's path runs from U.S. Air Force military working dog handler through police dog training schools in Germany and Holland to overseeing 300 explosive detection dogs deployed overseas as a government contractor. Other instructors include a FEMA disaster search canine evaluator who has deployed to sites from Iraq to the Maui fires, and a trainer with a master's in cognitive and behavioral science who has conducted canine cognition research at Duke and Auburn.
Based in the El Cajon area, the business holds classes at various locations around San Diego County rather than a single facility. According to their site, the founding story traces to Stevens judging a 2015 nosework trial and noticing dogs of all breeds—not just typical working dogs—succeeding at scent detection. They describe their philosophy as giving dogs freedom to work independently while teaching handlers to maintain an overall search plan, deliberately designing challenging scenarios because they believe teams learn more from difficulty than easy wins.
The Scentsable K9 serves both pet owners doing nosework recreationally and professional detection teams, offering group classes from odor imprinting through advanced levels, multi-instructor seminars, and private sessions.
Scent detection is the focus here, with the Scentsable K9 offering a progression from imprinting classes for beginners through advanced detection work. Group sessions, private lessons, seminars, and workshops cover various skill levels. Some seminars require dogs to have reached NW1 level or hold prior certifications.
Group scent detection classes start at $25 per session, with general group classes at $40. Private lessons range from $100 to $150 depending on the session type. Seminar and workshop pricing isn't published on the site.
A one-hour private session where the handler has the instructor's full attention and can run as many dogs as desired during the time slot, geared toward problem solving or more advanced work.
Booked pay-as-you-go, no packages required; sessions run 1 hour.
Best for: Handlers wanting focused, one-on-one problem solving or advanced training.
Focus: Scent work, Advanced obedience
Duration: 1 sessions
One-on-one sessions where the handler and instructor build a training plan targeted at specific problems, with the option to work multiple dogs in the same session. Held at various locations around San Diego County.
Pay-as-you-go, 1-hour private sessions held in Lakeside or Ramona, CA.
Best for: Handlers with specific training issues to resolve or those working multiple dogs.
Focus: Scent work, Advanced obedience, Leash training
Duration: 1 sessions
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Private 1-Hour Class (Basic/Imprinting locations) | $100 per session | 1 sessions |
| Private Classes | $150 per session | 1 sessions |
This foundational class trains dogs to recognize target scent odors, introduces handlers to how a dog's nose works and reading behavior changes upon detection, and covers basic leash handling. Dogs also begin practicing ignoring distractions like food and pet smells. Sport odors (Birch, Anise, Clove) are provided, or handlers can bring their own target odor.
Held as a group class limited to 4 K9 teams per session, run in Valley Center or Ramona, CA.
Best for: Handlers and dogs, including puppies, who are new to scent detection training.
Focus: Scent work, Puppy training, Basic obedience
Duration: 1 sessions
This class builds on imprinting skills by having teams search for target odors with increased leash handling both on and off lead, plus basic deployment techniques. It progresses handlers and dogs beyond foundational odor recognition into more applied searching skills.
Group class capped at 4 dogs, held weekly in Valley Center or Ramona, CA.
Best for: K9 teams who have already completed the Imprinting and Intro to Detection class.
Focus: Scent work, Leash training, Advanced obedience
Duration: 1 sessions
A group scent detection class capped at 4 dogs, held on a weekly rotating schedule at Lakeside and Ramona locations.
Group format, 1-hour sessions, pay-as-you-go with no package purchase required.
Focus: Scent work, Advanced obedience
Duration: 1 sessions
A multi-instructor event, typically lasting one to two 8-hour days, covering advanced detection scenarios like vehicles, exteriors, interiors, and containers with 24-30 working teams rotating through challenging search stations.
Students are divided into working groups and rotate through search scenarios led by different instructors, with feedback after each search.
Best for: Handlers with dogs already searching and indicating on target odors, typically at NW1 level or with professional certification.
Focus: Scent work, Advanced obedience
Duration: 1 days
A shorter, roughly 4-hour training session led by a single instructor, focused on one or two specific scent detection topics rather than a full range of scenarios.
Single-instructor format focused on a narrower topic than a full seminar.
Focus: Scent work, Advanced obedience
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Imprinting and Intro Detection | $25 per session | 1 sessions |
| Basic Scent Detection | $25 per session | 1 sessions |
| Group Class (Private Classes page) | $40 per session | 1 sessions |
| Seminars | Not published | 1 days |
| Workshops | Not published | — |
Questions to ask about training methods
Method: Not specified on their website
No training method is mentioned on their website.
Certifications: Not specified on their website
Verification still pending or not yet requested. See our methodology for what verification does and does not mean.
Classes run with a maximum of four dogs per trainer. They rent training space rather than operating from a dedicated facility, and a waitlist is currently in place. Insurance and certifications aren't listed on the site.
Facility: Uses rented space
Owner visits: not specified on their website.
Video updates: not specified on their website.
Overnight staffing: not specified on their website.
Insurance: not specified on their website.
Guarantee: not specified on their website.
Waitlist: Yes
Dogs per trainer: 4
Booking: Contact form
Price: the Scentsable K9 does not publish board & train pricing. Across El Cajon, 4 programs publish prices from about $58 to $192.
Reviews: the Scentsable K9 shows 5.0★ from 2 Google reviews among 3 published El Cajon programs.
Transparency: This listing scores 52 out of 100 (price 71%, program clarity 80%). Certification disclosure is still sparse in this city.
Training takes place at 9411 Brian Way in El Cajon. Parking availability and accessibility details for the rented space aren't mentioned.
9411 Brian Way, El Cajon, CA
Hours: Not specified on their website
Reach out directly or send a quote request through the Scentsable K9.
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