Using their nose is part of a dog's natural behaviour, and all dogs can be trained to work with us humans to perform tasks that benefit society. In working dog sports, dogs learn to use their remarkable sense of smell to search for and find objects that people have lost.
The aim of the field search course is to teach you more about how you can provide your dog with enrichment through something meaningful and fun for both you and your dog!
On the course, you'll receive a foundational introduction to everything you need to know to carry out a field search with your dog. Learning to search should be enjoyable and fun. Rewarding the correct behaviour — when your dog eagerly comes running back to you to hand over the objects it has found — creates a sense of achievement for both two-legged and four-legged participants. Once your dog has learned the rules of the "field search game", most dogs find this a really enjoyable activity. And after a training session where your dog has been allowed to search and use its nose, it will feel both physically and mentally satisfied with the day.
As an owner, finding fun ways to enrich your dog's life is one of the things that truly creates joy in everyday life and helps you become an even better team.
To enrol on this course, you don't need any prior experience, but it is necessary that your dog is interested in "working for treats" or a toy. This is not an expensive sport either. All you need to find are some different objects suitable for search work, along with good treats and a toy that your dog enjoys. Once your dog has learned to search a field, you'll always have the opportunity to carry out an enjoyable training session with your dog. You don't depend on others, and it doesn't need to "take a whole day" to plan and carry out a training session.
On the first evening, we'll start with some theory, where you'll learn, among other things, how to set up a field and how you and your dog can work together most effectively during search work. Theory will be woven into the practical work through the feedback you receive after each training session.
Dates: 5.10, 12.10, 19.10 and 24.10.26
Times: Mondays 18–20 and Saturday 24.10 at 12–15.
Canis instructor and dog behaviourist Karin Mohn Engebretsen. NKK instructor level 1 and level 2 Working, and former handler with Norwegian Rescue Dogs.