Trial Prep Program

You are interested in competing or are already competing in Scent Work trials, how exciting! The resources offered in this program are designed to ensure you, your dog and your team are prepared to tackle the challenges posed at trial.

These training resources will be helpful across a variety of competition venues, but there are several thar are venue-specific.

Are you looking for one-on-one coaching or support for your team? Contact us and we will provide you with some customized suggestions!

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Trial Prep Program

Trial Prep Tips

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Recommended Podcasts RE: Trial Prep
Trialing Tips
Recommended Podcasts RE: Trial Prep
Trialing Tips
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What You Need on Trial Day
Trialing Tips
What You Need on Trial Day
Trialing Tips
Remember: Odor Moves
Understanding Odor
Remember: Odor Moves
Understanding Odor
Training v. Trialing
Trialing Tips
Training v. Trialing
Trialing Tips
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Live Webinar
Building Endurance in Container Searches Webinar
Date: February 25th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
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.
Live Webinar
Best Practices for Trialing an Older Dog Webinar
Date: January 14th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
Instructor: Holly Bushard

Nosework sports are so good for our older partners! While the scent sports are older-dog friendly, there are many things we can do to help keep our partners in their best shape and frame of mind to work at the optimal performance levels. Learn how in this webinar!
Live Webinar
Trialing with Multiple Dogs and Making it Work Webinar
Date: November 26th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
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.
Live Webinar
Maintaining and Troubleshooting the Nose Poke Alert Webinar
Date: October 29th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
Instructor: Holly Bushard

Have you taken the Noke Poke Alert Webinar? Perhaps you have been practicing building a nose poke alert with your own dog. Are you looking for more tips on how to maintain this behavior and cope with any issues you may running into? This webinar is for you!
Live Webinar
Using Walkthrough and Debrief Videos to Analyze Your Team's Problem Solving Webinar
Date: October 14th at 4:00PM PT/5:00PM MT/6:00PM CT/7:00PM ET
Instructor: Jill Kovacevich

The videos provided for NACSW trials are powerful training tools! Learn how to more effectively utilize both the walkthrough and debrief videos to analyze the problem solving skills of your team with this webinar.
Live Webinar
Performance Redefined: Agility to Nosework Webinar
Date: October 24th at 3:00PM PT/4:00PM MT/5:00PM CT/6:00PM ET
Instructor: Vicky Lovejoy

Agility requires handler focus whereas Nosework demands an entirely different dynamic between dog and handler. In this webinar, learn how to help overcome these challenges and make for a smoother transition from agility to Nosework.
Live Webinar
Mastering the Big Picture: Preparing for Elite & Summit Level Nosework Webinar
Date: December 17th at 10:00AM PT/11:00AM MT/12:00PM CT/1:00PM ET
Instructor: Michele Ellertson

You are embarking on your Elite or Summit journey. Learn how to balance efficiency with thoroughness, develop handling plans that adapt in real time, and build the skills needed to succeed at Elite and Summit level trials.
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.
Live Virtual Event
Decoding AKC Handler Discrimination and Buried Classes Virtual Event
Date: December 12th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
Instructor: Anita Ambani, Holly Bushard, Judith Guthrie, Natalie McManus, Khara Schuetzner, Aleks Woodroffe

Are you struggling with the handler discimination or buried classes when you enter AKC Scent Work trials? This virtual event is for you! Our panelists will discuss why these classes are challenging, common pitfalls and tips for success.
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.
Live Webinar
Nose Work for Small Dogs Webinar
Date: November 12th at 10:00AM PT/11:00AM MT/12:00PM CT/1:00PM ET
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.
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!
Live Webinar
What to Do: Days After the Trial Webinar
Date: October 6th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
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 Prep Program
What to Do: Days Before a Trial Webinar
Instructor: Dianna L. Santos

The days leading up to the trial can be immensely powerful if we leverage them well. However, poor decisions in the days prior to a trial can set our team back! Learn some of the possibilities and how to assess what will work best for your team in this webinar.
Trial Prep Program
Nerves Poisoning the Fun Webinar
Instructor: Silke Wittig

Are you a nervous competitor? Do you find yourself dreading trialing? Is your anxiety starting to chip away at your joy for the sniffing game? This webinar will offer some approaches that are designed just for you!
Live Webinar
What the Nose Knows and the Camera Sees Webinar
Date: October 23rd at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
Instructor: Ana Cilursu

Whether you’re learning about changes of behavior, fine-tuning your observation skills, working on your handling or everything in between, this webinar will show you how to use video to recognize patterns and behaviors, build clearer communication, expand your knowledge and take your Scent Work to the next level.
Live Virtual Event
Judge's View Virtual Event
Date: November 7th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
Instructor: Anita Ambani, Bill Gaskins, Judith Guthrie, Michelle Munson, Caroline Oldham, Aleks Woodroffe

Wouldn't it be nice to know what the Judge sees? What works. What doesn't. Trends they notice over a course of judging several teams over a variety of events. We will discuss this and more in this exciting virtual event!
General Scent Work
Bringing Experience to the Nose Game: Starting Strong in Scent Work Webinar
Instructor: Ana Cilursu

You already have that fascinating combination of instinct, training and trust between you and your dog. Starting Scent Work with prior experience in other dog sport venues can give you a serious edge. Learn how in this webinar!
Trial Prep Program
Nose Poke Alert Webinar
Instructor: Holly Bushard

Explore ways to increase a dog’s excitement about getting to source, staying at source, and communicating about source with this information-packed webinar.
Common Issues
Aggressive Alerts: Causes and Solutions Webinar
Instructor: Tony Gravley

