Catterick K9 Mantrailing

13/08/2024

A very quiet couple of months on this page, I will be better in the future!

The last 2 months have been fun and busy, enhancing my own skills, seeing and learning from different people , trailing my own dogs, as well as running sessions. This included a trip to Hungary to spectate at an international mantrailing seminar. It was fabulous to meet a great group of people from all over Europe, all with a passion for trailing, and training for police, search and rescue , and sport.

Different organisations approach trailing in slightly different ways- for example, how they approach and offer the scent article, and do the scent inventory, their approach to intensity trails etc. I love to understand the "why" behind these approaches, and then see if they will fit in my tool kit/may be useful in the future for certain dogs.

Teaching pet dogs to trail means we have such a wide variety of dogs, much more so( I believe) than those who are training specifically for search and rescue. And some tweaks to one's approach as a Mantrailing Global certified instructor, may suit certain dogs in certain situations.

I feel very grateful to be learning all about trailing with 2 very different dogs, my collie and my whippet. Torrin has taught me all about building motivation and resilience - and that this cannot be taken for granted. He has taught me to be my dog's advocate , taking small steps instead of a giant leap, and not comparing myself on my journey to anyone else. He has done some awesome trails recently, being so transparent in his behaviour when odour is not present, yet resilient in his problem solving.

Jack has been my dog with whom I can explore different avenues and approaches, doing some fabulous trails along the way. He has challenged me in different ways - as a dog who likes to please and loves to trail, he finds it easier to choose another odour ( particularly if I don't respond to subtle negatives!) - we are still learning !

Thanks to K9 RoxStars and Jane Dalton , to Gerry Moss and , to Anna Pleban of Follow Dogs, to Fiona Leel of Canines to Discovery Dogs Wales - Scent Work & Mantrailing for a great seminar with Mònica Díaz Trias and Chris Boyd ( who I also learnt so much from in Hungary), to Mantrailing Training Center- Képzési Központ for organising a great seminar ( and Hungary is a lovely country to explore), and to Andy Tippins for a days trailing with BMA head instructor Richard Lee. ( apologies if Ive missed someone!)

So I encourage you to learn from different sources - but always be an advocate for your dog ( you are allowed to be at times confused by different approaches so long as your dog is not!). Sometimes the learning will be "interesting, but not for me" - that is just as important - the human learning equivalent of flowing negatives!

One learns so much too, by going to spectate ( and occasionally a dog drops out so one gets a trailing place too !) - if you are not sure, I strongly recommend going without your dog, and seeing if the way of teaching would suit both you and your dog.

The pictures below shows an example of previous learning history. Swimming across to an island ( the trail layer had gone in a canoe). Jack is a strong swimmer, often swimming in the river behind my house. But the river can go in spate, and I am actually very relieved to realise he does not go in and actually swim unless I throw something in! Which is the behaviour he showed on the trail. I would not want to train through that, as it is more important in his daily life he only swims when something is thrown. So, a throw of a squeaky pink pig meant he got to his trail layer! Always remember previous learning history.

And a trail where his line pull across the road was so strong and confident, working all the time.

Enjoy, and have fun everyone.

06/06/2024

I love trailing my own dog - and being a guinea pig 😆.

A super interesting afternoon was had ( be it slightly unseasonal weather ) .another big thanks to Tara for doing some awesome running /walking.

RUNNING 🏃‍♀️ vs WALKING🚶‍♀️??? Settle in for the read.....

A question that has cropped up several times over the last few years, is whether trailing dogs will find it easier to follow the scent of a trail layer who ran 🏃‍♀️ when laying the trail, or one who walked🚶‍♀️.

Answers to this have varied, with most people (including several field experts) saying that it's an interesting question but they've never really tested it, and others (including us!!!) speculating as to how it may impact odour, and therefore impact how the dogs trail.

Our working hypothesis was that a running trail layer will produce 'more' odour in the way of breath, sweat etc., but that the scent molecules of this odour will be more dispersed across a broader area than if they are walking. Experiments have shown that dogs are particularly attracted to breath, so breathing more heavily should mean that there is more odour for them to follow, but the dispersion of this odour may mean that the trail is more tricky to pinpoint.... Other factors such as the number and depth of footprints 👣, and contact odour that is left behind by the trail layer on vegetation/undergrowth, may also mean that the trail of a walking trail layer is likely to be easier to follow more accurately.

