Past Webinars
Webinar Name: Motivation, Behaviour and The Brain
Instructor: PT Simon Gadbois, PhD
Cost: $40
Length: 90 Minutes
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
CPDT CEUs: 1.5 CEUs
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
A great experimental psychologist, Woodworth (from the beginning of the last century), argued that psychology should be the science of motivation, and even suggested to call this new science “motivology.” Although the concept of motivation was frowned upon by the early Behaviourists, because, after all, it is a mentalistic concept, some quickly made an exception (Hull, Tolman, etc) to incorporate drive and incentive theories of motivation. The modern theory, in both neuroscience and psychology, is the incentive theory of motivation. It explains a broad range of phenomena, from the foundations of learning itself, to specific processes, such as intrinsic motivation, auto-shaping, intermittent reinforcement, sign-tracking, and even pathologies. We will discuss the contribution of a few contemporary scientists on this issue, specifically Anselme, Berridge, Panksepp and a few more. We will also quickly link this literature to scent processing, specifically “exploratory sniffing” as the ultimate “seeking” behaviour in many mammals.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://simon.gadbois.org/
Webinar Name: Stress and the K9 Nose Work® Dog
Instructor: Ann Waterbury CNWI
Cost: $25
Length: 60 mins
CEUs: 2.5 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
This 60-minute webinar will address the good and bad of stress in our nose work dogs. When and why stress can be helpful and what is too much? How can instructors help students read, interpret, and react during a class search. How you can use the concept of stress to help the humans become better handlers at foundation and beyond.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: http://sounddogconnection.com/about-ann-waterbury/
Webinar Name: Considerations for Successful Hide Placement
Instructor: Barbara Schwerdt, BA, CPDT-KA, CNWI , NACSW Founding Instructor, Senior Faculty, Education Planning Committee Member, Trial Judge, and Certifying Official
Cost: $40
Length: 75 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
In this webinar Barbara will pose considerations for successful hide placement through power point and video review. We will briefly explore influences on how odor moves and the myriad of considerations for hide placement.
This webinar is a snippet of a full two-day course on hide placement where participants are challenged to set up specific odor problems, run dogs, review results, and reset.
The material is appropriate for participants of all levels of experience, whether this is your first dog, first class, or tenth! There’s something for everyone! At the end the hope is you will have more tools in your toolbox for hide placement considerations.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Barbara here
Webinar Name: Drive, Toys and the Nose Work Dog
Instructor: Amy Herot, NACSW & K9 Nose Work Co-Founder and CNWI
Moderator/Commentator: Jill Marie O’Brien
Cost: $65 for two-part webinar series
Length: 120 mins for part 1, 90 mins for part 2
CEUs: 6 total for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
This webinar takes a close look at the motivational development of the K9NW dog and cultivation of toy reward dogs in K9 Nose Work.
The first half of the webinar will emphasize drive building and examines the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the K9NW dog. To effectively harness the dog’s natural ability, the dog’s K9NW foundation needs to nurture key instinctive responses in the dog’s search experience. As the dog develops these natural tendencies, the handler must be aware of maintaining and understanding the balance of control and drive in the work. Learning to identify the traits and hallmarks of natural drive will help the handler set the right pace for the dog’s experience.
The second part of the webinar will focus specifically on starting toy reward dogs in K9NW and the process and steps needed from the first session with a toy reward through their readiness to introduce odor. This segment is geared towards dogs who are already showing a lot of toy interest but will include information on evaluating whether the dog is a toy reward candidate. We delve deeper into the process for working with toy reward dogs and what the foundation looks like and how it may be a bit different than some of the steps for a food reward dog. Included are exercises and evaluation tools for foundation work that are also applicable at any time in the dog’s K9NW career.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Amy at her website
Webinar Name: Handling is So Much More Than Handling the Leash
Instructor: Christina Bunn, CNWI
Cost: $30
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Come explore the handling techniques of the professional K9 world and consider some important questions when it comes to handling/training a sport K9. How do handling/training choices affect the dog/human relationship when it comes to K9 Nose Work? How does understanding these differences and their effects on the K9 Nose Work team improve our ability to coach our students and help them to get the most out of the classes we teach?
