Workshop

SIRIUS® Sniffers! Scent-ablity Training for Fun and Focus in Companion Dogs

Kelly Gorman Dunbar

A dog's ability to smell is far superior to ours; it's her primary sense for exploring and navigating the environment. Dogs "smell" their way around the world the way we humans "see" our way through it.

Yet, time and time again our canine companions are thwarted in their efforts to gather information via their noses. We're always telling them to, "Stop sniffing and come along!" Or to, "Get your nose out of there!"

In some cases, this can lead to a dog that becomes frustrated, distracted, or shut down, or, unfulfilled at the very least.

At SIRIUS, we believe in honoring our dogs for what they naturally are, and we found that rather than telling your dog, "You'll never sniff in this town again!" it's far better to provide her with an appropriate outlet to relish this very favorite doggy activity.

Our SIRIUS Sniffer scent-detection curriculum will unleash your dog's "Sherlock Nose" as well as teach you how to better read your dog's intentions and individual communication style. Giving your dog "the gift of sniff" will enhance your relationship with your best friend and provides the necessary mental stimulation that helps keep dogs healthy and happy. Teaching your dog scent-detection (to find a specific object or odor) is an excellent way for your dog to build confidence, burn lots of mental and physical energy, and have a blast!

Nearly all dogs have excellent noses, therefore, SIRIUS Sniffer classes are perfect for dogs of any age, size, breed-type, or personality.

Because all dogs work one at a time, this is an excellent class for dogs who are shy, dog reactive, or newly adopted. It's also a great class for dogs that need a lot of mental and physical stimulation and are eager to continue their training. SIRIUS Sniffer classes will give your dog the opportunity to build confidence in new environments, and work around obstacles without the stress of interaction with other dogs.

• 9.30 – 10.30 Presentation on how Scenting works
• 10.30 – 12.30 Practical Work
• 12.30 – 1.30 Lunch
• 1.30 – 2.30 Presentation
• 2.30 – 4.30 Practical Work
• 4.30 – 5pm – Q&A session

About Kelly Gorman Dunbar

Kelly Gorman Dunbar is a cofounder and the executive editor of dogstardaily.com and a contributing editor at dogtime.com and Animal Cafe.

She is the Founder and President of Open Paw, a non-profit organization devoted to addressing the unwanted animal problem in a whole new way, arming communities worldwide with valuable user and animal friendly training and behavior information with the goal of keeping cats and dogs out of shelters by keeping them in their original homes. Kelly lectures internationally on the principles of Open Paw and consults for animal shelters regarding layout, and staff-and-animal training protocols and procedures.

She is a Director of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior, a multi-faceted business that focuses on teaching people how to train their dogs to be the best canine citizens possible via fun and efficient training techniques involving games and environmental enrichment as rewards for desired behavior. She is a Director for the K9 Games Corporation, a venture dedicated to bringing fun and games to the process of dog training in order to make it easy, entertaining, and accessible for all people, including children.

Kelly recruits and trains the instructors for Dr. Ian Dunbar's SIRIUS Puppy & Dog Training company based in Berkeley, CA. She is the creator of the SIRIUS Sniffers scent-dection curriculum and is also in the process of bringing the French sport of cavage to the United States. Kelly has titled her French Bulldog Hugo-Louis via National Association of Canine Scent Work and enjoys competing in both NACSW nose work and AKC Rally trials with her dogs.

For more information about Kelly, visit Dog Star Daily.

The workshop will run over the weekend of 28th & 29th of April, 2012 from 9:30am to 5pm each day, with registration at 9am on the Saturday morning.

The workshop will now take place in our Training Centre in Dublin 15. Directions are available here.

Flights from the UK to Ireland are available from www.aerlingus.com and www.ryanair.com as well as other airlines.

Participants (You and your dog): €150 if booked before March 1st, €190 from March 1st on.

Spectators (No dogs): €50.

Participants can also avail of a special offer to bring 1 spectator for an additional €25. Please contact us if you wish to do this.

In order to keep the cost of attendance down for you, we have not included lunch. Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be available and a canteen area for eating packed lunches.

Should you need any extra information, please email us at info@dogtrainingireland.ie or lowcall 1890 90 50 18.