Course Details
Have you ever heard the phrase, "Go back to Foundations?" Do you really know what that means? In this class we will learn WHAT the proper foundations are for Nosework and will work on enhancing them.
This class is for all dogs already searching on odor. Are you new to Nosework and want to make sure that your dog is rock solid? Or do you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed in your searching with your more advanced dog? Both can be addressed in this class.
Foundations are the bedrock upon which we build an excellent Nosework dog. It determines whether we will flounder or be mediocre or if we are able to allow the dog to fulfill his individual potential. Time spent on Foundations is never wasted. Foundations aren't "beginning stuff"... Foundations are a way of training so that we can develop a dog who can work fluidly and confidently. We can enhance the teamwork between the dog and handler.... and when teamwork is at its finest it's difficult to know where the dog ends and the handler begins!
This class helps us to:
- Understand what Foundations ARE and what Good Looks Like
- Helps us to target where to focus and improve
- Address training challenges.... most training issues are Foundation related!
What is the result of good Foundations? FOCUS, TEAMWORK, FLUIDITY, EXCELLENCE
Here's an example of a team showing excellent Foundations:
NOTE: If you took NW470 Roadmap to Success, there will be some overlap. NW470 covered Foundations for the first 2 weeks of class. In this class, we are covering Foundations for the entire 6 weeks, to a much deeper and comprehensive extent.
Teaching Approach
Each week a series of lectures will be released (usually 3 to 5). The lectures will be a combination of supporting theory and setup examples. Some self reflection will be needed in order to apply the concepts to the learner's situation. This is a class with a lot of foundational concepts that are actionable rather than step by step instructions.
This class will have a Teacher's Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook study group to help the bronze and silver students! Directions for joining that Facebook group will be in the classroom after you register.

Stacy Barnett (she/her) is a successful nosework competitor, being one of only a handful of teams titled through the Summit Level (SMT) in NACSW with her dog, Judd. In fact, she and Judd have earned THREE Summit titles (SMTx3)! Stacy is also an international clinician and AKC scent work judge. (Click here for full bio and to view Stacy's upcoming courses)