Enhanced Education Day 2026
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is open ONLY to NACSW instructors.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Melissa Casanova will be unable to present her webinar “A Judge’s Eye View – An Instructor’s Perspective”. We will offer this webinar to our instructors at a later date.
Enhanced Education Day 2026
Saturday January 24, 2026
8:30AM – 5:00PM Pacific Time
(This event will be recorded)
Cost: $160.00
CNWI CEUs: 12 for the day
CCPDT CEUs:
Presentations will be recorded and available for viewing/download after the event. You will be sent the links after the event.
Location: Online Event (via Zoom)
Topics and Instructors
Featured Instructors:
Amy Herot, Co-Founder NACSW & K9 Nose Work
Jill Marie O’Brien, Co-Founder NACSW & K9 Nose Work
Silke Wittig, CNWI, Sr Faculty
John Zupancic, ANWI, Instructional Designer
Course Topics:
Jill Marie O’Brien: Searching the Tightrope – Balancing K9 Independence with Handler Search Management for Class Instructing & Student Development
Join us for an engaging webinar designed specifically for NACSW K9 Nose Work instructors! This enhanced education day discussion will focus on the critical balance between fostering canine independence and effective handler search management. Discover practical strategies, training techniques, and real-world scenarios to help your students develop confident, independent nose work dogs while maintaining clear and supportive handler guidance. Enhance your instructional toolkit and empower both handlers and dogs for greater success in the search field. Perfect for instructors seeking to elevate their teaching and deepen their understanding of the handler-dog partnership in nose work.
Read more about Jill here…
Amy Herot: Creative Fundamentals
Ready to enhance your K9 Nose Work instruction? In this webinar, Amy will discuss and demonstrate how to build lasting value in the nose work game for both dogs and handlers. This session will focus on key learning objectives: Understanding the core principles that drive success for novice teams and competition dogs alike Designing targeted exercises to boost drive and improve odor obedience Applying a structured, skill-building framework to enhance training outcomes Whether you’re aiming to expand on advanced techniques or solidify foundational skills, you’ll walk away with clear, practical strategies to enrich your K9 Nose Work program.
Read more about Amy here…
Silke Wittig, CNWI, SR Faculty: When Odor Overlaps – Close Proximity Hides and Converging Odor
Close proximity hides present more than an increase in difficulty – they also create distinct scent pictures that can significantly impact a dog’s ability to commit and source the hides, as well as challenge the handler’s understanding of what they are seeing and how to respond appropriately. Close-proximity hides and converging odor setups demand deliberate design, well-defined criteria, and thoughtful handling – skills that we instructors must impart to our students
This presentation addresses the intricacies of close proximity hides and converging odor, and provides training exercises that instructors can use to build the problem-solving skills and confidence to solve these challenging odor scenarios in the teams they are working with.
John Zupancic: Getting Nosework to Stick: The Science Behind Adult Learning
This course provides nose work instructors with a practical guide to enhance adult learning and make their training more effective. We’ll turn andragogy into actionable tactics you can start using tomorrow: focused practice blocks (one goal, clear criteria, 3–5 reps), spaced retrieval practice between classes, light interleaving to develop discrimination, SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) feedback, and question asking. Why it matters: Adults forget quickly without reinforcement. However, by using specific learning strategies, instructors can improve retention, transfer, and execution, helping handlers make better decisions during searches. Why nose work is the ideal sport for adult learning principles: You, the instructor, see the handler in action. The sport gives immediate, objective readouts. Is the nose-work student demonstrating the prescribed actions? If they’re not, how do we get them on course? Is the student improving their search skills week to week? Are they retaining the information they need to make quick decisions in the moment? What motivates them to practice nose work?
Read more about John here…
Registration
Please register for the course in your instructor portal Course Catalog. Login link below:
https://education.k9nosework.com/login
Registration and course related questions may be sent to registrations@k9nosework.com. Technical questions about logging in to the Education website, such as pass phrase resets, should be emailed to: educationadmin@k9nosework.com
REFUND POLICY:
Refunds are not offered for purchased online events, including webinars and Enhanced Education Days/Weekends. Webinars and EED events are recorded, and all registered participants will receive access to the recording. This allows registrants to view the material at a later date if they are unable to attend the live presentation.
Please note: recordings are provided for personal use only and may not be shared, distributed, or reproduced in any form.