Well yesterday, with four trailing teams and a fabulous and very willing trail runner, we set out to test our hypothesis!!!! And the results were fascinating 🚶‍♀️🙂🏃‍♀️.

Our trail layer laid separate trails of approx 500m for each dog, with each trail including at least one section of running and one section of walking. Some trails had more transitions than others, and we also played with the distance of each leg.

The headline findings:
- Two of the dogs who are very strong ground scenters (Flook and Jack) changed to wider flowing negatives during the running legs.
- These two dogs also demonstrated stronger/more intense trailing behaviours during the walking legs.
- Two of the dogs who have more of a mixed trailing style (Roxy and Floss) started to trail faster during the running legs. There was no particular change in their style of trailing, but a clear surge in speed when the switch to running occurred.
- Roxy also showed a few sudden divergences off the trail during the running legs, almost like a small scent pool problem or backtrack had been set by the trail layer.
- Roxy was the only dog to get two goes - on the second trail she showed a similar change of speed at the change to running, but then settled back into more normal trailing behaviours. It was suggested that she might have learned about the changing scent picture from the first trail so had essentially worked out how to problem solve the difference with less of a change in how she worked the trail.

As a secondary finding, we also learned that the trailing app cannot cope with running trail layers!!!!! Spiky/jaggy trailing maps with a lot of added metres did not match what the trail layer actually did - thank goodness for her running watch which was much more accurate!!!!

It is of course difficult to be totally objective, and we definitely intend to go out and do more experimenting to see if we get consistent results in different settings/conditions. We'll also try to control more of the external variables, and have a go at adding in more age to the trail to see what difference that makes.

But for a Stage 1 experiment it was absolutely fascinating!!!! And we were all pretty confident in saying that 🏃‍♀️ vs🚶‍♀️definitely made a difference to 'how' our dogs trailed.

And the headline factor so far??? If you want to focus on the style of trailing behaviours, the speed of the trail layer is probably worth factoring in....

A huge thank you to our fabulous trail layer - Tara you are a legend!!!! And thank you to the guinea pig group of dogs 🐕 and handlers 😁. We can't wait to do more!!!!

05/06/2024

A lovely evening at Point Blank Paintball last night. Thanks so much for allowing us to use this wonderful venue.
The dogs did awesomely , with cross tracks , car pick up , taking scent from car seats , and walking trail layers some of the components we played with. We also discussed and tried different ways of slowing the dogs to take scent at the beginning of the trail.

Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to try this fantastic sport

04/06/2024

Just finished an amazing weekend , training with 2 amazing trainers, Monica Diaz Trias from Spain , and Chris Boyd from Wisconsin , USA. Lots of learning , loads of laughs , and a great group of people.

Looking forward to bringing you a little of what I have learnt.

And that’s a wrap…

We have had the most incredible weekend!
We have worked hard, laughed a lot and learnt a lot.

A huge thank you to Chris and Monica for your wonderful expertise, guidance, honesty and integrity. You are truly wonderful people ❤️

A massive thank you to Sian, you are awesome. This weekend really couldn’t have happened without you!!

And last but certainly not least, to our handlers and your wonderful dogs… What a joy you are! The most supportive, open and fun group!
Thank you so much for making this weekend the most enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Happy trailing and we’ll see you soon!

19/04/2024

A great few weeks , both helping progress the people who trail with me, and progressing my own trailing , with lots of laughs along the way, and a fair amount of chocolate brownie !

It is lovely to see each dog and handler progress in their own unique way. Some gain more confidence in life, from having a job , some sleep very well at the end of the day.

All dogs are trailed individually so it is a sport that dog -reactive dogs can participate in , so long as the more private benues are chosen.

Most recently Jane of K9 RoxStars has been over to teach those handlers who trail with me. Little changes , and changes in emphasis can make a great difference to a trail .

This was followed for me by 2 days trailing with Lisa Gorenflo , Mantrailing Global head instructor. New challenges , and finding the spots where boundaries need to be pushed.

If you’d like to find out more , and are considering whether mantrailing may be right for you , then drop me a message

22/02/2024

All quiet on the trailing front ,as am having a little “ holiday “. I’m currently learning and practising the skills of handling for conservation dogs with Kryus Canine Limited. The art of when to step into their free search and direct them to areas seems simple - but timing and body movement is crucial. Each small search is surrounded by play - it’s been lovely working out how to become a new “ playmate” for the different dogs we’re using.
The course day is surrounded by a good walk on the beach first thing , and then able to do some training with my own dog, all of which is icing surrounding the cake.

