Noses In Motion

02/05/2026

❤️ Noseworks

Huge shout out to every handler out there trying to learn the sport of nosework. This sport is one that LOOKS easy (to the untrained eye) but is incredibly complex with a huge body of knowledge to learn.

In the handler's journey, they become masters of observation and interpretation of dog body language. They start to recognize and predict how invisible air currents move and are able to subtly position their dog in the most advantageous way so that the dog is able to work odor. The handler learns to assess the dog's changes of behavior in real time and under intense time pressure as they work through and clear an area that neither they nor their dog has been in before. A good handler learns strategy and can focus both on their dog and their surroundings.

In the beginning, we don't see any of this... and this sport opens like a flower to us and reveals so many ways that we will ultimately grow as we move through the levels.

Shout out to you all.....

I went through this journey too....

A picture of first nosework dog, Judd, at his NW1 many years ago.

26/04/2026

If you are in the northern suburbs and you know of anyone wanting to start their Nosework journey or you want to get back into Nosework after completing my courses and I’m now too far after relocating to Glandore. Sharon Mewett has been a student of mine for a few years now with both her dogs and continues to train with me. Reach out to Sharon for more info.

Book in quick! https://twmm.setmore.com/

21/04/2026

Booking link
https://NoseworkCourseBookingPageNosesInMotion.as.me/AllNoseworkCourses

04/03/2026

Upcoming Introduction to Nosework Course. Spaces available starting 24th March. Book your place via the website www.nosesinmotion.com. Further information contact [email protected]

15/02/2026

10/02/2026

I NOSE HOW YOU FEEL
Our dogs are highly tuned in to our human emotions, not necessarily because they understand those emotions, but because their brains are wired to scan and decide if our emotional state feels safe to them.

From an ethological perspective, dogs evolved and survived by recognizing which humans were safe to be around and which were a threat to them.

When we experience emotions like fear, stress, sadness, happiness, or calmness, our bodies release different chemicals.

These internal changes affect our sweat, breath, and skin chemistry. We aren’t able to detect these subtle scent shifts, but our dogs can.

It’s probably a good thing that we can’t detect these chemical changes - “I can smell that you feel really stressed today!” – may not be socially acceptable.

A dog’s sense of smell is extraordinarily sensitive and far more developed than ours. It allows them to pick up tiny chemical changes linked to emotional states. Through scent alone, they can often distinguish between someone who is relaxed and someone who is anxious or distressed.

Dogs are also skilled at recognizing our expressions, body language and tone of voice.

Over time, dogs also learn to associate certain emotional scents with specific outcomes. For example, the scent of stress may signal tension or unpredictability, while calm, happy, familiar scents signal safety.

Working with a dog when we’re feeling angry, stressed, frustrated or having a bad day is not a good idea. It’s far better to wait until we feel more relaxed and calmer.

So while dogs may not “understand” emotions in a human psychological sense, they can detect the chemical signatures of those emotions and respond to them in ways shaped by both biology and experience.

Dogs have rich emotional lives of their own, so just as it’s important to consider their emotional state, it’s also important to be aware of how our emotions affect them.

10/02/2026

🧠 Advocating for Your Dog - Safety, Trust & Consent Matter

You do not owe anyone access to your dog.

One of the most important responsibilities we have as handlers is advocacy. Protecting our dog’s physical safety and emotional security, even when it feels socially uncomfortable.

Dogs build trust through predictability. When we allow strangers, friends, professionals, or even well-meaning admirers to override a dog’s signals, we teach the dog that their communication doesn’t matter and that we won’t step in when they need support.

That erodes trust.

From a behavioural science perspective, feeling in control of proximity and interaction reduces stress hormones, supports nervous system regulation, and lowers the risk of fear-based responses. Consent matters — for dogs too.

Advocating is not being rude.
It is being responsible.

🐾 Things You May Need to Say (and that’s OK):

• “Please give my dog space to sniff.”
• “You can say hi if she comes to you — please don’t pet her right now.”
• “My dog needs a minute to explore the new environment.”
• “No, you cannot pet my dog.”
• “Two hands is too much.”
• “Ok, that’s enough - please give him space now.”
• “No, you cannot hold his leash.”

These statements are not explanations.
They are boundaries.

You do not need to justify them.

🐕 Why this matters
When dogs are repeatedly placed in interactions they can’t control:
• Stress accumulates
• Coping thresholds shrink
• Communication becomes louder
• Behaviour escalates

When dogs are protected:
• Confidence grows
• Trust deepens
• Social skills improve
• Emotional resilience strengthens

Especially in intelligent, sensitive breeds like Border Collies, advocacy is foundational to stable behaviour.

At Emerald Park Border Collies, I prioritise dogs who feel safe in their humans’ decisions. A dog who knows their handler will step in doesn’t need to protect themselves.

Because politeness should never come at the cost of your dog’s trust.

- Donna Williams,
Emerald Park Border Collies.
www.emeraldparkbc.com

08/02/2026

Article 2: Overstimulated, Under-Regulated

We are currently raising the most entertained dogs in history and many of them are exhausted, frantic, and unable to settle.

Walks packed with stimulation. Constant training games. Endless enrichment toys. New experiences every day. Somewhere along the line, busy got confused with fulfilled.

Arousal is driven largely by dopamine. Dopamine is brilliant—it creates motivation, drive, and engagement. But dopamine without balance creates dogs that are always scanning for the next hit. The next game. The next cue. The next thing.

What we often see isn’t a dog that needs more, it’s a dog that needs less, but better timed.

Overstimulated dogs struggle to:
• Settle after activity
• Sleep deeply
• Cope with frustration
• Handle delays or boundaries

And here’s the kicker: when a dog is already over-aroused, adding more stimulation rarely fixes the problem. It just raises the baseline.

Many “hyper” dogs live in a loop:
1. Dog shows restless behaviour
2. Human adds activity to “burn it off”
3. Dog becomes more aroused
4. Calm becomes even harder

This is not an exercise issue. It’s a regulation issue.

Regulation is the ability to move between states, on to off, active to calm, engaged to neutral. Dogs that never practise coming down stay stuck in go-mode.

Teaching regulation means deliberately building in down time, predictability, and emotional neutrality. Calm doesn’t arrive when the dog is exhausted, it arrives when the nervous system learns safety in stillness.

29/01/2026

Agree