Handler Skills Program

Handler Skills

Language of Nose Work: Reading Your Dog Webinar Instructor Michael McManus and Natalie McManus Learning how to read our dogs is a necessary skill for every Scent Work handler to master. See how you can go about doing this in this webinar.

Trial Prep Program

Conquering Competition Stress Webinar Instructor Michael McManus Does your dog perform great at home and at class, but under-perform at trial? Do you struggle to reproduce the problems you have at trial in training? Perhaps the real issues is your inability to cope and deal with competition stress. In this webinar, Michael will walk you through how you can turn competition stress from a negative to a positive.

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

Learning, and Moving On, From Trial Mishaps Webinar Instructor Dana Zinn Let’s face it, most of us have had things not go perfectly in competition. Many times, the challenge is figuring out which were preventable, and which were anomalies. Learn common issues teams experience at trial and how to learn from them.

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.

Handler Skills

Toys for Nosework: How, When and Why Webinar Instructor Michele Ellertson Are you and your dog interested in rewarding with toys in Nosework but are unsure where to begin? Figure out the how, when and why with this webinar, to ensure you are effectively playing with your dog, gaining the benefits and avoiding the common pitfalls!

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.

Handler Skills Program

Wait: Why, When, How and the Aftermath Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos Have you ever tackled a search with your dog and wondered what you should do as a handler? You've heard the advice of waiting, to grant the dog time to solve it on their own. This webinar will take a deep dive into the handler choice of waiting, when to use it and pitfalls to avoid.

Handler Skills Program

Quit: Why, When, How and the Aftermath Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos Your dog is working a challenging search and struggling. You've tried waiting and even stepping into help to no avail.; Now what? This webinar will help you grasp the powerful handling choice of quitting a search and how it may be just what your team needs.

Handler Skills Program

Help: Why, When, How and the Aftermath Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos Are you looking for clarity when it comes to helping your dog in a search? When, how and why you should help? The possible consequences to be mindful of and follow-up training and exercises that may be necessary? This webinar is for you!

General Scent Work

Components of Scent Work: Handler Communication Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos The final installment in this webinar series, we discuss the importance of handler communication, how it can affect the totality of the search, ways to develop, finetune and maintain this skill and more.

Canine Body Behavior

Canine Body Behavior and Scent Work for Handlers Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos We oftentimes hear how "reading your dog" is essential in Scent Work, but we must hone our eye outside the context of our dogs working odor too!

Common Issues

Wait...Did You Find a Hide?! Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos Does your dog buzz around the search area seemingly finding hides without telling you? Learn some solutions with this webinar.

Common Issues

Go Find a New Hide, Please Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos Does your dog get stuck a hide they already found? Learn why this happens and how to help them move on to find new hides.

Advanced Topics Program

Building an Effective Nosework Training Plan for Dog Owners Webinar Instructor Michele Ellertson Breaking down complex ideas into smaller pieces helps our dogs better understand. Learn how you can do this in Nosework, designing effective training plans, with this webinar!

Handler Skills Program

To Help or Not to Help Webinar Instructor Judith Guthrie The age old question in Scent Work: should I step in to help my dog or not? We evaluate this and provide some tips on how you can make an informed decision when working with your own dog in this webinar.

Handler Skills Program

Is That Odor or Not Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos Handlers can struggle being able to tell whether their dog is sniffing odor or not. We will try to help in this webinar.

Handler Skills Program

Leash Handling Skills Course Instructor Laurel Scarioni Do you dread doing searches that are on-leash? You won't after taking this course!

Trial Prep

Let's Look at Leash Work! Webinar Instructor Holly Bushard Do you find using your leash or long line to be stressful, frustrating and downright a messy process? Learn how to work on this crucial skill and be far more effective in using your leash or long line in your searches with 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.

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!

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.

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

Know Your Role: The Handler’s Role in Trialing Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley We can quite literally derail an otherwise fantastic search at trial when we step out of our lane and, well, forget to remember our role! Learn what your role is at Scent Work trials and how to best support your canine partner in this informative webinar.

Trial Prep Program

Who’s Watching Who? Understand the Dog’s Changes of Behaviors (COBs) Webinar Instructor Khara Schuetzner Can you describe 5 out of the 10 changes of behaviors (COBs) your dog exhibits while they're in odor? No worries, you will learn how in this webinar! Join Khara to learn how to identify these COBs and better read and decipher what your dog is telling you during a search.

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.

