Search Results

Before your dog can follow a trail, they first need to know exactly where to take scent from so they know which scent they are being tasked to follow. It sounds simple, but target sniffing is one of the most important foundation skills in Mantrailing. Without it, your dog can't confidently identify who they're looking for. After all... If there's no start, then there's no trail. What Is Target Sniffing? Target sniffing is the skill of teaching your dog to confidently place their nose exactly where you direct them to take scent. Rather than generally sniffing the surrounding area, we want the dog to deliberately investigate the scent article we've presented. In Mantrailing, scent articles can include a variety of everyday objects, such as gloves, hats, scarves, keys, door handles, car seats, mobile phones or other personal belongings - Basically, anything that has your scent on it! Sometimes these articles are presented inside a scent bag, while other times they're found on different surfaces or at different heights. Whatever the presentation, the goal remains the same: To teach the dog to confidently target the scent article we ask them to without hesitation or avoidance. Why Is Target Sniffing So Important? The scent article is your dog's clue. It tells them exactly who they're searching for before they begin the trail. If the dog doesn't confidently investigate the scent article, they're missing the most important piece of information before they even start! That's why we spend time developing this skill before increasing the difficulty of our trails. The more accurate your dog's target sniffing becomes, the more confidence they'll have at the beginning of your trail. How to Teach Target Sniffing Teaching target sniffing should always be fun and rewarding. The aim isn't to force your dog to sniff an object. Instead, we want them to actively choose to investigate it because they know good things happen there. Here's a step-by-step guide to teaching a Target Sniff: Step 1: Put your small item of clothing into your re-sealable bag. The scent item used for this training exercise should not be the one you will actually use when Mantrailing to avoid it being contaminated with food. Step 2: Roll down the sides of the re-sealable bag so that the article is easily accessible for your dog to sniff. Step 3: Whilst holding your dog out of reach of the bag with one hand, place some tasty treats on top of the article inside the bag. Step 4: Release your dog and allow it to go and sniff and eat the food from in the bag. No command word is needed at this point as we are just creating value to the article. Step 5: Repeat the above step for multiple repetitions, with no verbal command to create the expectation to your dog that they will find 'good stuff' in the bag, building value to the article. Step 6: Decide what your verbal command word for 'take scent' will be. This word needs to not be used already for any other activity and must be the same word you use each time for consistency. Your command word is the word you will use when asking to take scent from an article during Mantrailing. IE 'Sniff, 'Take Scent', 'Check it out', etc.. Step 7: It's now time to add in your visual and verbal cue. Hold the dog back with one hand and point to the bagged article with the other hand using a finger gun motion with 2 fingers whilst saying your chosen 'take scent' verbal command. Release your dog to get the treats from the bag. Repeat this step multiple times. Step 8: We now need to withdraw treats from being in the bag and begin to mark the behaviour instead. Remove any treats from in the bag, keeping them readily available in your treat bag/pocket ready to reward. Perform your finger gun cue and 'take scent' command whilst pointing at the scent article in the bag. When your dog sniffs where you point, use a marker word such as 'yes' (or a clicker), then reward your dog with a treat over the top of the bag with your free hand. Generalise The Skill Once your dog understands the game, it's time to practise in different situations. Try presenting scent in different ways. In high and low positions and from different objects they may encounter during Mantrailing, such as car seats, door handles, gates, benches, bags and different types of scent articles. Changing the presentation helps your dog learn that the cue remains the same, regardless of where the scent is located. Why This Foundation Pays Off Target sniffing isn't about teaching your dog to just touch an object with their nose. It's about teaching them exactly where to sniff so they can gather the information they need before beginning the search. A dog that confidently takes scent from the requested item or area is more likely to make accurate decisions at the start, understand who they're searching for and reduce the risk of following the wrong scent on the trail. Like all foundation skills, the time you invest now will pay dividends throughout your Mantrailing journey. Because before your dog can follow a trail, they first need to know exactly where to take scent from. Remember: No start, no trail. Love learning about Mantrailing? Join our Online Mantrailing Club for in-depth training, video lessons and on-going support. https://www.mantrailingglobal.com/mantrailing-membership

