Debby Kay’s Super Sniffer™ Workshops
My family professionally breeds Labrador Retrievers in the rural Dallas, Texas area. We have long enjoyed producing genetically sound dual-purpose retrievers that have primarily served as companion dogs and personal gundogs. Having corresponded with Debby Kay over the last couple of years, I had come to recognize the potential opportunities for our dogs to serve as service dogs and detection dogs.
Having come to a family consensus that we would like to move our breeding and training efforts in that direction, we resolved to further explore detection dog training and detection contract opportunities. Consequently, my two adult daughters, my 11 year old son and I recently attended Debby’s Super Sniffer™ Workshop at her training facility in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Debby Kay is uniquely qualified to teach detection, and her depth of knowledge in the subject reflects her decades of experience and validates her reputation as a highly respected pioneer in the field of detection dog work. This robust expertise permeates her Super Sniffer™ seminar, as she relates the evolution of modern detection dog theory which is largely the product of her own experimentation and consequent understanding of the canine mind.
Her teaching style is warm and engaging. Debby spends time describing a dog’s physical abilities to recognize odors, and reviews the numerous opportunities for scent work with military, law enforcement, and search & rescue applications. She also opened our minds to unique commercial and industrial detection dog functions, including detection of environmental hazards and household pests.
Debby’s seminar teaches the basics of scent work, from odor recognition to search patterns, and includes cycles of classroom instruction coupled with “hands on” dog work, applying the training techniques discussed in the previous lecture. Debby’s class size allows her to spend time with each student, which enhances the practical training experience, and fine-tunes the student’s technique.
Depending on the goals of each student, Debby has the flexibility to briefly discuss the training methodologies unique to the student’s detection dog application. These advanced skills can be cultivated after mastering the basic drills taught in her seminar.
Debby’s detection training progression is beautifully laid out in her new book, “Super Sniffer™ Drill Book; a Workbook for Training Detection Dogs.” The book is intended to be used by students who have taken the Super Sniffer Seminar, and is a follow up text that assumes the student is already familiar with the training aids, use of target odors and the food reward-based training program.
I highly recommend Debby Kay’s Super Sniffer™ Seminar to anyone interested in scent work. Dog trainers, K-9 officers, and dog lovers who are want to explore new challenges with their canine partners will enjoy this course and come to appreciate the wonderful capabilities of their dogs.
Brent Brooks
Brooks Labradors, LLC
www.brookslabradors.com
(214) 506-8140
International Association of Canine Professionals: Professional Member #3917
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