Oracle Dogs

19/04/2026

18/04/2026

What a week! Last weekend we started our trip up north with two operational style workshops, one on saturday by Tom Moir hosted by Sniffer Paws NI followed on sunday by The Wall 2.0 by Shaun Cummings of Gritty K9 hosted by The Nose Zone
Then on the Monday at the Nose Zone we had a 1:1 with Sandra from the Nose Zone followed by a 3 hr workshop with both Sandra and Susanne from United Canine Scent Sport including the fun competition "Last Sniffer Standing"
Tuesday to Friday was the second part of the Lantra Accredited Scent Detection Instructors course and we squeezed in some classes with Sandra on the Tuesday and Friday evenings before we set off home.
I also had a zoom with Scent Instructors Network on the Tuesday night and one on Wednesday night for another scent course I am doing
While we were there we we lucky enough to have the chance for the girls to have a go at the UCSS League 1 Kong assessments with both of them passing Novice and Billie passing Intermediate. Thank you so so much to Sandra for accomodating us and allowing us to do this.
Thank you to everyone involved in making this a brilliant week for us, from the instructors (particularly Susanne and Sandra) to the fellow instructors to be and participants in the classes and workshops.
It was a week full of learning and I'm looking forward to putting it into action, both with my own dogs and with clients.
I'll be working with my girls to build their skills and get them ready to tackle the Advanced assessment next time we are up.
I'm also looking forward to progressing people here through the UCSS Cadet and Agent levels and helping them to earn their lovely badges.

18/04/2026

Huge congratulations to all of our brand new UCS Detection Instructors 🎉🐾
What a week it has been, and honestly what a journey over the past few months. Watching each of you grow, develop, question, adapt, and support one another has been incredible. This hasn’t just been about learning how to teach detection, it’s been about building confidence, understanding dogs on a deeper level, and stepping into your role as thoughtful, skilled instructors.
We loved coaching every single one of you. The effort, the openness to learning, and the way you’ve backed each other throughout has been exactly what UCS is all about. You should be seriously proud of what you’ve achieved,
This is just the beginning… and we can’t wait to see what you go on to build.
Paw Prints NI Just Pawing About Mourne Paws The Dog In Me dohertydogtraining mtndogservices Sarah Matthews Dog Training Oracle Dogs Paws To Go The Nose Zone
If you’re thinking about starting your own detection journey, whether for your own dog or to become an instructor, drop a comment below or send us a message 📩

17/04/2026

Exam day! Practical exam done yesterday and written one new today. I prefer a written one so technically the worst is over lol.

EXAM day today for our 10 new UCSS Scent Detection Instructors. Good luck everyone, you got this!
Practical assessments took place yesterday and they all rocked it. 🥳

15/04/2026

Instructor course Part 2 Day 1

14/04/2026

Day 3 in NI and we had a 1:1 where Billie passed her first assessment followed by a 3hr workshop. Possum got to work on her indication with Sandra and did a search outside then Billie had a go at Last Sniffer Standing which was hard. Mostly me the handler that needs to improve a bit for that but Billie and I were both getting tired by then which didn't help. Billie was snoring loudly last night which she never does so it's safe to say that the scent detection is a lot more taxing than the mantrailing. More to come today with day 1 of the instructor course.

13/04/2026

We had a great day yesterday doing The Wall 2.0 with Shaun Cummings from Gritty Canine. Shaun is very experienced at training operational dogs and took us through the steps he uses to train dogs to search. Billie loved the challenge and it was good for me to learn this practically and to meet up with some fellow instructors on the day. Thanks to Sandra from The Nose Zone for organising this and to Shaun for sharing his methods and being so patient and adaptable.

13/04/2026

Mantrailing Introduction
Sunday 26th April 10-1pm €60
Message me to book

Suitable for all dogs, all breeds, all ages
Dogs work one at a time on a harness and lead long line (can be provided on the day if you don't have these)

Mantrailing is a dog sport where the dogs use their noses to search for a person by following their specific scent.

Scentwork is good for giving busy dogs a job and also for building confidence in anxious dogs.

It is a low impact activity so is suitable for puppies, golden oldies and dogs with health or mobility issues.

If you think this might be a good activity for your dog or have any questions please message me to find out more.

Do something fun with your dog, it's fun for the humans too!

13/04/2026

Don't be afraid to ask your "dog trainer" what qualifies them to teach you and your dog. CPD has always been very important to me and I'm currently away in NI working my own dogs and completing more scent detection workshops and yet another Scent Detection Instructor Course. Because the more I learn the better I can be at teaching others.

Unlike many professions, dog training currently has very few barriers to entry. Anyone can set up and call themselves a trainer.
That is why education, mentoring, and professional development matter so much.

At United Canine Services we believe the industry should be moving towards higher standards of knowledge, practical skill, and ethical training.
Through programmes such as United Canine Scent Sport we aim to support instructors in developing clear teaching skills, structured training systems, and a deeper understanding of how dogs learn.

Raising standards in dog training ultimately benefits the people we teach and the dogs we work with every day.