Meet the Instructors

Leah Gangelhoff is a Judge and past Certifying Official for NACSW™ sanctioned K9 Nose Work® Competition Trials and ORTs. She is an NACSW™ Senior Faculty Member and has developed and taught over 40 K9 Nose Work workshops and coaching clinics to handler/dog teams across the country and internationally. She has been active in developing and teaching Continuing Education Programs for Certified Nose Work Instructors and Certifying Officials and has instructed at over 25 K9 Nose Work® and Nose Work Training Camps around the country and has developed and presented webinars in Dogs of Course Virtual Camps.

Leah is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge-Assessed (CPDT-KA), a Certified Behavior Consultant Canine Knowledge-Assessed (CBCC-KA), a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI). She has owned and operated her professional dog training and behavior business since 2001. From 2001-2006 in Los Angeles and currently Flint Hill K-9 Training, LLC in Birmingham, AL since 2007. There she offers all levels of obedience and puppy training for all breeds of dogs as well as behavior consultations for serious behavior issues including all types of aggression.

While living in Los Angeles and before the sport of K9 Nose Work® was born, Leah studied under, trained with, and certified dogs in narcotics detection with K9 Nose Work® co-founders Ron Gaunt & Amy Herot beginning in 2004 and was part of a weekly on-going advanced detection training group with them before moving back to her home state of Alabama in 2007. Leah became the first National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW™) Certified K9 Nose Work® Instructor (CNWI), in the Southeast region in March of 2011 and has been teaching all levels of K9 Nose Work® Classes in and around Birmingham, AL since that time. She has hosted NACSW™ sanctioned ORTs and Trials in the region as well as seminars by mentor and co-founder, Amy Herot.

Leah and her German Shepherd, Konner (July 2009-October 2020), trialed many times at the highest level, Summit, earning a Summit title placing 2nd Overall and earned many 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Placements in Summit searches. She and her Belgian Shepherd, Zephyr, placed 1st Overall with a Pronounced ribbon while earning 2 of their NW3s and 2nd Overall when earning their NW3 Elite. She and her chihuahua mix, Bruno Mars, placed 2nd Overall with a pronounced ribbon earning their NW3-Elite title and most recently she and her Australian Cattle Dog, Butterbean, placed 1st Overall with a pronounced ribbon at NW1 and have also earned the NW2 title. She has also earned many Element Specialty titles with all four of her dogs.