When Kate Hart started making scentwork kits for her own dogs and her clients, they went down a storm and led to her creating The Sniffer Shop.
Kate became a dog trainer ten years ago after a terrifying accident which led to her spending months in a wheelchair and stepping away from her old career as a nurse and researcher in the NHS.
After qualifying with the IMDT she discovered her love of scent work after it really helped with her own dog, Otter, and once she’d qualified, began running her own classes.
And it was when Kate and her husband Marcus, an engineer, who live in Bristol started being more creative with their scentwork gadgets that they realised this could be a business too.
So the idea for The Sniffer Shop was born, and fast forward two years and Kate’s products are flying out of their workshop and she’s exhibiting at huge shows like Edition Dog Live and DogFest.
Her ‘side hustle’ is now a huge part of her business and we talk about how she brought her mission to create ‘Nose Joy for Dogs’ to life.
She talks about the support she’s had in articulating her message with Kate from Finbo Studio and the happiness it’s brought to her and her clients, and the impact on her business.
Kate also shares some of her pinch-me moments – like having queues of her raving fans waiting to see her at Edition Dog, and becoming a national finalist in business awards.
We cover what it’s like to put yourself out there, how scary it can be doing something new, getting the right support and why you absolutely should get excited about what you do.
Key topics and timings in this episode:
0.20 – Episode overview.
1.23 – How Kate found herself working as a dog trainer.
3.50 – How a life changing industry led her to have a career change from her old life as a nurse and researcher in the NHS.
6.46 – What it was like to start again with a new career as a dog trainer.
7.45 – Using her experience in the NHS to build relationships and using her transferable skills.
9.23 – What helped Kate when it came to growing her dog training business.
13.36 – Kate’s lightbulb moment and why she decided to niche into scent work and making her own products which she tested on her own clients.
18.20 – Behind the scenes in Kate and Marcus’ Sniffer Shop warehouse.
23.19 – Testing out her products with her six Labradors and how the Sniffer Shop has grown.
25.04 – What it was like going from making products as a side hustle to having an actual brand and bringing ‘Nose Joy for Dogs’ to life.
27.07 – Exhibiting at Edition Dog Live and meeting her customers.
32.18 – What Kate has learned from growing very quickly and the importance of goal setting and forward planning.
35.50 – The importance of trusting your gut.
37.20 – What’s helped during the challenging times.
38.35 – Pets Get Visible review from Heather Stevens.
39.55 – Kate’s highlights from the last two years.
42.24 – The volume of products Kate is now sending out!
43.55 – The joys of getting videos of dogs enjoying her products.
45.12 – Why sharing your passion is important.
48.41 – How Kate feels about being visible now.
51.50 – What’s next for Kate.
Key quotes from this episode:
“When I was in a wheelchair after the accident, it forced me to stop and think about what I really wanted to do with my life.”
“At the time I had a very anxious dog, and I wanted something that was totally dog-centred – no pressure, just joy – and that’s where scent work came in.”
“Being a dog trainer isn’t just about the dogs, it’s about helping people too – supporting them in their relationship with their dogs.”
“One of the best skills I brought from my old career was listening – using my ears, not my mouth – and that’s what makes the difference.”
“When people see us at events they think we’re a big company, but really it’s just me and Marcus in the workshop, living and breathing The Sniffer Shop.”
“Every single video that customers send makes me smile. The wagging tails, the sniffing, the relaxed body language – that’s what it’s all about.”
“If you’re passionate about what you do, that’s the thing that will carry you through the hard days – passion is what makes it work.”
Key takeaways
Big life changes can lead to exciting new beginnings if you’re brave enough to follow them.
The skills you already have from past jobs are often the very things that will help you in business.
Visibility feels scary at first, but you’ll find your own way of showing up – it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
A strong brand is about more than a logo – it’s about your identity and the story behind what you do.
Growing quickly doesn’t mean it’s easy – it takes planning, reinvesting, and a lot of resilience.
Listening to customers, celebrating their wins, and sharing their stories helps keep the passion alive.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about The Sniffer Shop: https://thesniffershop.co.uk/
Follow Kate on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesniffershop
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesniffershop
Visit her dog training website: https://www.myhartdog.co.uk/
Kate trained with UK Sniffer Dogs – learn more here: https://www.uksnifferdogs.com/
Kate used Finbo Studio for her branding – check them out here: https://finbostudio.co.uk/
Further listening/reading
Building resilience as a pet professional with Andrew Hale
The importance of looking back to see how far you’ve come
Navigating the rollercoaster of running a business
Why community matters when you run your own business
Karen Rhodes on her lightbulb moment to launch Luxury Dog Hampers
In the spotlight with Debbie Humphries from Redhound for Dogs
Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?
Pet business content and social media calendar
Episode summary
Prefer reading to listening?
Here’s a Q&A-style version of my chat with Kate Hart, founder of The Sniffer Shop, taken directly from the podcast transcript.
