Read your dog's behavior at speed!

Successful detection work depends on far more than teaching a dog to alert. The heart of reliable search performance lies in the dog’s ability to work odor with clarity, confidence, and purpose. In this course, we take a deep dive into how dogs actually use scent in the field and how we, as handlers, can better support their problem-solving process. Participants will learn how to recognize the difference between a dog truly working target odor and a dog simply investigating interesting environmental smells. We’ll break down the search chain into clear, trainable components, including navigating odor pools, closing in on source, working blank areas, and developing a clean, reliable alert without weakening the search itself. Through video analysis, training structure, and practical reinforcement strategies, teams will learn how to build stronger search behavior, reduce false alerts caused by confusion or handler influence, and support the dog’s natural scenting abilities without oversteering or micromanaging the work.