Tracking and scent work: put your dog’s nose to work.
Tracking and scent work, ten lessons each. For a competition title or just for fun, and it calms the whole dog.
- 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google,Howie’s Happy Dog · 78 reviews
- 54Certified tracking dogsand mantrailers
A track, drawn out
- Start
- One scent to follow
- Articles to indicate
The ground cover changes along the way.
Why the nose
Nose work does three things for your dog.
Calm
It activates the vagus nerve, the largest nerve in the body. That calms the whole nervous system and makes calm on command easier to teach.
Focus
Learning to work a scent builds the ability to concentrate longer, so every other kind of training, obedience included, goes smoother.
Confidence
Every new skill builds confidence. The more skills, and ways to use them, the more confident the dog.
Every nose session helps the rest of the training.
Two programs
Two ways to work the nose.
Tracking
Follow one scent, start to finish
Scent work
Find what is hidden
Not sure which? Scent work moves faster. Tracking is the long game.
Price
Either program, ten lessons
$550total
$55 an hour. Same price for tracking or scent work, for a title or just for fun.
- Homework between lessons
- At the competition level, two scent work divisions
- 10% off for students, seniors, military and first responders
Same price, either way
Experience
Most trainers have never done this work.
Most trainers know obedience, and maybe scent work or agility. Only occasionally does someone have tracking experience. Read my story.
- Tracking dogs and mantrailersTrained and title certified
- Police K-9sBuilding and field search
- Drug and bomb detector dogsTrained and certified
Clients
In the owners’ words.
- Building confidence
“It was so rewarding to see her learn and gain confidence week after week.”
Howie is dedicated and passionate about teaching YOU, the owner, how to work with and train your dog. He will give you the reasoning and instruction, but you must be dedicated to the daily homework sessions or you'll be wasting...
Jen Woodwith Lola★★★★★
- Smart Aussie mix, age 4
“Little did we know how smart our girl really was until Howie walked through the door.”
We brought Honey home a 4-year-old Aussie/Great Pyrenees mix and thought we definitely had bitten off more than we could chew. We called up Howie and the next day he called and spoke to my mother and...
Megan Shanebergerwith Honey★★★★★
- Positive methods
“He was very patient in training me to teach my dog, Bo.”
Jim Pittwith Bo★★★★★
Want your dog to be the next story?
Questions
Before you call.
01What is the difference between tracking and scent work?
Tracking teaches your dog to follow one specific scent through different kinds of ground cover and to indicate any articles dropped along the track. Scent work teaches your dog to find a specific scent hidden in an area. Scent work is usually more fun for you and the dog, and it progresses faster.
02Do I have to want a competition title?
No. Both can be done for a title or just for fun. For fun you can use any scent at all. A few people have gone through the program to teach their dog to find shed antlers in the woods.
03How often are the lessons?
Both programs are ten lessons. Tracking lessons run every two to three weeks with homework in between, and the weather has a say in how often we can train. Scent work lessons are weekly.
04What does it cost?
$550 for the ten lessons, which is $55 an hour. Same price for tracking or scent work. 10% off for students, seniors, military and first responders.
Start here
What should your dog find?
Tracking or scent work, $550 for ten lessons. Call or text and we will set up the first lesson.