04/02/2024

What a great week , meeting fellow man trailers, teaching a couple of sessions, but best of all , getting to trail my own dogs.
On Wednesday I had a trip to Darlington, trailing with Natalie of Tees Valley Dog Training . Thursday I ran a session in Romanby , Northallerton which was a new venue for me. Seriously short line handling needed at times, and new challenges - including onto a railway platform for one very savvy urban poodle ( who had been visiting the train station since. app!). A quick trip in the evening to the moor beyond Hudswell to act as one of the dogs bodies for local area search dogs,
Friday I trailed with Charlotte of York Mantrailing, a combined session with Lynn of Hiddy Tykes Mantrailingover at Flamingoland. Both my dogs got to trail,
Saturday back at Adrenalin North Yorkshire Ltd utilising their paintball area. What a fabulous and fun place to trail - it was a relaxed day with lots of learning, and I took a spare space with my dogs ( rather, it became spare, so I definitely made the decision to take advantage!). Just finishing the session and Jane of K9 RoxStars mantrailing marvels came over from the Lakes- and asked in passing if I was still there ( posts on FB give your location away), So a lovely trail laid for both her Roxy and my Jack.
Today , back to Flamingoland to trail with Lyn. Trails split between dogs, geekery had ( Jane was also railing with Lyn) , and I got to hide and see a couple of dogs who have trailed with me - it was lovely to be able to be the trail layer for those dogs for once !

This evening was to have been a webinar from Jane of K9 RoxStars, but postponed due to technical reasons.

Watching other people instruct and observing the dogs, teaching my own sessions, and trailing my own dogs all helps to increase my knowledge , which hopefully I can pass on to you - and , best of all, just makes me smile !

Happy trailing and I hope you had a good weekend wherever you may be !

06/01/2024

A lovely session today at Kiplin Hall , introducing 2 new teams to mantrailing , and progressing with others. Both dogs loved the game, with their owners also learning to be awesome trail layers. Having a mixed group as we did today really means you learn to be flexible in how you trail lay from the get go , as each dog is so different.
All the dogs worked so well today - we trailed in woods , in the house gardens , and by the lake. Awesome work.

01/01/2024

A great start to the New Year with some trailing with some other instructors . Thanks Dee of Trailblazers Activity Dogs , and to my fellow trailers Lynn Hiddy Tykes Mantrailing , Mel Trail Chaser Dog Adventures , JaneBlack Diamond Dog Training , Dawn Little Tykes Dog Hub.

Jack got to play with some lovely trails where he took me along for the ride , whilst Torrin showed how whippets can rock!

31/12/2023

Last session of the year at County Hall , Northallerton today.

A mixture of surfaces with both car park , road and grassy areas kept the dogs busy.

Great trailing , chat , and cake eaten !

Happy New Year to all 🐾🥂

27/12/2023

A rainy day after Christmas, ponies are done for the morning, dogs have been out and are settled, pain au chocolate is in the oven ( it Is Christmas after all, and I have the benefit of an EverHOt) and the coffee is made.

And now, I want to share some of my exploring.
Here is a video from PBS Newshour, about how dogs noses work. What I love is their description of why dogs circle ie self cast to find the edge of the scent cone.

But this video then led me on to further interesting studies. Professor Lucia Jacobs was speaking in the clip, so I did morning google . One very relevant paper ( I will link below to outline) was on The effect of familiarity in the domestic dogs behaviour in a food choice task .We all know we influence our dogs - this is one study proving how we can influence.

What else have I come across? Someone who trained 20 different wasp species in facial recognition, squirrels and parkour, and an article on raising Darwin's consciousness.

If I read /watch an article, I love to find out a little about what else that person has done/their background. It can sometimes give an insight into why they have trod a particular road/belief/training path , which in turn, put things into perspective.

On a dreich day, try it sometime - and see where it leads you !

Why can a dog catch a scent from a mile away while humans track smells closer to home? On the second episode of ScienceScope, we dive into the smell behavior...

24/12/2023

A very Happy Christmas to all from Hilary , Jack and Torrin.

I have loved this year, both progressing my own trailing, and introducing new teams and progressing others in this wonderful sport of mantrailing.

Thanks to all who have helped me in my journey , and to those who have trailed with me this year. I've had great fun, and learnt loads from you all. Cheers!