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://www.pugetsounddetectiondogs.com/
Webinar Name: Earth, Wind and Odor
Instructor: Lauralea Oliver CNWI
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Scent dog handlers understand the importance of reading the wind, but how much do we consider weather and terrain? Explore and discuss how odor and olfaction are affected by the ever-changing, living environment with a professional wildlife detection dog trainer/handler. Learn how your dog uses environmental shifts to work scent and what handlers can do to maximize these effects.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://k9inscentive.com/about-the-trainer/
Webinar Name: One Dog’s Path to the NW1 Title
Instructor: Wendy Krehbiel, CNWI
Cost: $40
Length: 1 hour 15 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Carbon’s foundation training took me down some alternate pathways. We will look at why I chose those alternate pathways for this dog with a focus on a dog searching for a toy, introducing odor without pairing, and teaching a trained final response.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://tellatail.com/wendy-krehbiel-cnwi/
Webinar Name: Repetitive Drills
Instructor: Gail McCarthy CNWI
Cost: $30
Length: 45 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
With over 25 years of training detection dogs, Gail knows from experience that “repetitive drills” build and help maintain drive, enthusiasm, engagement and focus in the detection dog and creates a strong willingness to try. “Repetitive Drills” also help the dog to understand that it is source that is important and not just odor. Additionally, “Repetitive Drills” help to develop that pinpoint precision, something very necessary for successful K9NW competition. “Repetitive Drills” condition in a “pay me now” behavior. And, finally, “Repetitive Drills” allow the dog to exercise his problem-solving skills in a way that empowers the dog instead of burning the dog out. “Repetitive Drills” are designed to be “quick and easy,” and “quick and easy” problems ARE NOT BORING to the dog – they EMPOWER your dog. As Ron Gaunt often said, “Dogs never get tired of success” and “repetitive Drills” help your dog stay strong, confident and energized by maintaining that high ratio of “quick and easy” problems that make your dog feel successful! As such, if your dog currently shows a lack of drive, enthusiasm, engagement or focus in his work or does not go out into a search with an obvious “willingness to try” or a “punch” then, over time, the use of “repetitive drills” will improve your dog’s performance.
In her webinar, Gail will showcase much of the equipment that she uses in her “Repetitive Drills” workshops. She will show equipment that can purchased and have for use in your own home, but she will also be explaining how to set up a few “repetitive drills” with minimal or no equipment. In taking this webinar, you will know how to use “repetitive drills” going forward, giving you tools that you can take away and use with your dog in the weeks and months to come as part of your regular weekly training program.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: http://www.scentinelnosework.com/
Webinar Name: Source Not Odor Part 1
Instructor: Gail McCarthy CNWI
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
If your dog searches and searches and has a difficult time locating “source,” then this “Source Not Odor” webinar may give you information to help address that issue. If your dog searches for the source but demands to be paid while still many inches away from source, then this webinar also may be of help. And, if your dog searches for source, but then “walks” the source or even gives up before locating source, then this webinar may help you address that issue. Gail has found that many of these problems as well as others are caused by the dog not understanding “where” on the scent continuum your dog is to tell you about. It is not about “odor,” but rather it is “source” that we want him to tell us about. Sometimes the dog has difficulty understanding what it is that we want him to do. This webinar will help clarify where we want our dog to make his two decisions, thereby improving your dog’s accuracy in locating a hide. Another plus is that the information in this webinar may help to empower your dog in his searching and may help build drive and willingness in your dog to go to source.
