Course Details
It might seem like your senior dog wants to nap the afternoon away. What they really want AND need is mental and environmental stimulation. Having both a puppy and senior dog, I see similarities in their enrichment needs. We want to tap into their SEEKING system no matter the age.
The SEEKING system is one of the seven major emotional functions of the brain. It is the system responsible for our motivation and desire to explore. It also creates new neural pathways and increases attention and focus which helps to slow down cognitive decline. While a puppy’s world is ever growing, a senior dog's world can get really small. We aren’t formally training them anymore and often leave them home when we go out on the road. They still benefit from experiencing new smells and places.
This webinar will go over some simple scent games we can play with our seniors. We can mix it up using food, nosework odor, and handler scent. Try something new and don’t forget to play your tried and true! They will love the treats, some novelty and spending time with you! Our seniors have been riding the wave with us for this long - let’s give them the world and watch them soar.
About the Instructor:
Julie Symons has been involved in dog sports for over 30 years. Starting with her mix, Dreyfus in flyball, she went on to train and compete in conformation, agility, obedience, herding and tracking with her first Belgian tervuren, Rival. Rival was the first CH OTCH MACH Belgian Tervuren and they competed and placed in many regional and national events, winning Ultimate Dog (High Combined in Utility and Agility) and repeat 60 weave pole champs at the All Star tournament in 2002.
One of Julie’s favorite things is a versatile team! She truly believes that participating in multiple sports is enriching to both person and dog and builds on that mutual partnership and trust. Nosework is an ideal sport to compliment your other activities. It’s intrinsically motivating for the dog and it’s also pretty cool to have a pet detection dog! Julie has also gone HIT in 4 different sports with 3 dogs (Obedience, Agility, Nosework and Herding).
Julie currently shares her life with 4 dogs.
Savvy, a 16.5 Belgian Tervuren, has done it all! CH, MACH2, UD, TDX, VCD3 and earned the following nose/scent work titles: ELT-CH, SWN, SIM, SCE, SEE, L2C, L1V, L2I.
Drac, an 8 year old Belgian Malinois, continues the versatility work having earned his TDX, HSAd, MX, MXJ, and his ELT-CH Nosework title. He’s my loving boy with his favorite thing being with me!
Moxie, a 6 year old active Belgian Tervuren with beautiful movement and is a natural athlete. She finished her breed CH at 1 years old, earned her HSAsd herding titles with multiple HIT and reserve HITs. She recently earned her NW ELT-CH, Tracking Dog (TD) and Excellent Agility titles.
And the newest member is Harper, a Belgian Tervuren puppy. She is sure to benefit from all my training and adventures!
Julie is a consummate learner and energetic instructor, immersing herself in everything dog training! She is a full time FDSA faculty member and co-creator and judge for the FDSA virtual TEAM NW program. She is also a retired AKC licensed Scent Work judge and owner of Savvy Dog Sports, a local dog training school in the Rochester, NY area. More information can be found at: www.SavvyDogSports.com
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