Scentwork Foundations: Level 2

ENROLMENT OPENS IN EARLY 2026
This course will run once in 2026, starting July 15, 2026.
Please contact us to join the waiting list and secure your place.

Scentwork Foundations: Level 2 builds foundational searching skills within trial-style elements, focusing on depth, problem-solving, and clarity rather than speed or polish.

This six-week course is designed for teams who already have a solid introduction to scentwork and are ready to develop how their dog searches when things become more complex. Level 2 is not about shortcuts or rushing toward titles. It’s about teaching dogs to stay in the game, work through difficulty, and trust the search process across a variety of environments.

We work across Containers, Interiors, Exteriors, and Vehicles, not as isolated elements, but as connected search problems. The emphasis is on understanding how odor behaves, how dogs access source, and how search strategy changes as challenges increase.

This course builds directly on the framework established in Level 1. Everyone starts from the same foundation so I can clearly see how your dog searches, how they problem-solve, and how your handling influences the picture. From there, we layer complexity in a way that supports independence, hunt drive, and thoughtful decision-making, without over-handling or drilling.

Each week, you’ll receive up to 6 minutes of individualized video feedback, focused on:

• Search strategy and flow
• Odor access and hide placement
• Handler timing, movement, and decision-making

The goal is not perfection. The goal is dogs who continue searching when things get harder, and handlers who know how to support that process without interfering.

An 11-piece hide kit is included and used throughout the course so all teams are working from comparable setups while still adapting exercises to their own environments.

Level 2 is well-suited for teams preparing for trials, but it’s equally valuable for handlers who want durable searching skills that hold up in novel, real-world environments.

This course teaches dogs that:

• Searching takes time
• Problems can be solved
• Effort is worth it

And it teaches handlers how to read, support, and trust that process.