Handler Skills Program

The Handler's Role: Managing Behavioral Challenges Webinar Instructor Nancy Reyes In this second entry for this three-part webinar series, learn practical, in-the-moment strategies to manage reactivity, anxiety, distractions, and movement/sensory challenges so searches stay safe, smooth, and productive.

NW Relationship

Coach Jeff's Guide To The Nosework Relationship Webinar Instructor Jeff McMahon Everyone deserves a good relationship with their dog. This is the webinar where we light the path to the authentic and fulfilling Nose Work relationship that best fits YOU and YOUR DOG.

Trial Prep Program

Cover It: Strategies for Successful Search Area Management Webinar Instructor Kayla Dever and Samantha Winslow We cannot place all the responsibility on our dogs when it comes to tackling a search. Effective search area management is a key handler skill we must master, especially in the upper levels. Learn all that is involved and how to up your game with this informative webinar!

Scent Work for Everyone

More Than Payment: Strategic Treat Delivery for Nose Work Dogs Webinar Instructor Michael McManus Treat delivery is more than just paying your dog, it’s a powerful training tool that shapes confidence, independence, and search behavior. This webinar is designed to help handlers move from habitual reinforcement to thoughtful, intentional reinforcement choices.

Trial Prep Program

Vehicle Search Mechanics: The Handler's Role Webinar Instructor Michele Ellertson Once the dog understands how to confidently execute a vehicle search, the real finesse comes from the handler. This webinar dives into the human side of the team: how to support, read, and respond to a dog who is already patterned and fluent.

Read Your Dog

What Did Ya Say: Learning to Read Your Dog Seminar Instructor Tony Gravley Your dog is constantly communicating during the search, the real question is whether you understand what they are saying. Join Tony for this information-packed seminar as he breaks down the behaviors handlers commonly see but often struggle to interpret when both training and trialing.

Trial Prep Program

Be Strategic: Breaking Down the NACSW Walk Through Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley Learn how to extract critical information from the NACSW Trial Walk Through videos. The type of information that separates those teams who simply run a search at a trial from those who tackle the very same search strategically.

Trial Prep Program

The Decision Zone: Where Behavior Tells the Truth Seminar Instructor Tony Gravley During this seminar, Tony will highlight what he refers to as the "the Decision Zone" and will breakdown the habits and patterns dogs exhibit right when they encounter odor—not just the obvious ones, but the subtle, easy-to-miss shifts that separate guessing from knowing.

Trial Prep Program

Supporting v Interfering: Becoming a Better Handler in Scent Work Webinar Instructor Khara Schuetzner The goal in Scent Work is to achieve teamwork, where the dog drives the search with its superior nose, while the handler manages logistics, reads body language, and tries to stay neutral enough to avoid cueing or pressuring the dog. Learn how to find the balance between supporting and interfering with this webinar.

General Scent Work

Play It Up: Using Play in Scent Work Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos One objective for us as handlers is to have as many tools as possible in our toolbox. Play is one such powerful tool. Learn how to inject the concept of play within your searches, to keep the game fun and engaging for both you and your dog.

Live Webinar

Handlers Having Fun in Scent Work Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos People can sometimes get the idea that Scent Work is boring for the handler. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this webinar, we will outline ways to make our search engaging, fun and riveting for both ends of the leash.

Trial Prep Program

The Power of Purposeful Goal Setting in Dog Sports and Life Webinar Instructor Teah Anders Do you have goals you want to achieve but feel unsure where to begin? Do you have projects or ideas that keep getting pushed aside despite your best intentions? This webinar is precisely what you are looking for!

Trial Prep Program

Advanced Supportive Handling: Who We Can Become for Our Dogs Webinar Instructor Leah Gangelhoff Gain a better appreciation for the what our dogs are contending with in complex converging odor environments that they encounter in upper-level searches with this webinar. This knowledge will help you be a better supportive handler for your canine partner.

Live Webinar

Cycle of the Hunt: Reading the Full Search Sequence Webinar Date October 14th at 4:30PM PT / 7:30PM ET (5:30PM MT / 6:30PM CT) Instructor Judith Guthrie Do you understand the sequence of behaviors your dog moves through during a search, and how those behaviors fit into the phases of the search? Learn how to better recognize what is going well, identify where the cycle is breaking down, and make more targeted training decisions.

Handler Skills Program

Passionate About Scent Work

Latest Livestreams

Latest posts

Get in touch

Legal