2013 Workshops




2013 Skill Building Workshop Series
Portland, OR


With Speaker
John Eckhart
Professional Police K-9 Trainer/Handler



Co-Instructor & Facilitator
Shelley Smith, CNWI
K-9 Enterprises, LLC

We are offering focused workshops throughout 2013 to enhance the practice and learning in your classes and increase your skills for trialing.

Our key Speaker this year is John Eckhart.  John is local here in Portland and has over 30 years of experience as a police officer in Oregon.  John was promoted through the ranks of the Portland Police Bureau retiring as the Assistant Chief of Police in 2010 and is currently the detection dog trainer for numerous Oregon police agencies, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.  (John’s bio is continued further below.)
WORKSHOP DETAILS:

WORKSHOP DATES (Saturday, 10:00 - 2:30 all dates)
January 26th — Required Introduction (Workshop 1) – Prerequisite/REQUIRED
February 23rd — Containers (Workshop 2)
March 23rd — Containers (Workshop 2, repeated)
April 13th — Interiors (Workshop 3)
May 11th — Interiors (Workshop 3, repeated)
June 8th — Exteriors (Workshop 4)
July 20th — Exteriors (Workshop 4, repeated)
August 10th — Vehicles (Workshop 5)
September 21st —  Vehicles (Workshop 5, repeated)
October 5th — Advanced Handling Skills (Workshop 6)
October 26th - Advanced Handling Skills (Workshop 6, repeated)
(Note that each element will be repeated, should you have date conflicts.)
Workshop  1 — REQUIRED* Introductory Workshop
Scent Theory/Team Skill Building (offered 1/26 only)

*Prerequisite (Required before taking all other workshops in this series.)

Scent Theory/Team Skill Building will provide the foundation and unique terminology used in the hands on workshops.  With this common ground, teams will be able to fully benefit from the training and eliminate the development of bad habits based on understanding of the concepts used.  Extensive use of video and visual aids will help handlers master the techniques being presented in the remaining workshops. 

We will provide each handler with an overview of the following topics relating to their dog’s ability to locate odor:

Scent/Odor – What is scent/odor, how dogs smell, the science behind the nose, environmental factors, and odor movement, scent plumes, converging odors.
Dog Traits & Training Considerations – Dog’s drive and traits, physical and emotional factors, pros and cons of basic dog training modalities.
Teamwork – How and why you and your dog are a team, building teamwork, coaching, practice exercises.
Nose Work – Expanding education into the sport of Nose Work.  Every handler is an expert, the nose knows, avoiding disaster, filtering suggestions/opinions, keeping the sport fun for you and your pup!


The following Element and Advanced Handling workshops 2-6 can be taken individually or as a package with Workshop 1.  See pricing for both options below
(Workshop 1 is required before taking workshops 2-6.)

Element Workshops 2 - 6 – The content from Workshop 1, Scent Theory/Team Skill Building will be applied to each of the following Element & Advanced Handling workshops.  Ten (10) Working teams (with dog) and additional audit spots (without dog) are available for sign-up.
Each element will be repeated twice, should you have a conflict of dates.
Workshop  2 — Containers (offered 2/23 or 3/23)
Workshop  3 — Interiors (offered 4/13 or 5/11)
Workshop  4 — Exteriors (offered 6/8 or 7/20)
Workshop  5 — Vehicles (offered 8/10 or 9/21)
Workshop  6 — Advanced Handling Skills (Oct. TBD)

WORKSHOP PRICING:

 Individual Workshops
WORKING POSITION* — $150 Each plus $75 for Required Introductory Workshop
AUDIT POSITION — $100 Each plus $75 for Required Introductory Workshop

 Package of ALL 6 Workshops   ENDED, Individual Workshop option only 
PACKAGE — $565  Includes Required Introductory Workshop, 2 Working* Positions and 3 Audit Positions

*Working Position – Dog must be solidly on a minimum of Birch & Anise odors.

LOCATIONS:  To be announced prior to each workshop — Locations will vary within the greater Portland metro area.
There will be a lunch break provided during the workshop. Bring a lunch or stop by a local restaurant on your break.  Water and snacks provided.

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION:
Register and Pay Online by clicking ONE of the options below. 

 Individual Workshops CLICK HERE 


BIO'S CONTINUED:

John Eckhart:
John began his police career in 1986 as a Police Service Dog Handler. John has worked and trained Patrol Dogs, Cross Trained Dogs and Single Purpose Detection Dogs for over 25 years.  He started Portland’s Detection Dog Program in 1991 and handled the first Detection Dog for the Portland Police Bureau

John is the Director of Training and a Certifying Official for the Pacific Northwest Detection Dog Association.  John is also past president of the Oregon Police Canine Association (OPCA) where he started the Detection Dog component of that association.  John authored the State of Oregon Police Animal Protection Legislation which created the law that makes it a Felony Crime to kill or seriously injure a Police Animal.  He has served as a judge in the World Police Fire Olympics K-9 competition as well as numerous other competitive canine events including Nose Work


Shelley Smith, CNWI:
Certified Nose Work Instructor, has studied with Ron Gaunt & Amy Herot (NACSW Founders) since the onset of this new dog sport and began her training in one of the first classes of Nose Work in Long Beach, CA.  Shelley brought K9 Nose Work to Oregon in September 2009 and has facilitated Instructor Workshops, hosted numerous Trials and ORT’s and facilitated and co-instructed many skill building workshops in the area with Ron Gaunt and continues to teach all levels of Nose Work.  She is very pleased to join with John to offer the ongoing skill building workshop program for the Nose Work community.

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