Course Details
Nosework is easily the hottest new sport around, and it’s easy to see why! It’s fun for humans, dogs love to participate, and it’s good for building confidence and focus in dogs that have issues like shyness, reactivity, aggression, or a simple lack of confidence. Any dog can participate; from puppies to very old or retired dogs. In a matter of weeks, you’ll see your dog confidently ignoring distractions and focusing on the target scent; and by the end of the course, many of the dogs will be ready to compete for their ORT.
This course is unique in that your dog will NOT learn to search for food; instead, we use the proven training method that produces the nation's top drug and bomb detection dogs! Our backchaining method is effective on almost all dogs, from insecure and unfocused dogs to highly driven and intense workers. The proof is in the pudding; dogs going through only one or two levels of our courses are earning their ORT, NW titles and scent work titles in record time! Even if your dog has failed using other methods, we can help you succeed!
Students also use this course for shed and truffle hunting. It is the same process, just different scent. I even had a scat dog come through my class that went on to have a successful career for the forestry service.
In this class, you will learn about the basic concepts in searching for odor, proper use of equipment, how to handle odor, how to make and place hides, and how to teach your dog the importance of odor obedience. You will also learn how to make the search for scent extremely important to your dog.
This class has updated content including new exercises for building odor value, starting with other containers to help prevent box smashing/interaction and introducing distractions and generalization earlier in foundation training. We will also discuss optional exercises outside of nose work to enhance your nose work skills.
Announcement: This class will have a Teacher Assistants (TA). If you join the FB discussion group for this course, then you will have access to an awesome TA to assist bronze and silver level students who need additional support. There will be no change to the classroom itself here on the FDSA website and Melissa will respond to all student threads as per usual. For more information about joining the FB Study group for this course, please join the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy Alumni AFTER you become a student of FDSA. Information is also posted in the class discussion.
Teaching Approach
Lectures will be released weekly so you can plan your week based on homework and reading assignments. In addition to exercises, there will be lectures on key concepts. Homework is not assigned on the concept lectures. Lectures with exercises will include a written portion, example videos, and homework. The exercises will build on each other over the duration of the course, and most can be done in small spaces. There will be some bending required, however no quick movements are necessary. If you have questions in regard to content or requirements, please contact me via the instructor link.
Melissa Chandler (she/her) lives in Ohio and is owned by her Weimaraner and Vizsla. Melissa has been addicted to dog sports since starting in 4H and AKC Jr. Showmanship. She has competed in conformation, agility, obedience, hunt tests, nose work, and rally. She has also...(Click here for full bio and to view Melissa's upcoming courses)
Instructor: Melissa Chandler
