Scent Detection is a team sport, exploring the world through the looking glass of your dogs nose.

It’s your dog’s superpower and something all dogs do naturally, out of choice. Working sniffer dogs locate drugs, explosives, explosives, digital hardware, contraband, hedgehogs,, bedbugs, truffles and objects relating to crime scenes, amongst many other things. Medical detection dogs can detect things like cancer, malaria, changes in blood sugar levels and allergens.

If you have a dog who “needs a job”, scentwork is a job they will love!

In this course, we mix training with fun, but we aim for a high standard by building a solid foundation: strong passive alert behaviour, intensive and systematic search, powerful motivation. Because we focus so much on building the above, this course is suitable not only for complete beginners, but also for teams who already do scentwork, but want better indication and stronger, more focused performance. After this foundation course, you can work towards longer and more complex or challenging searches and selecting your target scent. In this course we use red Kong toy as a training scent. Further workshops and classes will be available to help you progress.

There are huge benefits to scent training:
▶︎ It makes your dog happier (really, sniffing improves mood!)
▶︎ It boosts their confidence and optimism
▶︎ It’s a safe outlet for energy and desire to hunt and explore
▶︎ It’s an interactive team activity, so you’re building a fantastic bond
▶︎ It helps dogs cope with frustration better
▶︎ Enhances calmness.
▶︎ Dogs learn to focus for longer
▶︎ You get to be a better trainer
▶︎ It leaves dogs “happy tired”
▶︎ You can progress towards competitions and trials if you choose to
▶︎ You are a detective team, where your dog is Sherlock and you get to be Watson
▶︎ It’s thrilling, addictive and deeply satisfying

In each session, you learn the essential exercises and games, then you have 2 weeks to practise at home. You will have access to a private facebook support group, where you can share your progress and ask questions.

This foundation course is suitable for dogs of any age, size or breed. We work with each team at their own pace. Reactive dogs are welcome, but you need to inform us about your dogs specific needs. Your dog needs to be able to relax and rest between exercises in your car.

6 x 2.5h sessions every 2 weeks, starting 20th March
Time: 6:30PM – 9PM
Place: Bow Wow Doggy Day Care, Cardiff
Price (handlers): £180 Spectators: £60 (incl. access to a dedicated private Facebook support and training group and all the training emails and materials)

About your instructor:

Aleksandra Borawska
Owner of Synchro Dog, specialist in dog and owner training, behaviour modification, scent detection, mantrailing and dog sports foundations

Qualifications:
Certified UK College of Scent Dogs instructor
Scentwork UK instructor
Certified Mantrailing UK instructor
IMDT (Institute of Modern Dog Trainers) Accredited Dog Training Instructor
Open College Network Level III ‘Principles of Dog Training And Behaviour’
ISAP (International Society of Animal Professionals)
Canine Behaviour and Training
Training with and inspired by Scandinavian Working Dog Institute
Attended multiple workshops, seminars and conferences with UK and international scent detection experts
Currently developing a bed bug detection dog in training

Aleks came to Wales from Ireland in 2015, where she taught clicker skills and agility classes in a local dog club. She joined a dog training school as a head trainer and behaviour modification specialist. In the four years of working with the company, Aleks’s focus had been to learn to help people help their dogs, have more fun with their dogs and understand their dogs better. She is now an owner of her own training and behaviour service Synchro Dog and a scent detection training addict.

She has passion for training precise skills, making training fun and finding kind and empowering training solutions for “difficult” dogs and their family, dogs with high prey drive, reactivity, aggression and over-arousal.

Aleks shares her life with her three dogs: a charming and talented collie mix, a bonkers but ridiculously cute staffie cross and scent detection dog in training: yellow lab Bubu. And an occasional foster dog