Handler Skills Program

You are a crucial part of the team! With these courses, we focus on helping you be the best Scent Work teammate your dog can have.

Handler Skills Program
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30 products
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 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
Quit: Why, When, How and the Aftermath Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos The second in this 3-part series, we will take a deeper dive into the quit handling option, when to use it and suggested follow-up training exercises to ensure your dog has the skills they need to be successful.
Handler Skills Program
Help: Why, When, How and the Aftermath Webinar Instructor Dianna L. Santos The final installment for this 3-part series, we will take a deeper dive into the help handling option, when to use it and suggested follow-up training exercises to ensure your dog has the skills they need to be successful.
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.
Live Webinar
Coach Jeff's Guide To The Nosework Relationship Webinar Date February 24th at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET 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.
Live Webinar
Cover It: Strategies for Successful Search Area Management Webinar Date April 9th at 4:30M PT/5:30PM MT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET 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!
Live Webinar
More Than Payment: Strategic Treat Delivery for Nose Work Dogs Webinar Date April 2nd at 4:30PM PT/5:30PM CT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET 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.

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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: Keeping Scent Work Safe
Let's Chat: Keeping Scent Work Safe

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Let's Chat: AKC Scent Work with Dr. John Strassner
Let's Chat: AKC Scent Work with Dr. John Strassner
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Let's Chat: Demystify NW3