Blog

I think this may have been a title before, but it is so true for me! I have plans to get on here once a week- hahaha! 

So here is just a little reminder- we are heading into spring on the warmer days be prepared! Always bring water on your tracks- for you and your dog! I know I have said this before- a 10-15 degree difference in a day can make a big difference on the trail!

Next- the year has been completed for what is happening here for 2022.

A Retreat, Workshop, and two seminar dates. Check it out! 

Just starting trailing- our foundation sequence has changed a bit to make it easier on those who travel here- check it out! Only one more time to start your pup in 2022- Sign up soon to get a spot only a couple left.

I hope to see you all on the trails soon!

I cannot tell you all enough- don't skip the little stuff.

Do your homework! If you did not train much last week, you don't skip that homework!!! Do it this week! My goal is to build a strong foundation for you all in tracking, and that means we do not skip ahead. 

Building blocks for your success.

In the beginning you post on the track, then you begin to cast, then you learn to work intersections on trails and then we move to the urban intersections. Each one of the steps has its own little steps along the way. If you give yourself time to learn each step you will find success. You will learn how to read your dog, respond, and trust!

Last week, I started ten new dogs trailing. It was amazing to watch all of these dogs take to it so well. One young pup ran his first with confusion jumping on me wanting to play, then on his third track his nose to the ground lead me to the end. When he got done, he was prancing. The dogs take to the job so quickly- that still doesn't mean you...

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!

I start my new year tomorrow meeting a few new handlers and beginning our Groundworks Course with a Zoom. In a few weeks I meet for our first training with the Beyond Group, Keep Strong, and in February our Wild Course will begin! In February, I head down to John Day, Oregon for a seminar, and I will be back down to Oregon four more times throughout the year. Alaska is also on the books heading there three times to find more trails. Wow! Sometimes, I cannot believe it. Just a couple of years ago, I started K9 Track NW with a request to do a seminar. I really had no idea it would become all that it is today. 

I thank you all! The dedication of all of you great dog teams keeps me moving forward.

I am looking forward to another year working with you all!

If you are new to K9 Track NW or thinking of taking one of my courses- here are a few things to note:

1. Giving your dog a job is priceless. Working with them to find the trail will strengthen the...

I cannot believe that this year is coming to an end. I cannot thank you all enough for your hard work and dedication in 2021! So many wonderful people and dogs I get to work with- I am very lucky!

I am forever growing here and setting new goals. Coming into my third year, we are increasing from one long course after foundation to three! And, there is still time to sign up for one of these choices. The Keep Strong Course still has four openings! The trainings for this course either happen on Saturdays or Sundays- you pick which one you want to do. Two openings on Saturday left and two on Sundays. Check out the website to get more description on this course.

So, what it means on the foundation side is in 2022 I will not be starting these courses every 12 weeks. Instead there will only be a couple start ups!

Starting Groundworks, our first course in tracking, in January. I have two slots left for this start up.

I will be offering a seminar weekend for all the foundation courses as...

Hey all sorry for the delay on this one! Happy Trails!

Here is a short video addressing our wonderful support! We could not get the trails done without the help of track layers and people following us and keeping us safe.

If you have any questions please email me.

Next week I will go a bit farther addressing the support staff that follows the team- especially on blind trails!

Biggest thing to remember to the handlers- is you have to take the time to teach your track layers and followers. I hope this helps get that teaching started!

Happy Trails!

Here is a little video to remind you all of your start drills!!!

If you have any questions- I am here to answer!

Remember- in all trainings- what is your "why?"

There should be a why in all your training. 

Why do we do start drills minimum once a month?

Simply- you must find the start to find the end!

The question came up today about taut vs loose line. Here are my reasons for a taut line-

1. Safety- less likely to get tangled.

2. Less likely to give a correction. Now I know this is reason for many to have a loose line, but I have seen more dogs get a jabbing correction when loose then taut. Coming to the end of a loose leash gives much more correction than a taut one.

3. Communication. Yes, I believe there is communication going through that line. I believe eventually you will feel your dog on and off through the line. The dog also knows you are there, you two are part of a team, you are following their lead. When loose your dog needs to look back to see where you are. A loose leash is when you are in charge- obedience- the dog must pay attention to you to know what to do.

Now, I know there are some that teach a loose line so there is no direction from handler to dog. This is why we work so hard on your line handling. The line comes from the same place and your belly is always...

Welcome to the sunshine!

Let's be prepared for the sun and all that comes with it!

Water! Make sure you have plenty of water for you and your pup.

Do you have supplies to keep your car cool? Keep your dog cool?

Amazon has great tarps or cooling caps.

Make sure you pay attention to how hot the pavement can be- keep those dog paws safe!

If you do have booties for your dog make sure they do not where them for a long period of time- yes they protect the paws- but they do not help the dog cool down! I recommend wearing them only in hazardous situations. Instead get your dog out an about and strengthen those paws out on the trails. Yet, again check the heat of the ground even the toughest paws can get burned with these warmer temperatures.

You may find working in the morning and evening are the best times to have success on the tracks. Remember scent rises in the heat and makes it more difficult for the dog's nose to find the track.

Enjoy this weather and stay safe. 

See you all on...

This year I started a new course called Beyond. It is a 24-26 week course to be completed after your foundation. You do not have to complete K9 Track NW foundation to come to this course. You do need to feel confident in a half mile track any setting up to four hours old.

The course objectives is to get you prepared to certify for a SAR certification. Meaning we will age tracks up to 24 hours old and make sure your mileage is up tp a mile.

This course will start every January, and you may have up to five handlers in your group. This year we are running two groups. We have an online Course, Zoom meeting once a week,  a long with meeting for trainings once a month.

The last two weekends we met our groups for the first time. And, I gotta say it made me even more excited for this course. 

This is not an easy course- lots of trails and commitment to those trails. I saw that commitment in all the handlers faces.

We started our training with introductions and a couple blind...