Online Course: Intro to K9 Nose Work®

Strengthen your bond, burn off excess energy, and build confidence in a virtual classroom you can join from your living room!

What is K9 Nose Work®?

K9 Nose Work® is the most inclusive dog sport out there! Dogs are happiest when we let them learn on their terms and put their natural abilities (like finding and tracking odor) to good use. 

Intro to K9 Nose Work® is the first step in training you and your dog to work together as a team to track odor to its source in a fun and focused way. It’s a prerequisite for more advanced nose work classes—not to mention an all-around good time!

K9 Nose Work® will improve your handling skills, build your dog’s confidence, and tire them out with fun puzzles to solve. It will also help you and your dog communicate and understand each other better, strengthening your bond.

Why K9 Nose Work® is perfect for you and your dog

Dogs LOVE using their noses. It’s like solving a puzzle and playing a game at the same time. And believe it or not, even highly active dogs often don’t get this type of mental stimulation. (That’s why they can play fetch for hours and still come home and eat the couch.)

Any dog can participate in K9 Nose Work®, which is designed to be fun for dogs and humans alike. There are no restrictions around age, breed, physical ability, or experience. Reactive dogs can play, too, since it’s an individual sport without any other dogs on the “field.” Just you, your dog, and lots of fun!  

Strengthen your bond. Whether you’ve mastered basic obedience or are still training your pup, you and your dog can learn nose work together. Working as a team improves your communication and promotes the kind of healthy relationship that’s a great jumping-off point for other types of training, too.

Burns off excess energy and gives your dog a “job”. Even highly active dogs can sometimes lack the mental stimulation that truly tires them out. Whether your dog is an unruly puppy or an active senior, nose work gives them a great mental workout.

Dog Sniff ecourse 3.2

Builds confidence in shy or fearful dogs. Dogs that are otherwise too scared to interact with people or their environment often have incredible transformations through nose work. Under supportive and structured conditions with repeatable games, they learn that these things aren’t scary—and that a little bit of courage can have some huge rewards!

Great for older or injured dogs. If your dog is a senior or is injured, nose work is the perfect sport. It puts them to work in a low-impact way that keeps them safe from physical harm but tires them out anyway.

Owners of all abilities are welcome. The inclusivity of nose work doesn’t stop with your dog. Whether you’re a brand-new dog owner looking to train your first furry friend, or an experienced trainer looking to expand your repertoire, you’ll learn something new.

Fun, focused, and positive. This positive, force-free training method will teach your dog to love learning from Day 1. We use short training sessions structured as games to keep your dog (and you) wanting more play.

K9 Nose Work® is a great place to start in the world of dog sports, for any dog and any owner!

This course is right for you if:

  • You have a high-energy puppy or adolescent dog who never gets tired, and you need a way to tucker them out
  • You have a shy, fearful, or reactive dog who doesn’t do well in play groups, dog parks, or other group activities
  • You have a senior or injured dog who can’t be very active but still needs ways to stay busy
  • You’re looking for ways to keep you and your dog entertained when it’s too hot or too cold to go outside
  • You want a fun and engaging way to strengthen your bond with your dog, whether you just brought them home or have had them for years
  • You want to build your confidence as a trainer
  • You want to participate in local or national K9 Nose Work® competitions, and are looking to lay the groundwork for the sport
  • Or … you and your dog just want to have fun!

Here’s how it works:

This 6-week Intro to K9 Nose Work® course gives you all the benefits of an in-person class within a virtual classroom you can join from anywhere. 

  • Play to your dog’s strengths. We’ll keep your dog motivated and excited to keep learning more at the end of each session. I’ll teach you how to decide when to move to the next module and when to keep playing so your dog gets the most benefit.
  • Clear instructions. Each module includes clear, step-by-step instructional videos (plus PDFs for reference) showing you how to play the game and increase complexity as your dog learns.
  • Work at your own pace. This course is self-paced, with modules released each week to give you the right information at the right time and avoid overwhelm! Every 7 days, you’ll automatically gain access to the next week’s lessons. (Feel free to spend more than week on any section—this is just designed to make sure you don’t skip ahead or push your dog too early!)
  • Private community. You’ll join a private community of people just like you who can ask or answer questions (with instructor support) straight from the training platform. Our dynamic and friendly group of course enrollees are always eager to swap stories and share their experience, and our trainers are in there too!
  • Direct instructor feedback. No live class is complete without direct feedback from a trainer. Join weekly office hours (or submit your questions ahead of time in the community) to ask questions and get feedback as you work through the course.

Intro to K9 Nose Work® is the virtual equivalent of a live class, including the ability to ask questions and get coaching specifically about your dog!

Why join Intro to K9 Nose Work®?

We keep it positive. Our positive, force-free training methods engage your dog from Day 1 and keep learning fun. The whole point is for you and your dog to learn a new skill—and have a great time doing it.

There’s no special equipment. All you need to get started are a few empty cardboard boxes and some treats. (And, of course, your dog!) This builds your dog’s confidence and enthusiasm for nose work while giving you the time and space to learn as a handler, too. 

Works with your dog’s natural motivation. The key to making any game fun for you and your dog is to keep you both happy and excited about playing. Dogs love to use their noses, and even the craziest pup loves to work if they understand the game. We emphasize fun, teamwork, and strong communication between you and your dog. The benefits of working this way go far beyond nose work.

Self-paced learning with live support. Our fantastic community of students are always there to support each other, celebrate wins, and answer questions. Plus, weekly office hours give you a place to ask questions specific to your dog and get the kind of 1-on-1 coaching you might miss in an in-person class.

What you and your dog will learn

By the end of this course, you will:

  • Know how to set hides to build your dog’s confidence and skill level
  • Troubleshoot when your dog struggles to find the odor
  • Learn how scent moves in an environment
  • Improve your understanding of your dog’s body language
  • Know how to work with your dog on and off leash in any indoor area

Your dog will:

  • Be able to find a food treat hidden in any interior environment.
  • Learn a game they can play in any indoor environment with very little equipment.
  • Understand the foundation for the game of nose work. They’ll “graduate” to Intro to K9 Nose Work® Level 2, where they’ll learn to do exterior and vehicle searches.

What’s included?

  • Eight self-paced modules to build your searching skills
  • A supportive community of fellow students
  • Live weekly office hours with your instructor
  • One year of unlimited access to the course and private community

This online course will help any dog learn the basics of K9 Nose Work®, a fun and rewarding dog activity that burns off excess energy and promotes a strong bond between you and your dog.

Investment for 1 year full access: $175

Let’s get started

Book a free discovery call now, and find out if we're a good fit.

In Good Paws Dog Training Logo

Proudly serving Colorado dog guardians in North Denver, Thornton, Brighton, Northglenn, as well as select parts of Westminster, Broomfield, Erie, and Arvada.