One of the biggest challenges in Mantrailing isn't actually the trail, It's us. As handlers, it's completely natural to want our dogs to succeed. We want them to find the Trail Layer confidently. - We want the perfect trail, no mistakes and a quick find. But sometimes, that desire to succeed can become the very thing that gets in our dog's way. The Problem With Expectations When we arrive for a Mantrailing session, most of us already have an idea of how we want the trail to go. We want our dog to choose the correct direction, work confidently throughout the trail, avoid distractions and find the Trail Layer. The problem is that dogs don't know what outcome we've created in our heads. - They aren't trying to achieve our expectations. They're simply responding to the information available to them in that moment. The scent picture, the environment, the weather conditions, the contamination. The multiple challenges in front of them. While we're focused on the destination, they're focused on gathering information. How Expectations Create Pressure Often, handler pressure isn't something we consciously create. It just sneaks in. When we become focused on the result, we can often unintentionally start second-guessing their decisions, becoming impatient, rushing the dog, stepping in too quickly, influencing their decisions or showing frustration when things don't go to plan. The tricky part is that our dogs notice all of it! Dogs are incredibly sensitive to human emotions, body language and tension. Even subtle changes in our behaviour can affect how confidently they work. Sometimes what looks like a dog struggling on a trail is actually a dog responding to the pressure coming from the other end of the line. Mantrailing Is a Problem-Solving Activity One of the reasons Mantrailing is so empowering is because it's a 'dog led' sport and gives dogs the opportunity for them to take the lead and think independently. They aren't simply following commands in Mantrailing, they're solving a scent puzzle. That means they need the freedom to: gather information make decisions investigate options work through challenges learn from mistakes Because it's never just an A>B trail (IE I start here, and end here, with nothing else going on in between). They need to constantly rule scent in or out in order to find the Trail Layer One of the biggest mindset shifts handlers can make is understanding that uncertainty isn't failure. A brief hesitation, a check of another path, a wider search pattern or a moment of problem solving aren't necessarily mistakes. They're often part of the dog's process of collecting information and making sense of the scent picture. If we step in every time things look uncertain, we remove the very process that helps our dogs become confident and resilient trailers. Some of the most valuable learning moments happen when dogs work through a challenge independently and find the answer themselves. Redefining Success in Mantrailing Many handlers measure success by one thing: Did my dog find the Trail Layer? But there's so much more to celebrate than just the find itself. Success on a trail can look like: Choosing the correct direction of travel from the Scent Article. Making an independent decision without you stepping in to help them. Recovering the trail confidently again after losing scent. Working through contamination without giving up. Efficiently working through a distracting environment. Not being wary of approaching the Trail Layer. Small wins such as these are constantly happening during a trail are often the building blocks that create great trailers. When we focus only on the final outcome, we risk missing all the progress happening along the way. Trust the Dog. Trust the Process. The reality is that your dog can smell things you never will. They have access to information that we simply don't. Our role isn't to solve the trail for them, our role is to support them while they solve it themselves. That requires patience and trust as a handler. And sometimes it requires us to let go of our expectations and simply observe. Love learning about Mantrailing? Join our Online Mantrailing Club for in-depth training, video lessons and on-going support. https://www.mantrailingglobal.com/mantrailing-membership

One of the biggest things handlers learn during Mantrailing is just how much influence they can accidentally have on their dog during a trail. Because while dogs are reading scent, they’re also constantly reading us. Dogs naturally pay attention to things such as line pressure, body language, movement, emotions, tension and positioning, and sometimes without even realising it, handlers start influencing the trail instead of allowing the dog to independently work the scent. How Handlers Accidentally Influence The Trail A lot of handler influence happens subconsciously. Things like: walking ahead of the dog stepping forward before the dog makes a decision rushing to step in and help the dog too early getting the line tangled blocking turns and junctions with your body language stopping movement not giving enough line for your dog to work looking / facing towards where you think the trail goes These things can all unintentionally push or have an impact on the dogs decisions, rather than properly problem-solving the scent picture themselves. Why Independent Problem Solving Matters Successful Mantrailing relies on allowing the dog to gather information, process scent, make decisions and work through challenges independently. Because ultimately, the dog can read the scent, and we can’t. That’s why trust becomes such a huge part of the sport. When handlers over-influence, dogs can start second guessing themselves, becoming reliant on handler input and losing confidence in their own ability. Over time, that can affect the overall difficulty and ability to have a successful trail. What Good Handling Looks Like Good handling is often less obvious than people expect. Usually, it means: staying behind the dog (belly button to butt hole!) maintaining smooth, effective line handling not blocking with our body language allowing space and line for movement observing rather than directing Sometimes the best thing a handler can do is simply stay out of the dog’s way and let them work. Sometimes The Biggest Influence Is The Human One of the biggest mindset shifts in Mantrailing is realising that we’re not there to lead, we’re there to support the dog and read what they are telling us while they solve it. Sometimes the biggest challenge on the trail isn’t the scent conditions, it’s the human attached to the end of the line! Learning to trust your dog and become more aware of your own positioning as a handler can be a complete game changer for your dog, and for your trails. Love learning about Mantrailing? Join our Online Mantrailing Club for in-depth training, video lessons and on-going support. https://www.mantrailingglobal.com/mantrailing-membership