Does your dog love to smash boxes, scratch up vehicles, retrieve hides or practice other types of aggressive alerts? Learn the common causes and practical training solutions in this webinar.
Handler Skills Program
Learn More About The Dog-Driven Search Virtual Event
Instructor: Sue Sternberg and Dana Zinn

You've heard of The Dog-Driven Search book. Take a deeper dive and gain a better understanding of importance of handler orientation, matching pace and speed, tips for tackling a search, covering the search area and much more.
Live Virtual Event
Instructors: How Best to Prep NACSW Clients Virtual Event
Date: October 17th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET
Instructor: Holly Bushard, Kayla Dever, Tony Gravley, Michael McManus, Natalie McManus, Khara Schuetzner

Both instructors and clients will benefit from this exciting roundtable. Our panelists will discuss ways instructors can best help their client prepare to succeed in the various levels of NACSW trials.
AKC Scent Work
Instructors: How Best to Prep AKC Scent Work Clients Virtual Event
Instructor: Anita Ambani, Holly Bushard, Tony Gravley, Judith Guthrie, Natalie McManus, Khara Schuetzner

Both instructors and clients will benefit from this exciting roundtable. Our panelists will discuss ways instructors can best help their client prepare to succeed in the various levels of AKC Scent Work trials.
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.
General Scent Work
How Would You Train It Virtual Event
Instructor: Holly Bushard, Kayla Dever, Tony Gravley, Michael McManus, Natalie McManus, Nancy Reyes

Our roundtable will be posed with three common issues handlers may encounter when training or trialing in Scent Work. Learn how they would design a training plan, react to subsequent issues and more in this exciting event.
AKC Scent Work
Officiating AKC SW Trials: Novice to Advanced Virtual Event
Instructor: Holly Bushard, Ana Cilursu, Tony Gravley, Judith Guthrie, Laurel Scarioni, Khara Schuetzner

This roundtable will help trial officials and competitors alike. Our speakers will share tips and insights for designing level-appropriate Noice - Advanced seraches, setting "Yes" zones, scoring a run, share tips for success, common pitfalls to avoid and much more.
Trial Prep
Skills Supporting the Sniff Webinar
Instructor: Holly Bushard

Training is all about building skills. Learn about all the various skills which exist outside of searching which allow for our dogs to be successful when they ARE searching!
Trial Prep Program
Strategic Trialing - Choosing Which Venue and When Webinar
Instructor: Holly Bushard

There are several Scent Work competition organizations out there. Learn how to be more strategic in which you choose to compete with, when and how in this webinar.
Trial Prep Program
Working Under Pressure Webinar
Instructor: Judith Guthrie

Trialing in Scent Work oftentimes turns into a battle against the clock. Why not do fast searches in training to prepare?
General Scent Work
What is a Purposeful Search Webinar
Instructor: Judith Guthrie

You've heard the importance of being purposeful when designing your searches. Learn what it means to be purposeful, how to plan your training even if you only have 10 minutes, how to quickly decide what you should do in an environment and more.
Handler Skills Program
Wait: Why, When, How and the Aftermath Webinar
Instructor: Dianna L. Santos

The first in a three-part series, this webinar will delve into the wait handling option, why it is useful and follow-up training you should do to ensure your dog truly has the skills they need.
Handler Skills Program
Wait, Quit or Help Webinar
Instructor: Dianna L. Santos

When your dog is struggling with a search, you have three choices: wait them out, call it quits or step in to help. We discuss the pros and cons of each in this webinar.
Common Issues
What's the Issue: Vehicles Webinar
Instructor: Dianna L. Santos

Do you and your dog find Vehicle searches challenging and frustrating? Figuring out WHY will help you better devise a training solution. We discuss how you can do just that in this webinar.
Trial Prep Program
Why Stress is Good Webinar
Instructor: Michael McManus and Natalie McManus

Dogs and handlers encounter stress both within and outside their searches. Learn how to better cope with this stress using targeted exercises meant for both ends of leash in this webinar.
Trial Prep Program
Training Blank Areas Webinar
Instructor: Michael and Natalie McManus

While blank searches are usually considered an “NW3” concept, they can be important at every level of the dog’s development. Worried about messing up your dog with blank searches? Learn how to use blank area in training and better read your dog in competition with this webinar.
Trial Prep Program
Trial Prep for Reactive Dogs Webinar
Instructor: Dianna L. Santos

Scent Work is a unique dog sport in that it is open to reactive dogs. However, a Scent Work trial can be rather challenging for reactive dogs...triggers abound! Learn a variety of exercises, routines and tips to help your reactive dog be more successful at a Scent Work trial with this webinar.
Common Issues
Stopping the Potty: Tips for Exterior Searches Webinar
Instructor: Dianna L. Santos

You see grass. You see trees. You see vertical spaces. All of this means your dog is going to potty during the search and your heart is racing! What to do?! Find out in this webinar.
Trial Prep Program
P for Pronounced or Pee? Webinar
Instructor: Sue Sternberg

Have you ever been puzzled as to whether your dog was working a hide, was invested in dog odor or getting ready to potty? In this webinar, Sue will show the differences between a dog sniffing doggy odors vs a dog sniffing target odors.
Trial Prep Program
Sniff Busters Webinar
Instructor: Laurel Scarioni

Learn about the common myths and misunderstandings about hide placement and odor movement that can result in issues when training and trialing in Scent Work.
Trial Prep
Train a Freeze Indication Webinar
Instructor: Michele Ellertson

In this webinar, Michele will talk about all the steps involved in how to create the behavior of a nose freeze, how to proof it and perhaps most importantly, why and how it could go wrong!
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