30/11/2023

Not just flowers !

Hello. I drew this for a friend and I think probably for me. Maybe for everyone. I hope your day is good.

25/11/2023

A lovely day at Kiplin Hall. A slightly longer day than normal gave us time to sit down at the beginning and really think and verbalise what our dogs look like when they’re trailing.

Some fabulous trailing , looking at the body language we had discussed.

Kiplin Hall is my favourite venue. Normally only available on a Thursday , we have 2 weekend days in January , before it re-opens in time for all the snowdrops.

And if anyone would likes to join us , feel free to contact me for more information, or use the booking link below. All new trailers need to complete an introductory session.

https://bookwhen.com/catterickk9mantrailing

02/11/2023

A great , if a little damp , day at Kiplin Hall , who kindly allow us to trail when closed to the public. One does , however, get to see the amount of work that goes on in that day into maintaining such lovely grounds - also providing us with some great decoys !!

We had a few other decoys , some of whom looked as though they could do with a good meal! The dogs took them all in their stride.

Aged trails in the parkland , different surfaces and environments , seeing how the dogs both ground and air scent , different scent articles , changing starts to get the best motivation for the task, and having fun were all part of the session. One young handler had her first taste of trailing an experienced dog , and did awesomely .
Thanks to Wendy Withington for some of the photos.

29/10/2023

A great weekend of mantrailing , with a wee bit of a Halloween theme. A great day at Sedgefield Racecourse racecourse yesterday , and a farm outside Masham today - thanks to Jenny of The Good Goat Stuff for wonderful use of their farm.

Different scent articles ( from witches brooms to eggs and half eaten apples) , different surfaces , and trails to suit all the dogs. Split start , walking trail layers , doors , up stairs into the stands , and across open fields were all part of the fun .

Last thanks to Rupert King ‘s mother Dianah , who provided the most awesome chocolate brownie - much appreciated by all.

25/10/2023

Thanks to Caroline Yonfor sharing this wonderful word. Definitely going to become part of my mantrailing vocabulary 😆

I’m just going to coddiwomple my way into the weekend 🤗

Thank you to Rick Allen at Kenspeckle Letterpress for this wonderful graphic!

23/10/2023

Fascinating. - 3 D printing of animal prosthetics

20/10/2023

I did one of Rachel's courses a year or so back. The talk will be great , ( and you get a discount on one of her courses).

The next LIVE TOOLBOX TALK is on 6th November at 1830hrs.

K9 FIRST AID
TOOLBOX TALK

Online and live - Monday 6th November at 1830hrs - £10

We at Hero Paws know that your K9’s health is of paramount importance. Sometimes, though, accidents happen, and you need to have your 1st aid drills loaded and ready to go. We are delighted that one of the most prominent Canine First Aid Tutors in the UK and, more recently around the world, has agreed to talk to our Hero Paws Family on this very subject.

Rachel Bean qualified as a vet nurse back in 2002, having worked professionally as a Dogs Trust Assistant and Kennel Manager since 1994. In recent years, she has followed her strong interests in Canine Welfare, Canine Behaviour, Owner Education, and Street Dog welfare in Asia. With this in mind, you can be sure she has seen everything a doggo can throw at us and more, especially when it comes to the subjects she will be covering, which are:

• Choking – think GSDs and tennis balls.

• Heat Stroke – think of the Mally with no time to slow down and chill in the shade.

• Bleeding – that’ll be the Lab or Spaniel who plunges into undergrowth like a dog possessed.

• In addition, Rachel will cover some simple strategies to use while getting your dog veterinary attention.

Rachel will take some questions at the end, and, of course, you’ll be able to sign up for one of her more extensive courses on First Aid. Not only has Rachel donated her time to give this Toolbox Talk, but she has also offered a discount code for her course. This code will be released ON THE NIGHT and will be available to anyone who has bought the live or recorded session.

You can find out more about Rachel Bean on her professional page https://www.facebook.com/RachelBeanVetNursebut we’ve attached a little more of her incredible background below.

We hope you’ll join us live on 6th November at 1830hrs, or for the recording. By the end of this session, we believe you will feel armed with some simple measures you can take to potentially save your dog’s life. That’s got to be worth a tenner???

https://heropaws.org.uk/shop/ols/products/k9-first-aid

04/10/2023

A great 2 days with other instructors - problem solving , sharing and discussing strategies, practising teaching and feedback, laying trails for each other.