Part 2 of the webinar will further clarify what the dog should tell you about and helps build duration and accuracy into the find-behavior by giving the handlers training exercises that help the dog develop better odor obedience and commitment to scent source.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: http://www.scentinelnosework.com/about/
Webinar Name: Source Not Odor Part 2
Instructor: Gail McCarthy CNWI
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
If your dog searches and searches and has a difficult time locating “source,” then this “Source Not Odor” webinar may give you information to help address that issue. If your dog searches for the source but demands to be paid while still many inches away from source, then this webinar also may be of help. And, if your dog searches for source, but then “walks” the source or even gives up before locating source, then this webinar may help you address that issue. Gail has found that many of these problems as well as others are caused by the dog not understanding “where” on the scent continuum your dog is to tell you about. It is not about “odor,” but rather it is “source” that we want him to tell us about. Sometimes the dog has difficulty understanding what it is that we want him to do. This webinar will help clarify where we want our dog to make his two decisions, thereby improving your dog’s accuracy in locating a hide. Another plus is that the information in this webinar may help to empower your dog in his searching and may help build drive and willingness in your dog to go to source.
Part 2 of the webinar will further clarify what the dog should tell you about and helps build duration and accuracy into the find-behavior by giving the handlers training exercises that help the dog develop better odor obedience and commitment to scent source.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: http://www.scentinelnosework.com/about/
Webinar Name: To Pair or Not to Pair…Pairing is Not Just For WIne
Instructor: Silke Wittig, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, CNWI, Supervising Certifying Official, NACSW Senior Faculty
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
This webinar is designed to give instructors detailed information about pairing, how to pair effectively, when, and how to use it (or not), so they can pass the knowledge confidently on to their students and gain their buy-in, through lecture, video and webinar participant contributions.
Learning objectives (may include but not limited to):
- What is pairing
- In-depth understanding why K9 Nose Work® uses pairing in training (foundation and maintenance)
- Benefits of pairing
- How to pair effectively
- When or how not to pair
- Who is your student, and what concerns do they have
- Who is the dog in front of you
- Other considerations
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Silke here
Webinar Name: Toy Reward 101
Instructor: Wendy Krehbiel CNWI
Cost: $40
Length: 2 hours
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Do you have a dog who loves to play with toys? Or are you an instructor who may have students whose dogs love toys? This webinar will discuss using toys in training starting with the fundamentals and progressing to using toys as a reward in nose work.
Utilizing play is a great tool to help build excitement, engagement and drive with a dog. You can utilize toys as a reward for basic obedience behaviors, life skills, tricks, and for many dog sports including nose work. Play is a great way to bring out the prey drive in a dog which can create additional intensity and a sense of urgency in their searching.
The following will be addressed in the webinar:
- Why might you want to do toy reward?
- How to determine if using a toy as a reward might be right for your dog?
- How to select a toy and determine how to use it as a reward
- Troubleshoot issues with toy reward – i.e. dogs who don’t bring the toy back or won’t let go
- How to do drive building exercises and build impulse control with a toy
- How to start a dog on primary using a toy
- How to utilize a toy for a dog already searching for odor
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://tellatail.com/wendy-krehbiel-cnwi/
Webinar Name: Toy Rewards & Play – More than Just Fun and Games
Instructor: Jill Marie O’Brien, CPDT-KA, co-founder: National Association of Canine Scent Work, LLC® & K9 Nose Work®
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Learning Objectives: (may include, but not limited to)
• Incorporating toys into your training and classes
• Identify which dogs are best suited to toy rewards
• Ensuring that foundational experiences remain fun and motivating for dog and handler while incorporating non-food rewards into the K9NW class environment
• Improve handler understanding of how to use toys (non-food alternatives) effectively
• Determining if toys are right for a particular team. Handler and Dog.
Webinar/Event Outline:
This webinar is an overview of the many considerations to think about when making a determination of what reward system is in the best interest of the dog, handler and team as a whole.
During our discussions we will focus on when, how, why and IF a toy reward is appropriate within the context of K9 Nose Work.
Webinar/Event Summary:
Toys as a reward are an often-overlooked tool by many instructors in the K9 Nose Work training environment. This webinar will focus on when, how, why and IF a toy reward is appropriate within the context of K9 Nose Work.
