canine

Sniffer Dog Cam – 50% OFF STAY AT HOME SALE Ends April 19, 2020

Here’s what Domino has to say about the 7-Day Scent Challenge. Register for our new 7-Day Scent Challenge to learn how to introduce your dog to a new scent in just 7 days. Choose your favorite scent e.g. a glove for handler discrimination. The protocol applies the same techniques we use to train professional detection […]

Sniffer Dog Cam – 50% OFF STAY AT HOME SALE Ends April 19, 2020 Read More »

Dinner Do’s and Don’ts for Sniffer Dogs

When you have a dog, you’ll be feeding them dinner, but hopefully not always in a bowl. Try turning dinner into a feast for the senses, like finding scattered food on your lawn, searching for food stuffed balls (see our Top Dog Toys of 2018), searching for food in a snuffle matt (see screenshot), or

Dinner Do’s and Don’ts for Sniffer Dogs Read More »

2 Flash Scholarships – Today Only

It’s your last chance to learn the basics of scent in our new Scent Detection – Imprinting Target Odor for Beginners online course. Class starts tomorrow (Jan. 6, 2020). Register at: https://www.cleanrun.com/category/learning_center/agility_instructors/carla_simon_online_classes/index. ******Thanks to everyone who shared on our web pages. The winners of the free scholarships are: Karen ibbitson and Christine Cowley. Congratulations! *****

2 Flash Scholarships – Today Only Read More »

Give the Gift of Sniff

Have a dog that loves to sniff or needs a job to do? Curious about how dogs can detect everything from bed bugs to cancer? Learn the basics of scent in our new Scent Detection – Imprinting Target Odor for Beginners online course, starting Jan. 6, 2020: https://www.cleanrun.com/category/learning_center/agility_instructors/carla_simon_online_classes/index. This course is provides a broad introduction

Give the Gift of Sniff Read More »

Top Dog Toys of 2018 – Help Your Dog Relax, Chew and Be Quiet

We recently packed up 7 dogs for a 4000 km road trip, and brought and 7 StarMark Everlasting Fun Balls to help the dogs relax. All of the balls made it home, unlike several collars. I can’t imagine travelling without investing in some durable and entertaining chew toys. Don’t travel without them! Even better, bring

Top Dog Toys of 2018 – Help Your Dog Relax, Chew and Be Quiet Read More »

Early Neutering May Affect Cognitive Function, Cancers and Joint Disorders

Puppy owners deciding when to neuter may find it interesting to learn more about the long-term health effects. One study compared Golden and Labrador Retrievers with spay and neuter performed before 6 months up through 8 years(1). It compared  joint disorders (including hip dysplasia) and cancers (including mammary cancer) in neutered vs intact dogs. In Goldens, neutering

Early Neutering May Affect Cognitive Function, Cancers and Joint Disorders Read More »

NEW Engagement Games Classes

What makes your scent dog happy? Is he more interested in checking out distractions than working with you? In our new ENGAGEMENT FOR DOGSPORTS classes, we use games to transform naughty dogs into nice partners for dogsports. Everyone says you should “be the cookie”. We’ll show you how. You’ll learn: How to Build Engagement =

NEW Engagement Games Classes Read More »

Nosework Makes Us Smile – Join the Fun at our Calgary Classes

Nosework Makes Us Smile – Join the Fun at our Calgary Classes starting May 30 at Kayenna Kennels, Calgary. Level 1 – Motivate your dog to love searching for scent. No previous experience required. Level 2 – Show you where odor is, with an indication even my grandmother would recognize Level 3 – Trial preparation: Learn

Nosework Makes Us Smile – Join the Fun at our Calgary Classes Read More »

Blocking and Advanced Proofing with Barriers

A student recently described how her dog found most of the hides in SDDA Excellent competition, but had a fringe alert. Did she call alert too soon or block her dog’s access to source? If she had asked her dog to check both sides of the vehicle, would he have sat and false alerted just

Blocking and Advanced Proofing with Barriers Read More »

Only a few spots left! INTRODUCTION TO NOSEWORK class starts Wed. April 18 (Calgary)

Using the same techniques we use for bed bug and narcotics detection dogs, we’ll motivate your pet dog to love searching for target odor. This video features Jager, a 6-month old Brittany Spaniel, searching for bed bug scent. The start line has containers full of food and the boxes contain distractions. He alerts on the hot

Only a few spots left! INTRODUCTION TO NOSEWORK class starts Wed. April 18 (Calgary) Read More »

You’ll Fall Many Times, But Who’s Counting

Even Olympic medallists eventually take a fall. Some are more catastrophic than others, but how they recover from failure helps determine future results. There’s a lesson for dog handlers and trainers who require constant perfection and suffer as a result. Kaetlyn Osmond took a fall for all to see, and then inspired. She fractured her

You’ll Fall Many Times, But Who’s Counting Read More »

Photo of Boo's cheeks moving in and out while sourcing, prior to stopping breathing when he reaches source.

