learningfromdogs.com
Practical Training sessions:
Fred Helfers will conduct private / semi-private training session designed exclusively to meet your dog team's or training center's needs.
The sessions will be conducted as seminar time permits.
Please contact Fred at helfers@arczip.com for further information.
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS >>
Fred Helfers offers the following Seminars and workshops.
The training sessions are designed to specifically focus on the Nosework dog team.
Olfaction and Odors - Seminar
The Nosework dog handler must learn to interpret their dog’s behavior when detecting odor molecules. The handler should have an understanding of the dog’s olfactory system and the odor molecules the dog detects. This seminar is for everyone who has a dog and is interested in how dogs use their nose to detect odors. This 8 hour seminar will cover the areas of Canine Olfaction, how the canine nose works, scent discrimination, factors effecting odors and utilizing your knowledge of Odors and Olfaction in K9 Nosework®.
Handler Error - Seminar
“Identifying the 10 most Common Handler Error Faults”
“This 4 hour lecture specifically focuses on Handler Error and incorporates both video and power point presentations. Experience has shown that by establishing and applying a consistent maintenance training program, the areas of handler error (e. g. leash handling, detailing skills, reading changes of behavior, search patterns, cueing, considering environment) are easily understood and correctable. The experienced canine handler will quickly recognize that there are many situations that can lead to handler error.”
From "Foundation to Finesse" - Practical Workshops
In these workshops, Fred will work hands on with teams to improve training, team work and competition. The workshops cover handler skills, reading your dog, and training drills that define patterned searches and handler / dog communication with minimal intrusion on the dog working to an odor source. These workshops are for all skill levels!
Training for Success - Seminar / Workshop
This two day seminar / workshop will be a combination of presentation and discussion followed by teams working exercises based on the morning’s topics. Working teams will have opportunities to experience Fred’s “Training for Success” concepts while participating in the afternoon hands-on exercises. By observing the working teams, auditors will discover how these concepts can be used with their own dogs.
Whether you are a beginner in the sport of NoseWork / Scentwork or a seasoned competitor or instructor, you will appreciate Fred’s depth of knowledge and experience. Participants from all levels of NoseWork will learn how to apply Fred’s proven “Training for Success” concepts to their own dogs in practice and competition.
Working spots are 6 teams each day. Auditing spots are unlimited. Please note that working team participants must attend the morning presentation on the day they have a working spot because afternoon exercises will be based on the concepts discussed in the morning.
Presentations and discussions will include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
Day 1
Morning presentation:
• Building a detection dog training program—developing training goals for you and your dog by implementing proven training protocols.
• Hide Placements—using hide placements to educate yourself and your dog.
• Leash handling--building independence and hunt drive while working your dog on leash.
Afternoon working sessions:
• Exercises with working teams based on the morning’s presentation.
• Working team exercises will be NW1/Novice and NW2/Intermediate levels.
Day 2
Morning presentation:
• Converging odors–using converging odor setups to educate yourself and your dog.
• Inaccessible hides--how to increase your dog’s drive to focus on the source.
• Handler confidence--building confidence as a detection dog handler.
Afternoon working sessions:
• Exercises with working teams based on the morning’s presentation.
• Working team exercises for Sunday will be NW3/Advanced and Elite levels.
This classroom only seminar will provide thought provoking and enlightened training techniques for the dog and handler. The presentation will also discuss the theory behind the facets of building a successful nosework dog team. Utilizing worksheets the student will be able to quickly learn how to memorialize their observations into written formats.