Sales closed on March 14, 2023. Stay tuned for our next Virtual Camp in 2024.
Virtual Nose Work Camp – Winter 2023

Carolyn has been training dogs and their people professionally since 1985. In 1991 she founded Gemini Dog Training, a full-service training and daycare facility and then DOGS! Learning Center in 2007. Over the years, Carolyn focused much of her time on behavior modification through private consulting and training classes. She has educated and coached owners of fearful, aggressive, reactive, and/or socially challenged dogs. Carolyn’s teaching background includes: group classes and workshops on clicker training skills, reactive dog management, and a variety of dog sports that included: agility, obedience, tracking, and earthdog. Carolyn attended the first CNWI training course on the east coast and is currently teaching nose work two nights a week. Her students range from those using the activity for enrichment for dogs with behavioral challenges to those that have achieved their ELTCH and are trialing in Summit.

In November 2001, Carolyn made dog training history along with 117 other dog trainers in the USA, passing the first standardized professional certification test created by what is now known as the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. For the last three decades Carolyn has trained and mentored 100’s of potential dog training instructors. Many of her previous students and staff trained through her instructor programs have gone on to become Certified Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA), running their own classes and businesses.

The desire for a better understanding of the canine mind and behavior has been the motivating factor in all aspects of her dog experience. Beginning with traditional training techniques, she knew there had to be a better way. Pursuing that better way has evolved into clicker training and a more thoughtful scientific and effective use of operant and classical conditioning. Carolyn believes that training and behavior modification should be safe, enjoyable, and successful for both the dog and the humans who love them. Most importantly, she maintains an open mind to new information and what every dog has to teach the human student.

Along with her training and behavior work, Carolyn wrote Clicker Basics for Dogs and Puppies. Carolyn has 2 DVD’s from the Clean Run Instructor Conference, one on Agility Foundation and one on Scaredy Dogs. Carolyn has co-taught canine cognition/behavior courses at Harvard University Extension School with Bruce Blumberg PhD, lectures to dog trainers occasionally and worked for many years as a behavior consultant for the MSPCA, providing reactive dog training classes and behavior therapy for shelter dogs and their families. Carolyn’s full-time job is Training Director of Operation Delta Dog, a not for profit that trains shelter dogs for veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Carolyn has been training, competing, and titling dogs for 40 years in obedience, conformation, tracking, agility, earth dog, and for the last decade in K9 Nose Work™. Carolyn’s PRT, Steiff, earned the NW Elite title and participated in the 2014 NACSW National Invitational. Carolyn’s Border Collie, Breezy, has her ELTCH title and is a Summit competitor. She participated in the 2017 NACSW National Invitational winning one of the searches and placing in another. Her rescue dog, Sam, achieved his NW3 Elite in just 5 trials that included placements and a first overall for his NW2. Carolyn’s future competition dog, Opal, is a black Labrador Retriever.

Michele has worked as a Professional Dog Trainer for over 20 years.  Prior to being swept up in the Nosework craze, she worked mostly in behavior modification.  In 2009, Michele was among the first dog trainers in New England to become involved in the National Association of Canine Scent Work’s (NACSW) sport of K9 Nosework.  She currently works with the NACSW as a Certifying Official, Trial Representative, trial host, and competitor.  It’s no secret the sport has skyrocketed, and Michele’s intense schedule of regular weekly classes, private lessons, specialty clinics, and new online virtual programs show it.  In addition to having the honor of teaching at the National K9NW Camps she owns “The Dog’s PACE” out of Massachusetts, a school specializing in K9 Nosework.

Personally, Michele has taken 3 of her rescue dogs to the Elite level, and competed in the 2015 and 2017 NACSW nationals with her 12 lb Chihuahua/Terrier mix names Hemi.  Currently she is owned and loved by two dogs: Chaser, a German Shepherd and Cannoli, a Belgian Tervuren.  While Cannoli is just beginning her journey of carefully laying a solid foundation, Chaser is happily enjoying his time training for his NW3 Elite title.

Although her professional and personal interests have led Michele to train in a variety of dog sports, Michele’s fondness for Nosework comes from the tremendous benefits it offers to all dogs. From confidence building, bonding, mental stimulation, and pure enjoyment, this sport offers so much to both dog and handler.

Amy is a professional K9 trainer and handler and brings over a decade of experience to her work. She has certified teams in Narcotics and Explosives and has logged over 1500 instructional hours in detection dog training. As co-founder of K9 Nose Work, and the National Association of Canine Scent Work Association, LLC® (NACSW™), she has sought to bring that experience to companion dogs and handlers through the development of K9 Nose Work® classes and sport events.

In the canine sport world Amy has trained dogs for tracking, agility, sheepherding, protection sports, and detection. She has competed nationally with her Dutch Shepherd, Maya and took 3rd place in Narcotics Detection at the Gold Coast K9 Working Dog Trials and 1st place, open division, at the Oxnard Police K9 Foundation Inaugural Trial, 2009. Her Belgian Malinois, Seven, is a nationally certified explosives detection dog and took 1st place in the Explosives Building Search at the 2009 Ventura County Sheriff’s K9 Trial and holds an APR1 IPO title.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Science from NYU and passed national certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) in December 2004.). Additionally, she is a graduate of the Balu Academy for Dog Trainers and is a John Rogerson associate here in the U.S. Her professional memberships and affiliations include the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), Southern California Dog Trainers’ Forum (SCDTF), Southern California Schutzhund Club, California Narcotics Canine Association (CNCA) and International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI). Amy gives much volunteer time and expertise to the betterment of shelter dogs. Some of Amy’s other achievements have been the 2007 President’s Volunteer Service Award, spcaLA’s 2005 Outstanding H.E.A.L. (Helping Enhance Animals Lives) Volunteer and 2006 Volunteer of the Year.

