Little Rascals School for Dogs

01/07/2025

On Sunday myself & the girls were asked by K9 Track & Train if we could assist in a demo at Pathhead Farm Dog Park tartan dog day. We were very honoured to be asked as Shannon is a scentwork goddess, her knowledge & dog handling is second to none.

Monkey, Pigeon & I joined Shannon with her 2 dogs, Copper the Doberman & Zinc the working cocker. It’s always great to collaborate with a fellow trainer so we had a great afternoon.

I set up the tripod and have edited a little video of the demo, apologies for some of the sound quality but there was so many people attending the event the phone struggled. All the dogs (& the handlers) did amazing & there was lots of people asking for more information at the end.

K9 track & train is based in Blairgowrie & Little rascals school for dogs is in Stonehaven.

For any more information give one of us a shout.

25/06/2025

On Saturday we held a The National Nosework Association foundation & pre entry trial at Haven Tourers Luxury Campervan & Defender Camper Hire Scotland venue.

We also did a couple ORT assessments (one more on Monday)

Foundation
Winner - Winnie with handler Jan
Reserve - Fury with handler Kirstie

Pre entry
Winner - Bo with handler Lara
Reserve - Indy with handler Paula.

ORT’s went to
Harry for pre entry
Fury for pre entry
Winnie for pre entry
Indy for entry
Wyvis for enhanced

Well done to everyone it’s so exciting as a judge to see all the dogs working & gaining experience & confidence every trial.

19/06/2025

18/05/2025

What a weekend!!

We judged our The National Nosework Association trials. Over the weekend we held 3 of the levels. Foundation, pre entry & entry.

A massive thank you to SO Agility Training for allowing us to use their venue.

It was an extremely challenging few searches with a very strong wind, Saturday was suntan lotion 🧴 & shorts 🩳 weather but today it felt like we were back in winter 🥶

Saturday we had pre entry followed by foundation. There was some amazing partnerships running and it’s always a pleasure to watch as a judge.

Foundation
Winner
Colleen with Gruff
Reserve
Jo with Bear

Pre entry
Winner
Paula with Indy
Reserve
Kirsty with Zest

Sunday was all about the entry level teams, big search areas of 5 minutes each, with 3 hides to find. Every team had highs & lows, the extreme wind made for some interesting challenges both to the dogs and the handlers skills & knowledge they have gained.

Entry
Winner
Debbie with Whitney
Reserve
Jo with Wyvis

A few of the teams also gained their final badges in their levels meaning they now stage up a level.

Well done to everyone that competed this weekend

01/05/2025

To find our NNA scentwork trials & sniff ‘N’ go sessions see our booking platform

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01/05/2025

Sniff ‘N’ Go is here!!
Get ready for focused fun and fast feedback.

Join us in the evening of 6th May or 19th May 2025 at Haven Tourers, Stonehaven for a relaxed, constructive scentwork experience.

Each dog gets 2 x 10-minute search slots across two different areas — could be interior, exterior, vehicle, or selection.

You’ll get instant feedback and the chance to re-search so you can fine-tune your handling and boost your dog’s confidence.

Odour: Gun oil
Booking essential – limited slots available!

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17/04/2025

After agility training yesterday morning Monkey, Pigeon & I went off to spend the day with K9 Track & Train (Shannon) & Canine Concerns Dog Training & Behaviour (Kirsty) doing scentwork.

It was a trainers day so just trainers coming together which we rarely do in this industry which is really sad as the three of us & our dogs had a great time! Every dog did something different & it was great to see each of us work through what our dogs gave us.

Monkey also got her Entry level ORT meaning she can attend her first trial at Entry level on Sunday. Also whilst the ORT kit was out all set up Pigeon did her Entry ORT and passed, this means once she has got through her Pre-Entry trials there will be no stopping her & she can go straight into Entry (hopefully Monkey is up another level by then)

I loved setting hides for other trainers too, setting challenges they maybe wouldn’t set for themselves.

08/04/2025

Listened to a brilliant episode of the K9 Detection Collaborative podcast today about consistency in dog training. One line really stuck with me:
“Sometimes to us is anytime to a dog.”
Such a simple reminder of how important it is to be clear and consistent with our cues and expectations.

Highly recommend giving it a listen if you’re into dog training or just want to understand your dog a little better!

Podcast Episode · K9 Detection Collaborative · 08/04/2025 · 1h

20/03/2025

What are the Benefits of Teaching Your Dog Scentwork & the Power of a Freeze Indication
Scentwork is one of the most enriching activities you can offer your dog. It taps into their natural instincts, builds confidence, and strengthens your bond — all while mentally and physically tiring them out.

