Trails and Tails Dog School

10/25/2025

This is so cool!

Virginia Tech researchers found that everyday dog-handler teams can effectively detect spotted lanternfly egg masses, offering a community-driven tool to fight invasive agricultural pests.

10/22/2025

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10/18/2025

If you have any questions, contact your vet!

Important health update! ❤️🐶

10/13/2025

Huge congratulations to all our teams that passed their ORTs this fall!

Really looking forward to helping you all get ready for your NW1s in the spring!

Team Ripley
Team Aygon
Team Rain
Team Pippa
Team Misiu
Team Lady Di
Team Sage
Team Zenyatta

+ All the other awesome other teams that got their ORTs and everyone who stepped up to the start line with their best friend yesterday in Columbus!

10/09/2025

We had such an amazing weekend workshop with Judith Guthrie teaching us about Scent Work! We learned how to troubleshoot our foundational learning, how to best support our dogs during a search, and some good exercises to push our teams to the next level.
I'm so grateful for everyone who made the trek over to Bozeman (including Judith!) and to all my local students who are so supportive that it didn't even make me nervous to find out what I need to work on next with Tracer!
I am looking for our next opportunity now and would love any suggestions! Is there someone you would love to see here for a workshop? What about a Sniff & Go in the barn? Any ideas are welcome!
Thank you so much for all of those who joined us and filled the barn with questions and learning!

09/18/2025

We use this all the time! Great games for getting your dog to focus on you!

Pattern games are great for many reasons, one of which is building engagement between you and your pup. Let's learn one together!

The Ping Pong Pattern Game 🏓 is from the Control Unleashed training program created by Leslie McDevitt. It's quick, easy to practice, and really doesn't require setup other than having some treats ready.

1. Call your dog over to you and place a treat on the ground in front of you.
2. As soon as your dog eats it and looks up at you, mark (using a clicker or marker word), and toss a treat to the RIGHT of your feet.
3. As soon as your dog eats it and looks up at you, mark, and toss a treat to the LEFT of your feet.
4. Repeat 10-15 times
You can gradually increase the distance you toss the treats, as well as practice in more distracting environments, over time.

It makes for a fun way to begin or break up training sessions and can also be used to practice moving through thresholds or moving slightly closer to an exciting or somewhat scary thing!

07/18/2025

Register today!

Registration is open for our ORT on August 16th!

This Odor Recognition Test is your first step in competitive nosework through NACSW. Passing this test allows you and your dog to enter future competitions.

Register here!

https://www.trailsandtailsdogschool.com/events

07/18/2025

Registration is open for our ORT on August 16th!

This Odor Recognition Test is your first step in competitive nosework through NACSW. Passing this test allows you and your dog to enter future competitions.

Register here!

https://www.trailsandtailsdogschool.com/events

07/08/2025

This is going to be a great event!

Attn: Bozeman, MT friends! In partnership with , we're offering a FREE in-person dog safety workshop at the West Paw Headquarters on Thursday, July 17 at 5:30pm.

We'll share life-saving info from the field, with practical applications:
🌡️ Heat stress: how to spot it and stop it to prevent dangerous situations
⚠️Traps & snares: how spot them and ways to avoid them
🖐️Hands-on training on trap release: how to safely release your dog if the unexpected happens

Don't miss this opportunity! This is potentially life-saving information, and we're thrilled to be able to share this knowledge with you. More information available here: https://wd4cdonate.donorsupport.co/page/FUNANXVUDKL. Hope to see you there! (Humans only at this training, no dogs, please!)
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07/07/2025

Puppies, nosework, and summer heat! Check out my latest newsletter!

With summer in full swing, I’ve been helping new puppy parents, hosting nose work practice all over town, and enjoying the mountains with my own dogs! How are your adventures going? I’d love to hear how you and your dogs have been doing! Send me an update!

06/20/2025

Having a solid recall cue is so important in the backcountry. I always want Tracer to be able to enjoy doing dog things while we’re hiking instead of focusing 100% on me. But I also want to keep her safe. So we’re always doing little recall practices to help her know that coming back to me will be worth leaving a squirrel or ignoring a deer. We came close to a coyote last week and I was so happy we have been working on this! She instantly and joyfully ran back to me when I asked.
No pain, no force, no fear needed. Just practice and patience.

05/26/2025

If you’re curious about nose work, this is a great article about a recent event hosted in Columbus, MT! Nikki did such a great job putting this competition together that the local newspaper wanted to know what was going on!

https://www.stillwatercountynews.com/news/sniffing-out-the-competition-sport-connects-human-canine-teams/article_e61840ac-5dd1-4b3f-967b-577b7de3064e.html?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKhxTBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHijTOTD_WkNRGQ1v83P4hCNNddS885DoQJamPbjW_R5T1Edm1cBrM8heTRx__aem_XjeJQwyQd4UUBuYlSDGZgg

Heads turned as drivers passed by the Montana Silversmiths headquarters earlier this month. What was up with all the cars on a weekend? And even more strange, why were they