I hear from many instructors that they are unsure when to recommend to a student to use a toy reward in lieu of food, if or when switching from one to the other might be suitable, or foregoing toy as a reward in nose work due to other priorities of the team and/or the handler’s ability to utilize a non-food reward effectively.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Jill here
Webinar Name: Trial Smart: How to Help You and Your Students Enjoy Nose Work Competition
Instructor: Dorothy Turley, CNWI
Cost: $30
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Though Nose Work can be beneficial for all dogs, the competition side may not. There are many things to consider before entering and continuing in competition. This talk is designed to help instructors support their students as they move towards and through Nose Work competition. We will look at what is required by level and investigate some strategies to help teams enjoy the competition environment. We will also look the hard question of whether or not a team should compete at all.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://dorothyturley.com/about/
Webinar Name: Who’s Afraid of Heights?
Instructor: Silke Wittig, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, CNWI, Supervising Certifying Official, NACSW Senior Faculty
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Learning objectives (may include but not limited to):
• Understanding the dynamics of elevation
• Identifying environmental influences on elevated hide placements
• Using elevated hides to build understanding for the dog of following their nose to source
• Differentiating a dog working elevation vs. chasing odor up
• Helping handlers confidently approach the idea elevated hides
Webinar outline:
When you hear “elevated hide” do you smile confidently and think to yourself “my dog’s got this” or do you cringe in fear? Elevated hides can be quite elusive, and anecdotally appear to be the most frequently missed or left behind hides in trials.
Webinar summary:
In this webinar, we will define and discuss the intricacies of elevated hides (“an elevated hide is not an elevated hide is not an elevated hide”) and external factors affecting elevated hides, including location, weather, and your dog! We will offer you ideas on how to train elevated hides successfully from primary, to paired, to odor only, through exercise setups and video review. We will observe some tell-tale signs when a hide may be elevated, and also talk about what to do when an elevated hide doesn’t go as planned.
You will leave this webinar with a deeper understanding of elevated hides and with effective and creative training exercises, and thus hopefully with “less fear of heights.”
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Silke here
Webinar Name: Adjustments For Mixed Level Students in your K9 Nose Work Classes
Instructor: Kimberly Buchanan, CNWI with Moderator/Commentator – Amy Herot
Cost: $90
Length: 4.5 hours total (three 1.5 hour webinars)
CEUs: 9 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Kim here.
Webinar: DISC Assessment
Instructor: Barbara Schwerdt, CNWI
Cost: $40
Length: 2 hours
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://k9nosework.com/founding-instructors-original-seven-cnwi/
Webinar Name: Gotcha Covered: Strategies for Effective and Efficient Searches
Instructor: Nancy Reyes CNWI
Cost: $30
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION: Figuring out how to cover your search area and teaching your student to do the same while keeping the search dog driven can be a challenge. This talk will discuss how to make those decisions before and during searches. How to get the most out of your walkthrough whether it’s in person or virtual utilizing your learning style. We will look at what is required by level and investigate some strategies to help teams make good choices in navigating the search.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://foryourk9.com/about/team/nancy-reyes/
Webinar Name: Improving Handler Performance Under Pressure – Mental Management Highlights
Instructor: Teah Anders CNWI CMMI CPDT-KA
Cost: $30
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Understanding and mastering the mental game is critical to success and enjoyment in competitions. In this NACSW Webinar, Teah will highlight some important mental strategies based on the Mental Management® System created by Olympic Gold Medalist, Lanny Bassham. Learn tips that can help handlers deal with nerves and experience more success and enjoyment. Understand the roles or your conscious mind, subconscious mind and self-image and how to improve performance and focus during competitions.