Listen Up! When Your Dog Stops Sniffing

Did you notice that many scent detection dogs stop breathing when they reach source? One of the best ways to read your sniffer dog is by listening to changes in his breathing . While sourcing, sniffing speeds up, sounds different and you may see the flews (upper lips) moving in and out as shown in the

Listen Up! When Your Dog Stops Sniffing Read More »

Table Distraction Game for Sniffer Dogs

Reliable scent dogs must ignore food, toy, and environmental distractions to find target odor. This video shows the Table Distraction Game we play with our scent dogs away from odor, to teach them to ignore a bowl of food by default. It’s a stress-free complement to training sniffer dogs to pass by distractions, go to

Table Distraction Game for Sniffer Dogs Read More »

Welcome to Hunter’s Heart Scent Detection Training

Welcome students!  We’re looking forward to meeting you and your scent dog. We’ve inspired hundreds of students internationally, including dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes. Whether your target odor is bedbugs, narcotics, or nosework scents, we’ll help you to succeed with our proven protocols. Lessons are packed with hands-on practical experience so your dog can

Welcome to Hunter’s Heart Scent Detection Training Read More »

Zane, a nosework student, waits for his serch to begin

Upcoming Scent Dog Training with Hunter’s Heart

Classes at Kayenna Kennels, Calgary Learn nosework at Kayenna Kennels (near Southland and Macleod, Calgary) with a 6-week class. Level 1 – We’ve inspired hundreds of students internationally and can help motivate your dog to find target scent. No previous experience required. Puppies are welcome after their second set of vaccinations.Learn more: https://youtu.be/wC9MRR7ui70 Level 2 –

Upcoming Scent Dog Training with Hunter’s Heart Read More »

Scent Dog Training Classes Start Wed.

While it’s cold outside, come join us for some fun nosework! Classes start this Wednesday evening Dec. 13, 2017.  at Kayenna Kennels (near Southland and Macleod, Calgary). Wednesday Evening Classes Level 1 – We’ve inspired hundreds of students internationally and can help motivate your dog to find target scent. No previous experience required. Learn about how

Scent Dog Training Classes Start Wed. Read More »

Fear, Fender Benders and Following Your Fearless Dog

My Brittany Spaniel, Boo, and I spent our summer competing in nosework on a cross country road trip: from Calgary to California, Seattle to Wisconsin. The experience was thrilling sometimes, and punctuated with scary moments. We tested our limits, and I learned to approach uncertainty more like my fearless dog. For those of you who

Fear, Fender Benders and Following Your Fearless Dog Read More »

Break Down Scent Work for Success from Day One

Hunter’s Heart trains nosework by breaking it down into small achievable steps, setting teams up for success from day 1. Rewarding is crucial to motivating the dog to search for scent and having fun. We begin with a reward that the dog loves. Nosework training teaches the dog to search for the target odors, while

Break Down Scent Work for Success from Day One Read More »

Nosework Lesson #1 is Motivation! Register now for Feb. 22 Classes

Watch our students enjoying their motivational introduction to scent at their first nosework class.  Our approach is to make target odor so rewarding it would be crazy to leave. Dogs understand the nonverbal language and cues we use, such as having them watch while we hide a bowl filled with high value food rewards. Our

Nosework Lesson #1 is Motivation! Register now for Feb. 22 Classes Read More »

Welcome to Calgary Scent Detection Classes at Kayenna Training Academy

Welcome students!  Hunter’s Heart is excited to offer Calgary scent detection classes, seminars and events at Kayenna Training Academy. Register at: https://www.kayenna.ca/scent-detection. We also offer an online scent detection course for training sniffer dogs. We’ve been sniffing since 1999. From bed bugs to birds, nosework to narcotics, we’ve helped hundreds of students internationally, including dogs

Welcome to Calgary Scent Detection Classes at Kayenna Training Academy Read More »

How to have the most fun with your dog? Nosework/Scent Dog Training Compilation 2016

Nosework can be the most fun you ever had with your dog!  We’ve received many requests to help nosework students explain why they love nosework to people who don’t even know the dogsport exists. A picture’s worth a thousand words, so we hope you enjoy this video compilation. Nosework is an exciting new dogsport. We

How to have the most fun with your dog? Nosework/Scent Dog Training Compilation 2016 Read More »

Photo of nosework lab. The arrow is pointing at a hide in a nosework box.

Nosework Training in the Lab

Hunter’s Heart scent detection training is inspired by Andrew Ramsey (renowned law enforcement canine detection trainer, who helped advise the United Kennel Club while creating its nosework program).  We use the nosework lab to quickly and clearly teach the dog how to search systematically, and motivate the dog to love to find the target odor. The rewards

Nosework Training in the Lab Read More »

Scent Detection Terms in Scent Detection

A “hide” is the package of target odor inside a ventilated container that is hidden in the search are for the dog to find. The photo shows a very common type of hide, made from blotting paper scented with target odor inside a metal tin with magnets, which easily secure the hide to a metal surface. Other favorite hide containers include metal tins with holes, shipping labels, plastic tubes, etc..

Scent Detection Terms in Scent Detection Read More »