“Introduction to Nosework” is a comprehensive program that delves into the fascinating world of nosework, a sport that harnesses dogs’ natural olfactory abilities and develops them to perfection. Nosework has gained immense popularity as one of the top canine activities, inspired by the work of detection dogs trained to search for narcotics and explosives.
In this course, participants will learn how to engage their dogs in the thrilling pursuit of searching for hidden essential oils in various environments such as vehicles, interiors, water, exteriors, and containers. The course emphasizes inclusivity, as it is designed for dogs of all ages, breeds, and physical abilities, including old, retired, disabled, and even aggressive dogs. Whether your dog is purebred, a crossbreed, slow, fast, young, or old, nosework provides an enriching and fulfilling experience for both you and your canine companion.
Who would benefit from taking this course?
This course is ideal for dog Caregivers and enthusiasts who want to tap into their dogs’ incredible olfactory abilities and explore the world of nosework. Whether you are a pet caregiver looking for a mentally stimulating activity for your dog, a trainer seeking to expand your skill set, or a competitor in dog sports wanting to enhance your training repertoire, this course is for you. It is also suitable for individuals with older or disabled dogs who may not be able to engage in physically demanding activities but still crave mental challenges and stimulation.
Furthermore, if you have an aggressive dog and are seeking a non-confrontational and enjoyable outlet for their energy, nosework can provide a positive and rewarding experience.
What will you learn from this course?
Throughout the course, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of nosework and its fundamental principles. The key topics covered include:
- Understanding Nosework: Learn about the rules and regulations of nosework, ensuring a solid foundation for participation in this sport.
- Odor Conditioning: Discover the process of classically conditioning dogs to specific odors.
- Building Alert Behavior: Develop a solid alert behavior in your dog using clicker training techniques, ensuring clear communication between you and your canine partner during searches.
- Discrimination Training: Introduce the concept of discriminating between hot and cold objects, teaching your dog to differentiate between odors and focus on the target scent.
- Odor Holder Introduction: Familiarize your dog with different odor holders, preparing them to search for and indicate the presence of specific scents.
- Cardboard Box Training: Learn how to introduce and utilize cardboard boxes as search elements, enabling your dog to practice their search skills in a controlled environment.
- Generalization: Help your dog generalize their nosework skills by expanding their search scenarios to different locations, surfaces, and situations.
By the end of this course, participants will have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in nosework activities with their dogs confidently. You will understand the fundamental concepts of nosework, possess effective training techniques, and have the ability to create engaging and challenging searches for your canine partner. Whether you aim to participate in competitive nosework trials or simply engage in a fun and mentally stimulating activity with your dog, this course will unlock the hidden potential of your dog’s olfactory abilities.
Course Testimonials
We do some scentwork in the uk but there were a few things that I wanted help with and it’s always good to revisit foundations especially if they have been trained a bit differently. What a huge help it was…and the freeze indication that Pie had (which was a bit messy and meant…”I can smell something vaguely in this area ?”) has been replaced with a lovely precise nose freeze ? Thanks so much to you Aga for your infinite patience and your great suggestions…we are a much better team now! And I’m itching to dive into Stage 2 in July ?
June 30, 2023
This is the second course I’ve done that has been taught by Agnieszka and I enjoyed this one as much as R+ course. Agnieszka is an exceptional tutor demonstrating enviable patience and teaching skills and brilliant problem solving solutions! I always wanted to do nosework with Odie and I loved that the course was broken up into perfect bite size chunks with excellent video demonstrations. We got way further than I was expecting with the content, despite me really learning what works for my boy (thanks to great advice from Agnieszka!), and it has given me lots of work to do to ensure I’ve got fluent behaviours before we go on to Nosework Stage 2. As with my previous Tromplo course it’s made me think so much about the way I train and ensuring I set my dog up for success even if that means 30 second training sessions to prevent “away with the faeries” moments! Thank you so much Aga, me and Odie had a blast! I hope we’ll see you soon for Nosework Stage 2 🙂
June 30, 2023
Another fantastic tromplo course. What is the most important to me, is that You do not need to rush to follow the lessons. Agnieszka individualize the program, so You and Your dog can achive the most. There is always clear feedback and You know what to do next, when to stop and practise more, when to progress.
From content persoective- all lectures are clear and packed with practical informations. Movies with instructions are short and exercises are very well presented. Course is suitable for auditors to follow along but I truly recommand to take course as premium participant, because with Agnieszka’s advices You can learn much more also from handling perspective and session design
June 30, 2023