We will explore how the self-image defines how we see ourselves and controls how we perform in competitions and life in general. If we want to improve how we perform, especially under pressure, we must build our self-image by thinking and acting the way we desire. Teah will guide you through a process to change or strengthen your self-image in just 21 days. Building your Nose Work skills and competing in trials is a journey, sometimes longer than we hoped. Learn techniques for mental resilience and understand how to move through the disappointment of what we think of as a “bad day.” Leave the “baggage” of past trials behind and learn to move on to your next trial and experience the true joy of your sport.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://www.noseworkmind.com/about/
Webinar Name: Passing the Sniff Test: How to Legally Protect Your Business
NOTE: This webinar is also included in the recording of the Enhanced Education Day on September 16, 2023, but we wanted to make it available as a stand-alone for our instructors who are considering starting their own business.
Instructor: Heidi Meinzer, CNWI, CPDT-KSA
Cost: $35
Length: 60 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Heidi taps into her unique background as an attorney and dog trainer to assist other trainers. Whether you are starting a new business or taking stock of an existing business, Heidi will walk you through the basics of ensuring that you have what you need to succeed. This presentation will touch on the basic ways to legally protect your business and what to put into place to give you peace of mind so that you can focus your attention on training.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Heidi has practiced law since 2000, when she began her legal career as a public defender in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2006, Heidi became a civil litigator, and in 2013, she branched off on her own to set up the Law Office of Heidi Meinzer, PLLC. Heidi serves on the APDT Board, and has held leadership roles with other organizations such as the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies and Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in northern Virginia. Heidi has been a trainer since 2011, and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer/Knowledge and Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) and a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI).
Webinar Name: Right on Cue: Cues, Routines and Markers and Their Role in Nose Work
Instructor: Wendy Krehbiel CNWI, NACSW Senior Faculty
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
Have you ever wondered why your canine partner isn’t always consistent in how they communicate critical details about the location of the hidden source? Nose Work/Scent Work is a balance between facilitating an independent searching dog and one that also communicates effectively with their human partner.
Learning Objectives: (may include, but not limited to)
• Develop and improve communication between handler and dog
• Identify inconsistencies in communication to increase clarity
• Create a search plan or “routine” and apply effectively and consistently
• Clarifying the use of markers, if and when they are a benefit or hindrance.
Webinar Outline
This webinar will look at common situations in which handlers intentionally use cues, routines, and markers during searches. Where, when and how our search cues, both intentional and not intentional can influence the dog’s communication of critical information regarding the search and source location.
Webinar Summary:
Intentionally and consistently using cues, routines and markers in nose work can help you solidify and improve your teamwork with your dog. If you have had a focus on building the independent search work with your dog, you may not have put as much emphasis on the consistency of your cues and how to implement them effectively. Through discussion, Q&A, and video and/or photo review we’ll look at how to add consistency and clarity in the use of these tools for yourself as well as your dog.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://tellatail.com/wendy-krehbiel-cnwi/
Webinar Name: Introduction to Neuroscience for the Sport Dog
Instructors: Dr. Kathy Murphy, BVetMed, DPhil, CVA, CLAS, MRCVS with guest contributor Bobbie Bhambree
Cost: $199
Length: 8 hours total (four 2-hour webinars)
CEUs: 2 per webinar (8 total for all 4 webinars) for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
The brain is the “mainframe” that powers what we do, stores our memories, creates the pathways of possibility. This course will be an introduction laying the groundwork for you to better understand the inner workings of your dog’s mind.
Learning Objectives: (may include, but not limited to)
Attendees will:
- Be introduced to the foundations of neuroscience/biology and what it means for you and your dog
- Navigate the canine brain, its structures, and how they influence performance outcomes
- Learn to better Identify success for the sport dog and why some breeds or types “seem” more successful at certain sports or activities than others;
- And how to work with the dog you have to be the best they can be
- Gain understanding of the importance of the brain body connection
- Brain health
- Body Fitness
- Enhance their knowledge of the need for decompression time and will learn how to use the space “between” to improve learning and performance for their canine partners
Webinar/Event Outline
During this four-part webinar series, Dr. Murphy will take you through the workings of the canine mind to help you build a more comprehensive understanding of all the elements that contribute to the how, why, what and when dogs process the information we feed them, and how that affects training outcomes.