💡 But did you know that teaching a freeze indication alongside scentwork adds even more value and versatility?

Why Teach Scentwork?
• Natural Fulfillment: Dogs experience the world primarily through their noses. Scentwork satisfies that primal need, offering them the freedom to do what they naturally desire.

• Mental Stimulation: Searching and problem-solving builds focus and engagement, which helps reduce boredom and related behavioural issues.
• Confidence Building: Nervous or reactive dogs especially benefit as scentwork teaches independence and decision-making in a safe, controlled way.

• Strengthens Your Relationship: You become a team, learning to read your dog’s subtle body language while they learn to trust you in return, which in turn helps you in other situations. Why Teach a Freeze Indication?

A freeze indication — where your dog stops moving and holds position when they locate their target odor — is not only useful in formal scentwork but translates into everyday life situations:
• Precision Alerts: In scent detection tasks (like nosework trials, conservation detection, or even working dogs), a freeze gives a clear, unmistakable signal they’ve found the source.
• Enhanced Focus: The freeze encourages dogs to control their excitement at the moment of “success” and builds on their impulse control.
• Everyday Crossover: You can adapt the freeze indication for fun search games at home or during hikes.

It’s also a great skill for teaching dogs to stop and focus on you around distractions.Bonus Benefit — It’s FUN!

Watching your dog problem-solve, freeze, and then light up with the presentation of their reward is genuinely one of the most satisfying experiences for both of you.
Whether you’re training for competition, working toward a practical application, or just looking for a fulfilling activity, scentwork — paired with a freeze indication — opens up a world of possibilities.Ready to get started?

You soon can sign up to my online course where I’ll send you weekly tutorial videos, you will be part of a private community Facebook group where you can post videos for feedback & ask any questions. You will also have the option to add on a 1-2-1 at a discounted rate to tweak the skills you learn online. Keep your eyes peeled for updates.

Check the video below of 8 month old Jill having her first 1-2-1 session with me, onto Pigeon learning to have more duration in her freeze then onto Monkey the pro who isn’t budging off her indication for anything (other than her reward lol)

20/03/2025

🐶 Spaniel Takeover 😱

On 9th March, We judges THREE The National Nosework Association Trials at Lochaber Farm with Dream Dogs - dog training and what a fantastic day it was!

A MASSIVE thank you to Mel from Little Rascals School for Dogs for helping co-judge 🩷

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part, and especially to our spaniel stars who dominated the podium! 🎉 We love seeing the passion and dedication from all our competitors, and we’re already looking forward to the next trial.

Our medal winners:

Foundation #1
🥇 Laura & Boris
🥈 Jennifer & Cassie

Foundation #2
🥇 Jan & Winnie
🥈 Ashley & Zazu

Pre-Entry
🥇 Mel & Monkey
🥈 Sandra & Jura
🌟 Synergy awarded to Jan & Layla for a spectacular Exterior search - fully trusting her dog through those blank areas!

Incredible teams coming up the ranks and we can’t wait to see what they do next! 💫

13/03/2025

🐕‍🦺🦮Coming soon🦮🐕‍🦺
🐶🐶Sniff ‘n’ go🐶🐶
Do you struggle to get someone to put out hides for you to train on blind?
Do you need more environmental exposure for your search dog?
These are mini sessions where you will come & search 2 different areas, these will be dependant on what’s available at the venue as every venue is different.
The areas will be any 2 of the following
Interior
Exterior
Vehicle
Selection
The areas will be listed at the time of advertising.
Each dog will have a 10 minute time slot in each area to allow for search, debrief & feedback.
Sessions will be bookable on bookwhen

10/03/2025

Yesterday Monkey competed in her last The National Nosework Association Pre-entry trial held by K9 Track & Train judged by Shannon, hosted by Dream Dogs - dog training in Arbroath. She just needed her selection badge to stage up & she absolutely nailed it yesterday. Finding 7 out of 7 hides and gaining the winners medal.
Now Pigeon can finially do the Pre-entries, where she will have 3 minutes to find 2 hides in each area plus the selection boxes with 1 hide.
Monkey moves up to Entry level, she will have 5 minutes to find 3 hides in each area plus the selection boxes with 2 hides.
Yesterday’s jackpot reward at the end of each search was a mozzarella cheese stick 🤣🤣 I’ll need to stock up on them as it was some of the best searching I’ve seen from her.
🏆🥇CHEESE for the scentwork WIN!! 🥇🏆