It is a year since I started teaching this new sport, and one in which I have learnt so much, yet there is so much more to learn, and then put into practice.

Thankyou to all my clients for making Catterick K9 Mantrailing
have a great first year.

An epic 2 days teaching these guys on a Mantrailing Global Instructor training workshop! 🦅💡🧠

What an enthusiastic bunch! Eager to bring their vulnerabilities, successes, failures and learnings to the table in order to grow and help each other 🌱

I just LOVE being a Head Instructor. It's a privilege to work with and teach some amazing people!

25/09/2023

It's back to trailing this week, after what seems like having most of September off ! Some non-dog time, but great learning at OPEX too.
Tomorrow and Saturdays sessions are full, but availability still on Sunday at NET park . This is about 10 mins from the A1 ( 5 mins further than Hardwick Hall) and is a great mixture of a business technology park surrounded by grass and trees.

Here's the link for booking or please message if you have any queries

https://bookwhen.com/catterickk9mantrailing =ev-sww9-20221121000000

25/09/2023

‘Let your dog sniff’ …you might have heard this phrase before, but why is it important?

Letting your dog sniff on walks-
✔️Helps release dopamine in your dogs brain otherwise known as the ‘feel good’ chemical.
✔️Allows them to engage with their environment and is a great form of mental stimulation which will help to ‘tire out’ your dog.
✔️Can help to slow them down, especially if you have a excitable dog that often acts before they think! Enjoying sniffing throughout their walk can help them calm down and even aid loose lead walking.
✔️ A natural calming activity that helps to decompress dogs if they are slightly on edge or nervous.

Next time you walk your dog keep this in mind 🐾

18/09/2023

Just had a fabulous weekend , learning from some amazing instructors , with a fab group of people.

- Well that’s a wrap! What a brilliant 2 days! Thank you to all our fantastic instructors, Jo Armstrong, Frank Holmes Kryus Canine Limited, Anna Pleban Follow Dogs, Mark Doggett - Detection Training UK and Ilkka Hormila 🇫🇮 for working so hard and sharing your knowledge, the feedback already has been amazing.
Thank you to all that helped make the weekend run smoothly, I couldn’t have done it without all of you.

Well done to our Detection Dog Trials competitors too! Especially winners Jo and Oak 👏🏻
It was lovely to see the improvement in the dogs over the weekend in the trial this afternoon too, to watch how each handler had taken the different instructors advice and used it in their searches.
The venue definitely didn’t disappoint either, with so many different areas and environmental challenges for the dogs.

Finally, thank you to every person that made the trip as without all of you wanting to further your knowledge, there wouldn’t be an event at all! Familiar and new faces from miles away! 🇫🇮 🇳🇱 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and everyone was so so positive and so so friendly, it was so nice to hear you all sharing your own knowledge with eachother also.

Planning next year already with some exciting instructors too! 🇸🇪 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇫🇷
Dates will be announced very soon!

15/09/2023

A weekend of scent detection and trailing in Wales. We found a nice walk after a long drive , and then a lecture , this evening . Jack will get to do some scent detection, whilst Torrin will do some trailing.

14/09/2023

A reduction in numbers meant a change in venue today - I am lucky in having my own field, with quiet lanes adjoining ( well, tractors and muck spreaders apart!), so we went there, as it is a private venue and the cars can be seen from all areas. It is one of a few activities taking place over the years, from hoisting Alex Kurland horse clicker training clinics, to hosting some agility, and now mantrailing, My ponies and alpacas went into the stables for the morning.

Trailing across a field that had been muck spread made no difference to Ted, as he worked the edge of the blown scent in to find the trail layer. Eva progressed her starts , confidently trailing, and showing great decision making at junctions. With Billy, the use of a kilner jar for a scent article increased focus, and made a clear start with greater focus.
A lovely morning, thanks

11/09/2023

Space still available this Thursday at Kiplin Hall for mantrailing. The weather is looking good , ie cooler. Intro or progression slots . This is a lovely location, which we have use of when closed to the public. Link below for booking

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28/08/2023

Shared by Hiddy Tykes Mantrailing , this is a lovely video , explaining how dogs smell. Worth watching , and having a smile

27/08/2023

Today we went to Aldbrough St John , such a lovely village. Lots of surface transitions , hiding by the river , different types of starts dependant on the dogs needs , and quite a few distractions in this dog friendly village.
Awesome work by all the teams