Get ready to discuss all things Scent Work! Topics will be helpful for both companion dog owners and serious dog sport competitors. #allaboutscentworkpodcast #scentwork #nosework #scentworktraining #noseworktraining #scentworktrialing #noseworktrialing #scentworku #scentworkuniversity
Our dogs regularly encounter and experience stressors, be it in their daily lives or when they are training or trialing in Scent Work. The number and type of stressor the dog must contend with at any one time will inform whether they can rise to the occasion or crumble under the pressure. Visualize a watermelon and wrapping a single rubber band around it. A stressor has been applied, but the…
Scent Work Judges and trial officials offer a unique and informed perspective that can provide golden nuggets of brilliance and insights to competitors. Enter Scot Singpiel of the Alert! Scent Work Podcast , who interviews these experts from a competitor’s perspective. In this spotlight episode, we highlight what inspired Scot to create the Alert! Scent Work Podcast, his desire to learn as much as…
Jason Heng is a longtime member of the Nose Work community, having traveled across the United States to compete with his dogs, who has trained and coached teams as a Certified Nose Work Instructor and has officiated trials both as a NACSW Certifying Official and Judge for many years. In this episode, Jason shares his observations both as a trial official and coach, particularly as it pertains to…
In this episode, we have the distinct privilege of speaking with Melissa McCue-McGrath about how she has used Scent Work training within her behavior modification programs, her participation in the Invasive Species Detection Study 2024 for the Spotted Lantern Fly and her upcoming book, Misadventures of the World's Okayest Dog Trainer . This discussion highlights the power of Scent Work, how it can…
Pressure exists in all our searches, both when we are training and trialing. The question is, what do we do with this pressure? How do we react to it? Should we avoid a pressure point or lean into it? The answer is not quite as clear as you may think. The approach one team takes may be completely inappropriate for another. Also, what a team does will likely change from search-to-search. The…
In this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Adam Skandarani about their new monthly membership program, Smelly Dog Club . Leveraging their behavioral background, Adam has designed this coaching program to help those teams who are experiencing nagging issues in their searches, whether when training or at trial. Adam discusses how the root causes may not be as simple as they seem. Is…
In Scent Work, there are two players at work: the dog and the handler. Who is taking a leading role and who is supporting? Who is making the decisions, when, why and how? What are these players communicating and are they listening to one another? The roles within the search exist on a shared spectrum of extremes. On one polar extreme, the dog is doing everything and on the other, the handler is…
The one skill that torments many Scent Work teams is the handler's ability to correctly read their dog. There is so much on the line! Getting a "No" when training is bad enough but hearing the dreaded “No” at a trial, that is so much worse! It can feel as though the floor is collapsing out from under you. Thus, it makes sense that people clamor for a definitive neon sign from their dog, “HIDE IS…
Particularly for those teams interested in competing in Scent Work trials, ensuring they and their dogs are ready is an important part of the process. Can they perform in a novel environment and under pressure? This is where mock trials and Sniff N' Go events come into play. Essential information gathering tools, participating in these events should be part of the process before a team steps to…
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with the co-founders of K9 Nose Work® and NACSW™, Amy Herot and Jill Marie O'Brien regarding the Instructor Certification Program. In this episode, Amy and Jill discuss why the Instructor Certification Program was created, what prospective instructors can expected from the program, the benefits afforded dogs, handlers and instructors alike and their…