NOCA Dog Sport

02/02/2024

COURAGE 🤝AGILITY

Last night at NOCA we looked at trying the dogs on the new A Frame from N2N - Canine Mills
and they all did super well!!

Some of them were a bit cautious to begin with but soon got the hang of it! Well done team 👊🏻

25/01/2024

23/01/2024

Edit * We are now full! *

OPEN FOR NEW PEOPLE

I’ve decided now that I’m settled that I’m going to open up 5 spaces for NOCA.

Class times are :

Sundays 11-1 pm GLENROTHES.

Thursdays 6-8pm ARBROATH.

£20 for one dog per class. £30 for 2 dogs, same handler per class.

You do not need to attend both classes so if you’re closer to one club you’d go to that one!
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What is NOCA?

A new fun dog sport made up of 4 elements.

Nosework, Obedience, Courage and Agility.

You are not in competition with your peers. You are working as a team; between you and your dog. We will set certification dates and if you achieve your full Level 1 NOCA, then you (if you wish to continue) will start training for your Level 2. If you fail one element of your NOCA 1 Title, you can progress to training for Level 2 and at the next certification day, do Level 2 plus the missing criteria of Level 1.

Please note that in the Agility section, the height of the jumps is irrelevant and does not affect your score. It is about the whole exercise and control of your dog during the exercise rather than how high your dog can jump. This also means all dogs can compete.

The main objective is to keep improving your relationship and engagement with your dog by teaching them new, fun skills which can be taken into daily life.

Membership fees are £60 single dog or if you are enrolling two dogs is £70.

This is for the year.

Please WhatsApp me on 07359 158662 to sign up!

21/01/2024

NOCA

Everyone came up to the unit in Arbroath to do some training before the open afternoon and so they could have see the new place!

The dogs handled the new environment like pro’s and they all did incredible 👏🏻

Each dog is on their own journey and I couldn’t be prouder seeing them handle new situations today.

Massive massive steps forwards from everyone 👊🏻

15/01/2024

We’re back at it!!! 👏🏻👏🏻

First session of 2024 and what a blast we had!!

Went back to basics as we’d all had some time off training over the festivities which was deserved!!

02/01/2024

🧡🧡🧡

Happy 2024 guys! One of my personal resolutions for this year is to share a lot more of our training and my thoughts. So, here comes a wrap-up post on what Project Good Dog (aka Miška and Smejko) has been up to in the past year!

2023 was all about embracing a flow-y rhythm in our training journey. We ditched the last attempts to follow linear paths and day-to-day plans which can sometimes overlook feelings and feedback. Instead, we adventured loads and pushed some boundaries in a thoughtful, but a lot more playful and flexible way. We loved the process, too. It seems that letting go of neat training plans and protocols was a good choice for the time being - Smejo is entering 2024 more confident, more level-headed and less anxious, I am a better (also a bit more level-headed?) handler, and together we are a better team.

Rather that sticking to just one strategy, we roughly alternated between two main approaches to easing Smejo's anxiety and reactivity - emotion change and emotion suppression. There was no grand plan to this, but it worked a treat.

Changing the emotion is The Big Goal to achieve, but it is bloody difficult to do well. The aim is to help the dog FEEL better about a trigger (usually by pairing it with something pleasurable), so that they can act better. Suppression of emotions on the the other hand is all about the ability to ignore external and internal distractions, THINK clearer, and as a result act better. It is usually built from basic obedience by progressively increasing pressure as well as motivation, a great relationship being a non-negotiable pre requisite. Suppression has a bad reputation because it supposedly only addresses the symptom, and not the cause of the problem. But do a bit of both, guided by the dog's responses, and the two approaches complement each other - suppression opens up a new window of opportunity to change emotions, and vice versa.

I was also trying to carefully undo some of Smejko dependence on my guidance (and lets face it, my urge to keep him close!) which I have been so meticulously building for the last two years. There has been more free time, opportunities to make his own choices and plenty of confidence building. We will be building up on this work in bit more structured manner this year, following the Braveheart book by Alex Lato.

We also experimented with "doggy mindfulness" - conditioned relaxation, Jo-rosie's dog yoga and body awareness exercises. We ended up practicing the bits and pieces I can confidently teach and Smejo enjoys. It is amazing to see how this training can steady Smejo's mind and open up a new channel for communication between us. It also thoroughly challenges me as a trainer. I never thought I would be trying to put facial expressions on a cue!

