The Scholarly ScentZ, LLC

01/31/2025

Thoughtful Thursday: The Cement of Experience

Have you ever watched a highly experienced trainer work with a dog and think that they literally were telepathic? That some how, they could read what the dog was thinking and could anticipate the actions of the dog to move the dog faster in their learning?

Here's a hint. Most of those people have a lot of knowledge (rocks and pebbles) but also have the cement of experience of seeing and training a lot of dogs.

If you have every watched concrete being poured, you have seen the larger rocks and pebbles in the mix. They are incredibly important for the strength of the concrete. In our world, that is knowing the theory of behavior. Behavior is lawful, just like any other hard science so we, as dog trainers, should know our laws and how they work.

In order to create a strong concrete, you need to have the appropriate mix of cement, sand, and aggregate. It is more than a recipe. If you have stood next to an experienced concrete person and watched them mix the concrete, they will add a little water, or a little more sand, to get the 'feel' just right. This way it spreads, sets, and cures correctly.

This equates to the 'craft' of training dogs. The understanding of the craft comes from years of experience. Dogs you have trained, teams you have watched, hides you have set, operational experiences, knowing where you came up short, dogs you have washed, different breeds you have worked, different people you have worked with, certifications you have passed, or you have failed.

Trainers who combine theory and practice know when to add a little lean to the left, when placement of reinforcement is kicking your butt, a sprinkle of Premack is needed, or a dash of variable schedule of reinforcement is required. Training plans are key for effective and efficient training, but they only get you so far.

Dog training is the combination of science and craft. Make sure you are choosing instructors, mentors, and coaches who have the combination of experience and knowledge to take you where you want to go.
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Check out the K9Sensus Coaching Community. The K9Sensus Detection Dog Academy Fall 2025 Cohort will begin in September.

01/30/2025

Novice and Advanced Buried Hides Practice this Sunday at CleverDogs!

Book a spot for the 'Focus Fun' training workshop by a professional dog trainer at 6175 Shamrock Court, Dublin, OH, USA. Enhance your dog's skills and have fun!

01/21/2025

I value the wonderful Nose Work community I have come to know and grow with. It's a sport I feel should be welcoming and inclusive to all... we allow dogs of different abilities to train and compete after all.

I just want to reaffirm that I will always strive to create a community especially within my students that values diversity, equity, and inclusion for all as we just want to do what we love to do, spend time with our dogs with a sport our dogs love.

As a minority women-owned business, this is something that I hold in the highest regard.

01/20/2025

If anyone is interested in learning about AKC HD, while working spots are full, audit spots are available. You'll get class materials outlining step-by-step progression exercises, the ability to join the virtual lecture plus a recorded link, and ask any questions. Please reach out to me on http://www.thescholarlyscentz.com and be sure to specify HD class in the subject of the form! Class meets for 6 weeks starting February 3rd!

Welcome to The Scholarly ScentZ, LLC! Why Train with The Scholarly ScentZ? Having A Trainer Who Does It All I am a Certified Nose Work Instructor with the National Association of Canine Scent Work (R) and have trained over 100 teams from the beginnings of the sport up to the elite levels in every or...

01/20/2025

Nosework Games for Creating Confident Caninesbuild boldness and resilience through therapeutic activities using your dog’s best sense Buy Now Does this sound familiar?Is your four-legged companion timid or nervous in new environments?Does your beloved canine struggle with confidence and resilience...

01/18/2025

An amazing opportunity to train with the NACSW founders! Sign up for the draw here

NACSW® Education Division K9 Nose Work® Training Fest Southeast 2025 Get ready to unleash your excitement for the NACSW’s K9 Nose Work® Training Fest™ South East 2025! This exclusive event…

01/17/2025

Can a dog’s temperament qualities influence their performance at a trial? Does a dog’s reactivity with other dogs affect their distractibility during searches? In this webinar, Sue will be addressing some temperament qualities in our dogs that she believes can influence their Scent Work training...

01/17/2025

You’ve mastered the dog-driven container search and made it through NW1, NW2 and NW3 but find yourself a bit lost when it comes to large container searches in elite and upper levels? Maybe the containers were scattered in your last trial and your dog-driven pattern fell apart? This webinar is for ...

01/17/2025

NEW LIVE WEBINAR SCHEDULED - Mastering Multiple Hides Webinar with Michael McManus scheduled for February 6th at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET

REGISTER FOR THE LIVE WEBINAR OR ORDER THE WEBINAR REPLAY HERE: https://www.scentworku.com/products/mastering-multiple-hides-webinar

Do you want a step-by-step guide to how we teach our own dogs to do multiple hides? Learn how to take the conflict out of multiple hides, starting with building stickiness, and then following a procedure that introduces each new concept slowly and clearly.

In this webinar, we're going to take a deep dive into multiple hide searches. We're going to show you our entire progression with video examples starting from the foundation of building intense stickiness. A lot of people are worried about building too much stickiness because they believe that it will interfere with the dog's ability to find multiple hides later on. If you follow the right progression this is not the case.

After showing the prerequisite we will show you how we do multiple hide searches in our classes with dogs of all levels. Will show you how we teach the dogs how to have discipline about not returning to hides on their own and with handling. We'll discuss techniques to manage the handlers memory and search area coverage. And finally we'll look at some advanced multiple hide problems, how to set them up, and how to train them.

This webinar will be perfect for anyone at any level. Whether you have a puppy on primary or a dog working at the elite level who you want to revisit foundation with. If you're an instructor looking for curriculum for class this is perfect for you.

LENGTH
90 minutes

INSTRUCTOR
Michael McManus

CEUS
We have applied for NACSW CEUs - stay tuned!

LIVE WEBINAR
Join us for the live webinar scheduled for February 6th at 4:30PM PT/6:30PM CT/7:30PM ET where you may ask Michael questions in real-time and receive free, continual access to the fully edited webinar replay.
COST: $40.00

WEBINAR REPLAY
Cannot make the live webinar? No worries! Order the webinar replay and go through the material at your own pace. There are no deadlines, cut-off dates and expiration dates to worry about. We fully edit all the live webinars, so the replay will be posted to the Scent Work University site by the end of the day on February 7th.
COST: $35.00

REGISTER FOR THE LIVE WEBINAR OR ORDER THE WEBINAR REPLAY HERE: https://www.scentworku.com/products/mastering-multiple-hides-webinar

We look forward to seeing you there!

Happy Training!

01/17/2025

Ready to Level Up Your Nose Work Skills? 🐾
Have you ever wondered what a second set of eyes could reveal about your dog’s nose work performance?
✨ Open Video Review Appointments with Nancy Reyes!
Send in your nose work videos for a personalized review with Nancy. Together, you’ll:
Identify what’s working well and where adjustments can be made
Troubleshoot problem areas to improve your dog’s searches
Get tailored feedback and training tips to refine your handling and your dog’s skills
Whether you're preparing for a trial or just want to improve your teamwork, these reviews can make all the difference in reaching your nose work goals.
📅 Don’t wait—spots fill fast!
Reserve your video review session today!
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/759b081b/?calendarIds=6400731
(scroll down and choose "video review")