Advanced Scent Detection Course 2025

Description

ADVANCED SCENT DETECTION COURSE 2025

#ASDC2025

Course Description
This advanced scent detection course is designed for professional detection dog handlers and experienced hobbyists aiming to deepen their expertise. Now also available as an online course, this program provides practical exercises, theoretical lessons, and tailored feedback. Participants will enhance their scent work skills with a focus on refining their approach to evaluating training sessions. The course is ideal for professionals and those aiming to become professional detection dog teams.

Who Is This Course For?

• Professionals working with detection dogs, looking to improve their skills as handlers.
• Experienced hobbyists or those aspiring to become professional scent detection dog teams, who have a solid foundation of handler skills and a dog well-suited for detection work.

Requirements for the Course

• Experience in detection handling
• A highly motivated dog to work with.
• Basic knowledge of reward-based training techniques.
• Strong motivation to learn and train, with at least 5 hours available weekly for practice.
• Ability to record and upload training videos for personalized online feedback (phone quality is adequate).
• Possibility to take part in online lectures and live coaching (in-person or online).
• Ability to work in groups.

Considered an advantage

• Knowledge of canine learning theory.
• Advanced dog training skills.
• Currently working as a detection dog handler.

Course Dates

Weekend 1: 8-9 February 2025
Weekend 2: 8-9 March 2025
Weekend 3: 5-6 April 2025
Weekend 4: 3-4 May 2025

All the meeting Saturdays are held between 10 AM to 8 PM (UTC +2)
All the meeting Sundays are held between 9 AM to 4 PM (UTC +2)

Webinars

Webinar 1: 22 February 2025
Webinar 2: 22 March 2025
Webinar 3: 19 April 2025

All the webinars are held between 10 AM to 2 PM (UTC +2)

Course Fee & Application

The course fee is 1,660€ (incl. VAT). This includes all training, webinars, weekly personalized feedback, and a diploma upon successful completion. Travel, meals, and accommodation are not included.

Application Deadline

Send your application by 8 December 2024 via this link: https://forms.gle/a4JphtvN5xaNZBHU7. All applicants will be personally informed about the selection results for the course by 15 December 2024, whether they are accepted or not. There are 8 dog handler spots available for the course. At least 2 of the spots are reserved for remote participants.

Course Goals

• Deepen professional detection dog handlers’ knowledge and skills in scent work.
• Develop effective search routines and strategies for various environments and scenarios.
• Provide practical tools for improving the performance of each dog-handler team.
• Offer personalized feedback and development suggestions tailored to each participant’s skill level.

Course Structure

• In-Person Weekends: 4 intensive weekends of practical training and theory.
• Remote Learning: Weekly video submissions for personalized feedback.
• Open webinars on advanced topics such as “The Science of Scent,” “Search Strategies,” and “Managing Difficult Scents.”

Weekend 1: Fundamentals of Scent Work & Starting Levels

Theory: Course overview, training plans, and training logs.

Practical Exercises:

• Assessment of each dog-handler team’s starting level
• Precision in indication and scent picture
• Basics of search routines and strategies: starting systematic searches

Remote Task: Video analysis: Precision in indication and search routines

Weekend 2: Progress & Problem Solving

Theory: Scent discrimination and problem-solving techniques in scent work

Practical Exercises:

• Scent discrimination exercises at varying difficulty levels
• Problem-solving in practice: managing distractions
• Developing search strategies: how to work the dog for efficient searching in different environments

Remote Task: Video analysis: Managing distractions during searches

Weekend 3: Challenging Scents & Environments

Theory: Scent behavior in different conditions and environments

Practical Exercises:

• Scent work in challenging conditions (e.g., wind, humidity, temperature changes)
• Difficult scents: small odor sources, dispersed scents, and complex scent trails
• Adapting search routines and strategies to various conditions

Remote Task: Video analysis: Handling difficult scents in complex environments

Weekend 4: Individual Development & Certification Preparation

Theory: Optimizing dog-handler teamwork and preparing for certification

Practical Exercises:

• Preparing for certification: refining performance and perfecting search routines
• Multi-stage and multi-level exercises tailored to individual needs
• Identifying strengths and areas for development: personal goals for each team
• Certification with a guest assessor

Venue

Meetings are held in Dog School Koirapalvelu Tatsi’s facilities, in Mikkeli, Finland. Jääkärintie 1, 50150 Mikkeli. In the case of force majeure, all meetings are held online.

Target Scents

The course exercises may be done using training scents, such as Kong, or the specific target scents of each dog team. Each handler is responsible for the substances they use and for handling them properly.

Instructors

Head instructor is Karita Häkkinen, an expert in scent detection with over a decade of experience in operational scent work.
Additionally, international guest instructors will share insights into advanced detection work. The guest instructors will be revealed closer to the course dates.

Animal Welfare

All the training and dog handling on this course is reward-based, and we follow the Finnish law of Animal Welfare.