Course Details
Nosework training doesn’t always need to be about making searches bigger, harder, or more complex. Sometimes the best way forward is to return to the small pieces that built the dog in the first place.
This six-week class is designed for dogs already working on odor and will build a catalogue of simple, purposeful exercises that can be used to prepare for competition, recover after a difficult trial or training experience, filling a training hole you discovered, or simply reconnect your dog with the joy and confidence of searching.
Each week, two foundational exercises will be released, with a focus on the smaller concepts that can become lost when we spend most of our training time working complex odor pictures. We’ll look at what each exercise builds, when you might reach for it, and how it can be adjusted to meet the dog in front of you. By the end of six weeks, you’ll have a collection of twelve games or exercises you can return to throughout your dog’s career, whether you’re preparing for your next challenge, rebuilding after one, or simply need to fill your dog’s cup and remind them that this game is fun and they’re good at it!
Teaching Approach:
Each week’s exercises will be introduced through a written lecture accompanied by video demonstrations, so students can see both the concepts behind the exercise and what they look like in practice.
Working teams will receive individualized feedback based on their submitted videos. Feedback will primarily be written, with occasional voice-over video review when seeing and discussing specific moments in real time will make the coaching clearer.
The emphasis throughout the class will be on understanding what the exercise is building, what the dog is learning, and how to adjust the exercise for the individual dog rather than simply completing an assignment exactly as written.
