Online courses
Welcome to
TRAINING YOUR DOG FOR SCENT WORK
Through 6 online modules we will take you on a journey into the world of dogs and into a deeper understanding of your own dog, helping you to develop a stronger more meaningful relationship with your canine partner.
Over the next 12 months (2018-2019) we will be releasing 6 modules for you to study and when taken consecutively these modules will give you a comprehensive knowledge and appreciation of the scenting dog.
The first module, Canine Perception and Ability is open NOW. For more information or to enrol click on the link below.
MODULE 1 INFORMATION
Module 1: Canine perception and ability
In this information packed course you will be introduced to the very differently perceived world your dog lives in. Dogs see, hear and smell a world often undetectable to human senses, and we often underestimate and sometimes overestimate their abilities. This can lead to misunderstanding between you and your dog.
We are sometimes bewildered by our dogs behaviour. When they miss cues that are very obvious to us or when they seemingly react to nothing. By the end of this module you will have a much greater appreciation of the fascinating and complex sensory world our canine companions live in.
In this course we look at the sensory abilities of dogs. We cover the physiology of a dogs eyes, ears and nose in an easy to understand yet comprehensive way. This is not a course to learn about veterinary science but one that gives the everyday dog owner to the professional dog trainer the knowledge of what your dog can see, hear and smell and the basics of why this is so.
Estimated time to complete: 6 hours.
You will have 6 weeks to complete this module from the time of enrolment.
This course is best viewed in Firefox or Chrome platforms as the presentation and videos stall in Internet Explorer.
To download Firefox for free click here.
In this information packed course you will be introduced to the very differently perceived world your dog lives in. Dogs see, hear and smell a world often undetectable to human senses, and we often underestimate and sometimes overestimate their abilities. This can lead to misunderstanding between you and your dog.
We are sometimes bewildered by our dogs behaviour. When they miss cues that are very obvious to us or when they seemingly react to nothing. By the end of this module you will have a much greater appreciation of the fascinating and complex sensory world our canine companions live in.
In this course we look at the sensory abilities of dogs. We cover the physiology of a dogs eyes, ears and nose in an easy to understand yet comprehensive way. This is not a course to learn about veterinary science but one that gives the everyday dog owner to the professional dog trainer the knowledge of what your dog can see, hear and smell and the basics of why this is so.
Estimated time to complete: 6 hours.
You will have 6 weeks to complete this module from the time of enrolment.
This course is best viewed in Firefox or Chrome platforms as the presentation and videos stall in Internet Explorer.
To download Firefox for free click here.
Coming soon in 2018
Module 2: Canine Communication. In this module we will look at the transfer of information between dogs and dogs, and between dogs and humans. There are many behaviours associated with dog communication. It is almost a universal language that can be incredibly subtle and wide-ranging. This marvellous language is one that we can also learn and understand, and through that ability communicate with our dogs far more effectively. This module has many videos to observe and several practical exercises for you to try with your dog in order to see how well you communicate.
Module 3: Training, Motivation and Rewards. This module covers the psychology of training both positive and negative and all the in betweens. We will discuss what motivates your dog and why different dogs require different amounts of motivation. Then using some practical experimentation with your dog we discuss reward and how best to use them. This is a particularly important section as many people get this wrong. You now know how important it is to get the reward correct when training your dog on odour.
Module 4: Scent Dynamics. In this module we move away from the world of dog and move into the world of scent, a dogs world. In this module you will learn about how scent is effected by the environment and the atmosphere, how scent moves and is effected by time. You will learn about airflow and thermal air movement and how temperature and time of day effect the ability of your dog to find a scent. There are also some fun practical exercises we will get you to do to help you understand airflow and thermal dynamics which you can use when training your dog further down the track.
At the end of these 4 modules you will have a great understanding of how your dog interprets the world how they communicate with us and how we can communicate with them. You will understand how you dog is best motivated and trained to suit their personality and finally how your dog works scent and why they sometimes offer bewildering behaviours when working.
There are then two elective modules. You can elect to take one or both depending on your interest.
Module 5: Nosework/Detection. In this module you will learn about the basics of Nosework and how dogs are started on odour. We look at different training methods and strategies. And most importantly we discuss preparation, handling and storage of odour. Finally we look at tactics in training and troubleshooting.
Module 6: Tracking and Trailing. Again we cover the basics of training and different training methods. We discuss how you train your dog for success and robustness in different environments. We look at equipment and how to handle your dog in a way they will not interfere with their superior scenting ability. Finally we troubleshoot the most common training problems in tracking and why they occur and what to do to avoid or fix them.
Module 3: Training, Motivation and Rewards. This module covers the psychology of training both positive and negative and all the in betweens. We will discuss what motivates your dog and why different dogs require different amounts of motivation. Then using some practical experimentation with your dog we discuss reward and how best to use them. This is a particularly important section as many people get this wrong. You now know how important it is to get the reward correct when training your dog on odour.
Module 4: Scent Dynamics. In this module we move away from the world of dog and move into the world of scent, a dogs world. In this module you will learn about how scent is effected by the environment and the atmosphere, how scent moves and is effected by time. You will learn about airflow and thermal air movement and how temperature and time of day effect the ability of your dog to find a scent. There are also some fun practical exercises we will get you to do to help you understand airflow and thermal dynamics which you can use when training your dog further down the track.
At the end of these 4 modules you will have a great understanding of how your dog interprets the world how they communicate with us and how we can communicate with them. You will understand how you dog is best motivated and trained to suit their personality and finally how your dog works scent and why they sometimes offer bewildering behaviours when working.
There are then two elective modules. You can elect to take one or both depending on your interest.
Module 5: Nosework/Detection. In this module you will learn about the basics of Nosework and how dogs are started on odour. We look at different training methods and strategies. And most importantly we discuss preparation, handling and storage of odour. Finally we look at tactics in training and troubleshooting.
Module 6: Tracking and Trailing. Again we cover the basics of training and different training methods. We discuss how you train your dog for success and robustness in different environments. We look at equipment and how to handle your dog in a way they will not interfere with their superior scenting ability. Finally we troubleshoot the most common training problems in tracking and why they occur and what to do to avoid or fix them.