Last January, we joined a canicross club. To be honest, I was slacking it from July onwards, but it has been a game changer in giving Smejo an opportunity to be a in a group of dogs. In Summer we also started a new dog sport NOCA Dog Sport with our one and only Jordan Swankie! It pushed us to revisit obedience basics and nosework. We gave nosework a go shortly after Smejo joined our family, but it was not the right time. Back then, I just sucked at creating any clarity for him, and Smejo had no mindspace for it due to the emotional mess he has been in. But now? Oh boy 🙂

Another big theme in 2023 was silent and tactile communication between Smejko and I. It started with revisiting and cleaning up our lead communication thanks to Chad Mackin’s fabulous workshop. Who knew there was soo much more to long line work! Well, I didnt, but sure as hell am I glad I know now. Next I would like us to take this further by teaching tactile commands. The work on silent communication also continues with increased awareness of the body language "chat" between humans and dogs, but I have so much more to learn on this front.

We met so many amazing people and dogs on the way, and built beautiful connections.

And the best thing about 2023 for me? We were repeatedly complimented for the relationship Smejdy-boy and I have. ❤️

Bring on 2024, we are ready for ya!

20/12/2023

How sweet are these? 🥹🥹

One of the NOCA team gifted me these last night and aren’t they adorable!!

Always so grateful for my wonderful clients ❤️❤️

Thank you Gail x

19/12/2023

🧡🧡🧡

13/12/2023

We had our Christmas Party on Sunday and what a BLAST we had 🤩🤩

We played some party games and had a right laugh! NOCA is all about community❤️ It’s hard to find a place to belong when you have a dog that has issues. Whatever that issue may be. But NOCA welcomes everyone. Everyone is welcome to train, to learn, to ask questions and to have fun. No matter what breed, age or of your dog has its papers or not. I just love seeing people training and enjoying their dogs ⭐️

6 months ago having all of the dogs out at once would have been a disaster! For us all to have the dogs out, engaging in party games with some distractions going on and minimal reactions is a huge bloody win!!

I cannot write how proud I am of everyone in NOCA. You really do my heart burst with pride and I’m ready for 2024 with you lot!


Hope everyone has recovered 😂

12/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🎄

Day 12 - To finish off we have Radar, Ziska and Freya showing some of the things we’ve trained in NOCA ❤️

It’s been lovely seeing everyone videos come in and seeing just how far all their dogs have come! Proud trainer over here ❤️



*I do not own the rights to the music *

11/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas ❤️🌲

Day 11 - Today we’ve got Mr Loki showing off his Christmas visit the other day! He’s come such a long way since I first met him!!



*I do not own the rights to the music*

10/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🎄

Day 10 - Santa’s little helper Millie showing us all her tricks! ❤️

She’s too cute 🥹

*I do not own the rights to the music*

09/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🎅

Day 9 - Jura showing us his wonderful tricks!!! How cute is he? 🥹🥹



*I do not own the rights to the music*

08/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🎄

Day 8 - We have Max the Reindeer showing off his scentwork skills!! How flipping cute is he?!

*I do not own the rights to the music*

07/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🎄

Day 7 - Today we’ve got Bear showing us some scentwork and being courageous in his environments!!

He’s come on so much since starting NOCA!!!

*I do not own the rights to the music*

05/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🤶

Day 5 - Ozi’s hoomans have put a lot of effort into their video showcasing all the different aspects of NOCA ❤️

A very good Santas Little Helper ❤️

03/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas ☃️

Day 3 - Smejo showing us that there is no excuses for not training!! Snowy Scentwork 😍😍

Look at his tail 🥹

02/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🎅

The Golden Boys Ozzy and Alfie bringing the Christmas cheer today with a send away to the Christmas tree and channelling the courage element for jumping into the Christmas wheelbarrow!!

Well done boys ❤️

01/12/2023

12 Days of Christmas 🎄

We set the NOCA team a challenge to get their dogs to learn/do something new and fun for Christmas!

First up we have Echo!! Learning to hold a Christmas cracker and looks like she’s away to play a Christmas carol on the piano!!

NOCA is about going out of your comfort zone and having fun!! 👏🏻

Thanks Echo ❤️

*I do not own the rights to the music*

21/11/2023

Another great training session with the NOCA team last night!

Have fun practicing!! 🤩🤩

20/11/2023

First night of this weeks training!

Looking at building the dogs skills in the nosework element of NOCA 🐾

All the dogs did superb and are really starting to understand what we’re asking of them 👏🏻

14/11/2023

Some reviews from our NOCA handlers ❤️