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Scent Skills 101

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This class uses household items and food to teach search skills. Lesson materials are self-paced and access does not expire. 

Fully Online / Hybrid Delivery

  • Self-paced lessons 
  • Diagrams 
  • Video demonstrations 
  • Six weeks of video review sessions via Google Meet 


Experience: Beginner 
Equipment: Computer, video recording device (optional)  

Scent Skills 101

Write your awesome label here.

Course Overview

Learn your dog's first language! This course will provide your dog with the confidence to navigate our human concepts of searching, sourcing, and sorting. You'll expand your body language skills and learn ways to enrich and improve your relationship with your dog.  


This course is appropriate for almost anyone with almost any dog. No experience or special equipment is needed. This is a recreational scent work class intended for fun, at home and on the road. Revisiting these foundation skills may also help address some common scent work challenges like "false" alerts, box smashing, or "getting distracted." 

If your dog has a history of guarding resources like food, toys, or other possessions, please contact the instructor before signing up. They may benefit from private coaching or adapted exercises. 

Fully Online / Hybrid Delivery

Class materials delivered over 6 weeks of written, illustrated, and video demo lessons. 

Weekly online meetings will focus on video review, feedback, and deep diving into concepts! 

Syllabus

Scent Work by the Week

Hunting

Hunting is a natural behaviour that can incorporate all of your dog's senses. Learn how to teach your dog to focus on their sense of smell, and what to look for as a handler!

Section 1

Sourcing

To find the source of odour, your dog needs to check up, down, and all around. You'll observe body language and behaviour for clues about odour movement. 

Section 2

Discrimination

While your dog learns to choose between multiple possible items, you'll work on your reward timing and placement. You'll get a chance to review your own video, with help from peers and teacher. 

Section 3

Indication

How will you know if your dog can seek, locate, and identify the odour source? Build stillness into your dog's reward pattern and practice spotting changes of behaviour during searches. 

Section 4

Handling

Leverage your distance and movement to best support your dog's search. Explore handler movement, leash tension, and the dreaded "pouch hand" signal as you learn to notice your own behaviours!

Section 5

Adaptation

Once you master an exercise, you can adapt it to target specific goals or accommodate different needs. With this knowledge and skill, you can take scent work with you wherever you go!

Section 6

Upcoming Dates

While all courses are 100% online, hybrid classes combine self-study course materials with real-time video meetings.

Note: Payment is due at time of registration. If you have not submitted a payment, you have not completed registration. Please check spam and promotional folders for confirmation and reminder emails. 

Swipe or click forward arrow to view later start dates. 

Course Preview

Tap or click a section title to view its lesson topics. 

Feeling Shy?

I also offer private coaching. 
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