Mantrailing Global offers expert Mantrailing training and Mantrailing Instructor courses worldwide. Learn Mantrailing skills from our certified instructors or become an instructor with us as a dog trainer. Become an Instructor You can run... but you can't hide! Find an instructor Become an Instructor Learn Mantrailing Online What is mantrailing? Mantrailing is a sport teaching dogs to find people by following their unique scent trail. All dog's have a natural ability to hunt and therefore Mantrailing provides them with an outlet to do this in a safe, controlled and constructive way. We teach them how to harness their amazing sense of smell and turn it into a super fun activity for pet dog and owner teams to do together as a sport for fun. Find an instructor ✔ Build a great relationship with your dog ✔ Increase your dogs confidence ✔ Spend time adventuring outdoors ✔ Attend a fun social activity on a regular basis One of the many amazing things about this sport is it is fully accessible to all people and dogs, regardless of age, breed or disability. This includes dogs with confidence and reactivity issues, as dogs are always worked one at a time. Find an instructor LEarn Mantrailing Online ✔ Training Vault full of video lessons ✔ Fortnightly Coaching Calls ✔ Monthly Video Analysis Masterclass ✔ #AskLisa Thread ✔ Members Club Hub Access ✔ Members E-badge ✔ Member Input portal ✔ Introduction Masterclass ✔ Set of training & progression logbooks ✔ 70 page Mantrailing Members Handbook This is an online Mantrailing membership that's like having a trailing mentor in your back pocket. Join the club Very enjoyable for both me and my dog - Reactive German Shepherd, who had the best time and didn’t care about anything other than the trailing. Extremely addictive and great fun for both dog and handler. Will definitely be continuing with our training. - Rosie Become an instructor ONLINE & IN-PERSON COURSE AVAILABLE ✔ Ditch the 24/7 work lifestyle. ✔ Get rid of the constant need to enrol new clients by embracing an evergreen business model. ✔ Provide an inclusive activity for dogs in need of behavioural management. ✔ Join a community of trainers who work together and not against each other. ✔Create a career that is built around your own dreams and lifestyle, not everybody elses. Find Out More Being a part of Mantrailing Global is reassuring. The pet business industry can be a lonely one at times and Mantrailing Global helps instructors to keep in touch, as well as being a source of advice and guidance from our Head Instructors and Founder. I'm also immensely proud that Mantrailing Global are so keen to ensure I'm as up to date with my own skills and knowledge as possible by providing both practical and online CPD opportunities. - Laura Why Mantrailing Global? Since 2017, Mantrailing Global has been sharing their passion for Mantrailing with dogs and their owners across the globe. As the worlds largest training organisation for Mantrailing as a sport, we take pride in the community we’ve built, where collaboration and shared success are at the heart of everything we do. This ethos, combined with our commitment to the highest training standards, has propelled us to become the leading specialists in the sport. Whether you’re looking to try Mantrailing out with your dog, or want to join our mission as an instructor, Mantrailing Global is here to guide and support you every step of the way. read our story

14114fc8-308e-48a4-96b0-b4416db7c69b Crufts 2022 Golden Ticket Sign up for your chance to win a brand new Mantrailing harness and Long Line! Email Join Our Mailing List Thanks for entering The golden ticket winner will be contacted via email on how to claim their prize. Harness & long line image above is an example only, the actual prize may differ and is subject to availability.

4e85c1dd-af45-4374-8ed7-54ec143f5cc4 Crufts 2022 Golden Ticket Sign up for your chance to win a brand new Mantrailing harness and Long Line! Email Join Our Mailing List Thanks for entering The golden ticket winner will be contacted via email on how to claim their prize. Harness & long line image above is an example only, the actual prize may differ and is subject to availability.