It’s edited down for clarity, but all in Kate’s own words.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to work with dogs?
“I started out as a nurse, then moved into clinical research and spent much of my career in the healthcare sector. But over ten years ago, I had a really bad accident – I broke both legs, my ankle, and fractured a knee. I spent months in a wheelchair, and it turned my life upside down.
“That moment made me reassess what I wanted to do. We’d always had dogs in the family, so moving into dog training felt like a natural step. I qualified with the IMDT, took lots of courses, and discovered scent work.
“My own anxious dog, Otter, absolutely loved it, and I could see how powerful it was. From there, everything snowballed.”
What was it like starting out in a brand-new career?
“It was daunting, because when you do something completely different you feel vulnerable. But I had transferable skills from nursing – listening, supporting people, understanding behaviour – and those helped a lot.
“I think you’re never too old to learn. I’m not a spring chicken anymore, but you can absolutely pick up new skills and follow your passion at any stage in life.”
How did The Sniffer Shop come about?
“Early on I started giving clients little scentwork kits to take home. My husband Marcus, who’s an engineer, began making tins and gadgets for me. We wanted everyone in class to leave with something they could practice with.
“That was the seed of The Sniffer Shop. It started as a side hustle, just making bits for clients. Then we built a small website, set up a workshop in our garage, and suddenly it grew into something bigger. Now our products are flying out of the workshop, and we’ve exhibited at shows like DogFest and Edition Dog Live.”
Can you paint a bit of a picture of what your workshop is like??
“It’s basically a huge double garage we converted with recycled materials. One side is mine – boxes, tins, sewing machines, leads. The other side is Marcus’s, full of old milling machines and lathes he’s repurposed. Some of them are 100 years old!
“It’s not glamorous, but it’s ours. And everything we make gets tested with our six Labradors, so we know it works in real life.”
How did you shape The Sniffer Shop brand?
“You can’t just put products on a website – you need a brand that resonates. Last summer I worked with Kate from Finbo Studio, and she pulled everything together. She created the fun, funky brand you see today, with the strapline ‘Nose Joy for All Dogs.’
“That really captures what we’re about. It’s not obedience, it’s not pressure – it’s pure joy for the dog. Wagging tails, happy body language, dogs having fun.
“And once you have that identity, it keeps you on track. From social media to newsletters, everything carries the same thread. It makes you stand tall and proud of what you’re building.”
What was it like seeing your business at a big event for the first time?
“At Edition Dog Live, Marcus set everything up the night before. When I walked in and saw the stand with our banner and products, it suddenly felt very real – this is our business.
“We had queues of people waiting to talk to us, and so many lovely customers came up to say how much they loved our products. It was an incredible experience.”
What have been some of your pinch-me moments?
“Edition Dog was definitely one. And then becoming a national finalist in the Small Business Awards for the new start-up category – that was huge.
“To stand back and think, ‘Wow, this is really happening,’ after such a short time – it’s just amazing.”
What have you learned along the way?
“Planning is everything. You need to know where you are now, where you want to be, and how you’ll get there – even if the goal feels aspirational.
“It hasn’t been easy. We haven’t taken a penny out of the business yet because everything goes back into growing it. You have to accept it’s tough and that there will be setbacks.
“And you have to wear so many hats – SEO, websites, marketing – things I’d never touched before. It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve had brilliant support from communities like the Pets Get Visible membership and from people like Kate at Finbo who really understood my vision.”
What feedback do you get from your customers?
“I watch every single video that people send us, and they all make me smile. The wagging tails, the happy body language, the dogs having fun – that’s what it’s all about.
“Clients often share ideas too, and I tweak products based on their feedback. Having six Labradors helps as well – everything gets tested at home before it goes anywhere near the shop.”
What advice would you give someone who has a passion project they’d love to turn into a business?
“Go for it. If you feel passionate about it, that passion will carry you through. But be mindful of the journey – who are you trying to reach, what does success look like, and how will you get there?
“Break it into small, achievable steps. And remember – the people who succeed are the ones who genuinely love what they do.”
How do you feel about visibility now compared to when you first started?
“I was terrified at first – there are so many brilliant trainers in Bristol, and I struggled with how to stand out. Now, with the brand, the products, and the stories from our customers, I feel comfortable being visible.
“There are so many ways to do it – social media, podcasts, articles – you don’t have to do everything at once. Find what works for you, and build from there.”
What’s next for The Sniffer Shop?
“We’ve got DogFest Bristol coming up, which we’re really excited about. Meeting people face to face is so special. I’d also love to do more with the press, like local newspaper articles, so more people hear about what we do.
“But at the heart of it, it’s about reaching more dogs and bringing them nose joy. That’s the mission, and that’s what drives everything.”
Find out more about The Sniffer Shop: https://thesniffershop.co.uk/
