Handler Skills - Webinars

You are a crucial part of the team! These resources are designed to ensure you are the best teammate for your canine partner.

Handler Skills - Webinars
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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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
Tony's Strategic Insights: Evaluating NACSW Virtual Walkthrough Videos (July 2026) Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley Are you ready to apply the skills covered in the Be Strategic: Breaking Down the NACSW Walk Through Webinar? Perfect! Join us for this live webinar and put your skills to the test!
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!
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
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 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.
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!
Trial Prep Program
The Goods on Reward Sequence Webinar Instructor Tony Gravley One of the biggest causes of slow sourcing and a lack of motivation to get all the way to source may be directly tied to the handler’s reward sequence. In this webinar, learn what happens after the dog finds odor and how the handler’s timing, reward delivery, and expectations can unintentionally change what the dog believes is valuable.
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.
Trial Prep Program
Decoding and Understanding "The Look" Webinar Instructor Khara Schuetzner When you are training or trialing, does your dog ever give you “The Look”? What does this mean? A very subjective change of behavior that is individualized to the dog, handlers can struggle to properly interpret "The Look". Was it a question, a moment of thinking, an alert?! Learn how to decode and better understand "The Look" with this 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
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.
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.
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!
Trial Prep
The Ups and Downs of Making Changes to Your Nose Work Handling Webinar Instructor Dana Zinn Have you thought about making changes to your Nose Work handling but don’t know where to start? Perhaps you tried something new that didn't seem to work, your dog was confused or you are concerned it will break your dog's love for the game? Why are some dogs more stressed by handling changes than others? Answer all of these questions and more with this exciting webinar!
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
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 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.
Trial Prep Program
Cycle of the Hunt: Reading the Full Search Sequence Webinar 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.
Trial Prep Program
Winning the Environment: Enviro-Testing Your Ability to Execute a Team Mindset Webinar Instructor Jason Heng Does it feel as though it is you and your dog up against the environment when you are tackling your searches? Learn how to develop a team mindset where the environment doesn't dismantle your primary skills simply due to a barrier, no go-back requirement, time pressure, wind, summit-twists, hot, cold, cluttered areas, etc. Prevailing over what the environment throws at you is the true win.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Live Webinar
Leash Wrangling Skills for Rodeo Searchers Webinar Date February 2nd at 10:00AM PT / 1:00PM ET (11:00AM MT / 12:00PM CT) Instructor Jason Heng Do you struggle with your leash handling? You are not alone! Learn how to develop leash skill that are reliable, repeatable, and easily accessible from our toolkit under trial search pressure.
Live Webinar
Recording and Reviewing Your Scent Work Searches Webinar Date January 13th at 5:30PM PT / 8:30PM ET (6:30PM MT / 7:30PM CT) Instructor Judith Guthrie Want to video your searches but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’re unsure what equipment to use, where to put it, or how you’re supposed to record while handling your dog. Or you’ve tried, and every attempt seems to go sideways. This webinar is for you!
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Passionate About Scent Work

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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One Dog Focus or Multi-Dog Marathon?

Latest posts

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Let's Discuss Hunting...As In Real Hunting!
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