by Julie A Symons | Aug 12, 2025 | Dog Sports
It’s my opinion that our goal for handling is that we establish a communication system that creates clarity for the dog. The question isn’t whether we influence our dogs – we do, whether we realize it or not – but whether our handling fosters the outcomes...
by Julie A Symons | Jul 5, 2025 | Dog Sports
Starting a new dog in any sport is always a bit nerve-wracking! Katniss is just a year old, and aside from a few AKC Scent Work searches at a local trial, this felt like her first real test. We made the 1.5-hour drive to a fairground for a half-day of running three...
by Julie A Symons | Mar 11, 2025 | Dog Sports
Thinking outside the box is so important in dog training. A few years ago I started doing box acclimation drills for my Into to NW classes. The container search element often has the lowest pass rate – not because dogs can’t find odor in a container, but because...
by Julie A Symons | Jul 23, 2024 | Dog Sports
In all aspects of life, our behavior is driven by consequences. When we do something that results in something negative – touching a hot plate – we will avoid doing that in the future. When a behavior results in something positive – a dog catching a...
by Julie Symons | Jan 21, 2024 | Dog Sports
This is the sixth in my series of Hide Highlights. Some hides are just SO cool to watch being solved that it deserves a highlight! In this highlight I’m focusing on how our handling can support a dog while searching in a corner. In these video clips, there was a...
by Julie Symons | Nov 9, 2023 | Dog Sports
This is the fifth in my series of Hide Highlights. Some hides are just SO cool to watch being solved that it deserves a highlight! I have opinions about searching Vehicles! It is so easy to get stuck on an unproductive vehicle due to blowing odor or just how cars...
