This episode captures a little bit of Michele and me geeking out on dog behavior and a whole lot of great information about how you can help your hyper, reactive or stressed-out dog in agility by letting them sniff.
We bust myths about confusing dogs and allowing them to sniff, we arm you with a ton of information you can gather about your dog and we offer you an insight into the benefits of offering your dog the opportunities to tap into their innate behavior.
I knew from my own experience how beneficial nosework was to my agility journey with my dogs but when I have a conversation with Michele Ellertson, I realized how much this indeed dovetails with my previous interview with Noreen Bennett.
Learn and hopefully listen when we tell you that your dog isn't being an asshole when they run off and sniff, rather choose to see behavior not as bad, but as information. What is your dog telling you when they drop down and sniff?
Michele offers us ways to train in a way that changes the picture for the dog and taps into the different drivers and unleashes a different experience. This is for any aspect of our dog's lives but specifically, you can apply this to agility.
I also realize how fortunate I am to have such an incredibly knowledgeable, creative, and skilled nosework instructor. I was hooked years ago just dropping into a class. Don't worry if you aren't local, Michele teaches online, travels to teach tons of seminars as a CNWI (instructor), judges as a NACSW Certifying Official, and NACSW Trial Representative, and brings over 20 years of dog training experience. She's lively, passionate, and just wants to help your dog by getting you to get out there to give them something to sniff.
To learn more about Michele Ellertson you can check out her company website, https://www.thedogspace.net/