Dr. Murphy will start by introducing attendees to the foundation of neurobiology and neuroscience. She will discuss why understanding the science behind your dog’s mind-body connection is crucial for training, whether your goals are social companionship or high-level competitive sports.
She’ll discuss how to take what you learn to achieve optimum performance for your individual dog; go from theory to practical application.
Additionally, she’ll discuss the importance of creating clarity and how ambiguity can affect performance. How our behavior along with our emotional responses affect performance – if we think the dog ‘failed’ we’re less enthusiastic with the reward but the dog has to work out what to relate that to.
Webinar/Event Summary
Have you ever wondered what lies deep within your dog’s mind that propels them to do things that are at times astonishing, at other times confounding? They are fascinating, more complex than we can even imagine and have a unique place in our hearts and homes.
Through guided discussion, visual media and interactive learning, Dr. Murphy will help us better understand the neuroscience underlying what we see when we train our dogs and the why’s of what they do.
This is a four-part webinar course series that will be split over two weekends of impactful learning. Each day will build towards the next and no one day is stand-alone.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Kathy here.
Webinar Name: Let’s Do the Chemistry of Odor for Canine Detection
Instructor: Lauryn DeGreeff of Naval Research Laboratory in cooperation with NSWC IHEODTD
Cost: $40
Length: 75 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
In this class intended for the Nose Work dog handler/trainer, odor will be described on a molecular level as it relates to the detection of a target. This will include the basics of odor development from an odor source into an odor plume that is detectable by the dog. We will describe how odor emanates from a target object and how the dog might perceive this odor. We will then discuss the variety of factors that affect how the dog experiences the target odor, such as target mass versus odor quantity, differences between manufacturers, changes with time and environmental conditions, challenges related to wrapping and concealment. Factors affecting odor availability and methods to prevent contamination of training materials will also be covered.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://case.fiu.edu/about/directory/profiles/degreeff-silk-lauryn.html
Webinar Name: Overview of Recent Research by U.S. Navy with NACSW
Instructor: Lauryn E. DeGreeff, Alison G. Simon, and Kimberly Peranich – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Cost: $40
Length: 75 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
This webinar will review recent research being conducted by the Naval Research Laboratory and Naval Surface Warfare Center with NACSW, and will focus on two separate projects. We will first discuss recent work examining the odor associated with the NACSW oils, birch, anise, and clove. This research includes identification of individual odorant components contributing to the odor of the oil, consideration of various storage protocols for training materials, as well as the durability of residual odor.
The second study focuses on the canine olfactory generalization / discrimination balance. Through the training process, a canine learns to discriminate specific odors that are task-relevant from those that are not; however, at the same time, they also must generalize between similar odors from closely related targets. The generalization-discrimination balance can be shifted as an animal adapts to new or changing stimuli. This work explored the generalization-discrimination balance of canines, answering the question “to what extent do canines generalize like odors?” The study then further addressed how training can be used to shift the generalization-discrimination balance using both single odorants and mixtures. NACSW canines were used in all experiments that will be discussed.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: https://case.fiu.edu/about/directory/profiles/degreeff-silk-lauryn.html
Webinar Name: Scent Work: The Brain, Attention and Emotional Well-being
Instructors: Dr. Kathy Murphy, DVM
Cost: $40
Length: 90 mins
CEUs: 3 for CNWI
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION:
As dogs engage in scent work their brain function and structure are altering in response, as various competing intended and unintended stimuli are encountered. These changes can be both immediate and delayed, both temporary and permanent, and are influenced by various environmental and internal factors. The same is true of all canine disciplines but scentwork is special. In this talk the dynamic interplay between scentwork, attentional processing and emotional wellbeing will be explored. Understanding this interplay helps us understand how to set the brain up for success, and what might be running the show when things don’t go according to plan.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Read more about Kathy here.