Course Details
There is nothing quite so exhilarating as searching at the Elite and Summit levels. These are levels that push you as a handler to be nimble and focused. In Summit you have to not only maintain that but at an even greater level and over 2 days. At the end of a Summit you feel as if you have sprinted a marathon. Elite and Summit, although at their original conception vaguely imitate real life searching, really are their own unique beast. The handler has to have courage and rapid decision making but yet stay in the game during both very short and more drawn out searches. The team has no chance for downtime because letting up on the gas means you just won’t finish… And staying in too long can sometimes cost you a title!
The successful Elite or Summit team need razor sharp technical skills. Yeah we will cover many of those in this class… this is the level where all of that hard work and training can come together in a single search. You CAN make mistakes but those mistakes can still be costly!
Elite is the proving ground where you flex your skills… When you enter this level you realize that you have been rewarded for sticking it out in NW3. Very soon though, once those rose colored glasses come off, you start to see how the level is shaping you. With every trial, you are entering the proverbial Nosework Gym and you exit the level totally changed. You have now started to really learn about what that word “teamwork” actually means. And you may not be done there! You can of course keep playing in the new Elite Premier level which is all fun and no stress…. Kind of like that nice steady routine that made you fall in love with the level in the beginning. Some of you will also enter an entirely new, and higher pressure level…. Summit.
Summit is the level that tests the Whole Team. As you move out of Elite and into Summit, the team (dog AND handler as a unit) gets pushed and pushed HARD. The team with the broadest and deepest skill set has the advantage. Each search tests something different… and you will be pushed and prodded in ways that might even shake you up a bit. You may need to edit your idea of “success” as the searches get twice as hard and the times get way tighter…. But your mental attitude and hours and hours of training will get you through.
This class is about these two incredible levels. I will attempt to spark something new in you…. And help you to think and to practice in a way that will prime you and ready you for these levels. We WILL be working skills…. We have to! And we will also be working on HOW to be as effective as humanly possible. Our work will be defined as a cross section between Skills, Observation, Response, Strategy, and Adaptability. Are you ready to get started??
Teaching Approach:
This class will include written lectures and many example videos of actual trial searches. The student will need to evaluate walkthrough and debrief videos and take inspiration in their setups. Support will be provided for interpretation of scent theory. Lectures will be a combination of skill work on the dog's part as well as development of handler skills including strategy and time management. This class will be less prescriptive in setups however support will be available to aid the student in learning the fundamentals of hide placement. Lectures will be of moderate length and will number between 3 and 5 per week and will be released at the beginning of the week. Students may be working longer search problems and will need to have the ability to edit video in order to stay within video submission guidelines.
