Course Details
There are times we want our dog to sniff (e.g. scent work, tracking, and whilst relaxing on a sniffy walk), but there are other times we don’t want our dog’s nose on the ground (e.g. during training sessions and when competing in rally, obedience, agility, tricks, musical freestyle, etc.). In some sports we even want our dog to focus on sniffing for specific odours without spending time sniffing “distractions” (e.g. sniffing food, sniffing other dogs’ scent, etc.).
In all instances where we want to eliminate “unwanted sniffing” our first task is to determine the underlying cause. Unwanted sniffing during “work” occurs for a wide range of reasons, including:
- Our dog doesn’t yet have the skills needed to ignore enticing smells (e.g. food, the scent of other dogs, etc.).
- Our dog is stressed / confused about the “work”, and this results in the performance of displacement sniffing.
- Our dog is not stressed / confused about the “work”, but they are lacking sufficient motivation for the “work”, so the pull of the environment is stronger, and this results in our dog sniffing instead of “working”.
- Our dog has developed a habit of sniffing during “work”, or in specific environments / situations / exercises.
Each of the above reasons needs to be addressed in a totally different way, so the first step is to work out WHY our dog is sniffing, then we can move forward with an effective strategy for eliminating the unwanted sniffing.
In this webinar, we will discuss each potential reason in detail, together with practical exercises you can use to accurately identify the specific reason YOUR dog is sniffing. We will then move on to discuss the different strategies for reducing / eliminating unwanted sniffing for each of the underlying drivers.
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$19.95 - This pre-recorded presentation including lecture and Q&A will show in your Webinar Library after purchase.
About the Presenter:
Sharon (she/her) has been a professional animal trainer for 30 years. She has been both a presenter and trainer in a range of animal shows, and currently operates, a dog training and behaviour consulting business based in Newcastle, Australia.
Sharon started competing with dogs over 30 years ago, she then made the change from competing with dogs, to competing with horses.
For the next few decades Sharon had a successful career riding, and coaching, through to the highest levels of both eventing and dressage (Grand Prix). She has been an Australian representative rider, and in 2013 acquired her EA Level 3 dressage specialist coaching certificate (qualified to coach through to Olympic level).
Although Sharon’s competition focus was on equestrian during those years, Sharon continued to train dogs and a variety of other species. In 2018 she made the transition back from competing with horses, to competing with dogs. She has since titled several dogs and achieved multiple wins and best in trial performances. Her oldest dog attained his rally masters title and his CDX within 18 months of commencing competition.
Intent on really understanding animals better, Sharon completed a Bachelor of Applied Science, a Graduate Diploma (Captive Vertebrate Management – wildlife and exotics) and a Master of Animal Science. Sharon is currently completing a PhD in Veterinary Pharmacology – studying behaviour-modifying medications for anxiety-based disorders and stereotypies.
Sharon is a fully certified behaviour consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) in both dogs (CDBC) and horses (CHBC), and is a certified professional dog trainer - CPDT-KA.
Sharon guest lectures to post graduate veterinarians and behaviourists at several universities and organisations, on the topics of animal behaviour, training, species-specific cognition, welfare and psychological trauma in animals.
Nowadays Sharon’s primary focus is working with dogs displaying significant aggression (dog-to-human and dog-to-dog), and also cases where the animal is performing a range of other behaviours associated with fear or anxiety.
In all cases, Sharon’s primary aim is to help the humans to understand the underlying cause for their dog’s behaviour, and to use both management and behaviour-modifying training, to achieve a better outcome for the dog and their human family.
Beyond her knowledge of animal learning, Sharon is a sought-after coach and mentor for competitors in a variety of sports. Sharon has coached several International teams and countless individuals to winning performances. She is consistently effective at improving performances, not just in elite level competitors, but anyone looking to get started in a sport or improve the quality or level of their performance.
Sharon and her husband currently share their home with three amazing dogs and a very tolerant cat.
Further information is available at www.AvantiDogTraining.com.au
Pronouns: Sharon goes by she/her.
