Common Issues - NACSW – Scent Work University

Common Issues - NACSW

There are several common issues dog and handler teams can struggle with when competing at a NACSW trial. These resources focus on providing possible solutions to these issues.

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Training On Your Own

Training on an Island: The Art of Working Solo in Canine Nose Work Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley Do you typically find yourself training on your own? This webinar is for you! Enjoy a deep dive into both sides of the leash, exploring not only the handler’s responsibilities when working without a coach or group but also the dog’s role in developing independence, confidence, and problem-solving skills.

Common Issues

Is That Pooling or Something Else Webinar Instructor Michele Ellertson Do you have a hard time observing the difference between pooling/trapping odor verses source or inaccessible? In this webinar we will talk about clarifying the purpose of the dog, as well as how to avoid some common handling mistakes that can lead to your dog being confused!

Trial Prep Program

Displacement Sniffing and Other Stress Behaviors Webinar Instructor Sue Sternberg Better understand displacement sniffing and other stress behaviors as they relate to Scent Work. Learn how to distinguish the various types of sniffing and how to better support your canine teammate throughout the search with this webinar.

Common Issues

Fringing: Causes and Solutions Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley Are you struggling with your dog fringing at trial? It is as if they say, "Is this close enough?" Learn what fringing is, the causes and how to address it in training with this webinar.

Small Dogs

Nose Work for Small Dogs Webinar Instructor Michele Ellertson Small dogs are faced with additional challenges that large dogs aren’t when it comes to Nose Work. Learn about these challenges, how to tackle them and ways to handle small dogs in Nose Work searches in this webinar.

Trial Prep Program

Let's Make Thresholds Work Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley You've worked hard to develop the dog's desire to seek. But this may mean they are rocketing through their search area, rushing through those thresholds. Learn how to make those thresholds more productive with this webinar.

Common Issues

Don't Fear the Outdoors Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley Exterior searches can feel unpredictable. Wind, wildlife, vegetation, wide open space, all influencing odor behavior and your dog’s mindset. Learn how to confidently build a dog that hunts with purpose outside, not one that gets lost in the environment.

Handler Skills

Know Your Role: The Handler’s Role in Training Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley Do we have a role when training Scent Work with our dogs? YES! If we step out of our lane, this can cause our dogs to become confused, frustrated or demotivated by the search. Learn how to better understand your role in this webinar.

Trial Prep Program

Boundaries: From Start Lines to Flags and Cones Webinar Instructor Dana Zinn Boundaries are a big part of a Nose Work search, but they are often undervalued and/or ignored. Learn how to more meaningfully tackle your start lines, cope with search area boundaries and more in this informative webinar.

Trial Prep

Building Endurance in Container Searches Webinar Instructor Holly Bushard Reliable container performances are a cornerstone for success in competition. In this webinar, learn specific drills and exercises designed to enhance container endurance and accuracy.

Trial Prep Program

Detoxifying Distractors! Webinar Instructor Holly Bushard Do intentional distractors have you down? Are you stressed out trying to distinguish between snack interest and an alert? Maybe you’re just looking for a few fresh and fun “gamified” drills! If so, consider joining us for a night of exploring multifaceted ways to detoxify the distractor downers!

Trial Prep Program

Failure is a Growth Opportunity Virtual Event Instructor Holly Bushard, Tony Gravley, Jill Kovacevich, Michael McManus, Nancy Reyes, Aleks Woodroffe Failure is a necessary feature of the learning process. Yet, we in the sniffing community seemingly shy away and treat failure as a "bad" or "scary" thing! Our speakers will share how we can more leverage failure to further grow as dog trainers, handlers and dog owners.

Trial Prep Program

Trialing with Multiple Dogs and Making it Work Webinar Instructor Holly Bushard As addictive as scent sports are, it’s easy to find yourself trialing behind multiple canine partners! Whether this happens in the same weekend, the same day, or even the same hour, there are several things we can do as handlers to set ourselves up to best support our dogs.

Trial Prep

Mastering Multiple Hides Webinar Instructor Michael McManus Do you want a step-by-step guide to how we teach our own dogs to do multiple hides? Learn how to take the conflict out of multiple hides, starting with building stickiness, and then following a procedure that introduces each new concept slowly and clearly.

Trial Prep Program

On or Off Leash: Deciding Which Option is Right for the Moment Webinar Instructor Kayla Dever and Samantha Winslow Picture it: you're at the start line, ready to cue your dog to search, and a decision lies before you - should you go on or off leash? Learn how to make the best decision based upon the scenario in this webinar.

Trial Prep Program

Influence of Dog's Reactivity on their Scent Work Training and Trialing Webinar Instructor Sue Sternberg Can a dog’s temperament qualities influence their performance at a Scent Work trial? Does a dog’s reactivity with other dogs affect their distractibility during searches? Sue will discuss this and more in this webinar!

Trial Prep Program

What to Do: Days After the Trial Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos Opportunities abound in the days immediately after attending a trial. We discuss what these are and how to identify what will work best for you and your dog in this webinar.

Trial Program

Improving Scent Work Trials for Everyone Virtual Event Instructor Holly Bushard, Kayla Dever, Michele Ellertson, Tony Gravley, Michael McManus and Lori Timberlake In this roundtable, our panel of speakers discuss what works at Scent Work trials right now, potential pain points and issues, common pitfalls and actionable suggestions helpful for trial hosts, trial officials and competitors alike.

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We are committed to offering outstanding learning opportunities that will benefit both you and your dog as you embark on your sniffing journey.

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Let's Chat: Role of Personality - When Training and Trialing in Nose Work Livestream