Amy is one of the country’s most experienced K9 Nose Work® instructors and is a co-founder of NACSW™. In addition to teaching many of the top competitive teams, she has also reviewed hundreds of trial videos that have provided important insights into training and handling for success. Amy is owner of the Los Angeles based All Good Dogs, LLC. www.allgooddogs.biz

Jennie was introduced to K9 Nose Work® in 2009, at the first Intro to Nose Work workshop held in Northern California. Before Nose Work she did not appreciate her Golden Retriever’s intense desire to hunt critters, so was instantly hooked on the training as she channeled her dog’s instincts into a healthy and rewarding outlet for both of them. Jennie and Karlie went on to compete in the first 3 NACSW™ National Invitationals and qualified for the 2017 National Invitational. They also competed in the first Elite Division trial in Santa Rosa, CA in 2015. Jennie never dreamed that she and Karlie would go so far and grow so much as a team.

Jennie’s second Golden, Abbie started playing Nose Work games as a puppy and Jennie very quickly learned the value of this game to build self-confidence in puppies as well as adult dogs. Jennie and Abbie went on to earn their ELT2 and met the requirements for the 2017 National Invitational in MA.

Jennie is now competing with her 5-year-old Labrador, Emerson and her 2-year-old Golden Retriever, Lainey. She is enjoying the journey with her two young dogs, grateful for all that her first two goldens taught her.

Jennie’s love of the game and the benefits it has for dogs and owners alike, motivated her to achieve CNWI status in May, 2011. She currently teaches numerous K9 Nose Work® classes each week and offers a number of roaming drop-in classes. Jennie’s students range from those just starting out on their nose work adventures to those competing at the Summit level. Jennie works as part of the NACSW™ Trial Department, oversees memberships and the ORT Team, and has been a Certifying Official for the NACSW™ since 2012. Jennie worked as a Customer Service Manager for 19 years, but decided to leave the corporate world to pursue her true love of working with dogs and their humans.

As the instructor at Scentinel Nose Work Dog Training, Gail has worked with horses and dogs all her life.  She rode Hunter/Jumper horses and Three-Day Eventing horses professionally for many years after graduating from college and gave horseback riding lessons up through the advanced levels in dressage and in eventing.  When Gail moved to Massachusetts to go to law school, her training interests shifted to working with search and rescue (SAR) dogs and, over a twenty-three-year period of time, she attended over one hundred workshops and seminars from some of the most preeminent detection dog trainers in the country in her quest to learn how best to train independent, focused, reliable and efficient detection dogs.

While Gail has retired from canine SAR, during her career she trained and certified three dogs as wilderness live find search dogs, two dogs to the State Advanced Level.  One of these dogs Gail trained and certified twice at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Advanced Level Live Find Disaster Dog Evaluation.  Another dog was trained and certified twice to the State Advanced Level in Human Remains Detection.  Gail was the founder and former Training Director for the Massachusetts Rescue & Recovery K9 Unit and a founder, former Chairperson and Canine Evaluator with the Massachusetts State Search and Rescue Federation.  She also was a Canine Handler with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue, Massachusetts Task Force 1 since 1994 as well as a FEMA Lead Live Find Disaster Dog Evaluator and a FEMA Human Remains Detection Evaluator.  In these capacities, Gail worked with numerous SAR dogs over the years and freely shared her knowledge and experience, helping many people achieve their SAR certifications.  In recognition of her consistent dedication to the promotion of volunteer canine SAR in Massachusetts and to the training she gave my dogs and to my fellow handlers, the Massachusetts State Senate awarded Gail a “Massachusetts State Senate Citation,” a legislative award of distinction.

As an NACSW Faculty Member and a Certified Nose Work Instructor, Gail has instructed at most of the K9 Nose Work Training Camps held in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Colorado and Oregon.  Currently, she serves as an NACSW Judge for NACSW sanctioned K9 Nose Work Competition Trials and has given several webinars for NACSW.  She has been teaching Nose Work classes since 2009 and brings her past training experience to her students, many of whom now are among New England’s top title holders in K9 Nose Work. As of April 2021, Gail is the instructor of twenty-three canine teams who have obtained their NW3 Elite Titles and seven of these students have achieved the coveted Elite Championship Title. Gail’s is currenting training her third Nose Work partner, Saoirse. They have achieved Saoirse’s Elite Championship and look forward to competing in Summit. Please see the “Accolades Page” of Gail’s website http://www.scentinelnosework.com for a listing of her students’ successes in K9 Nose Work.

Jill Marie is unable to present at this time. We will miss her!
Jill Marie has been working with and training dogs since 1987. As co-founder of the National Association of Canine Scent Work® and K9 Nose Work® Jill Marie has focused her attention on the development of the K9 Nose Work® program. Her work has taken her to almost all the States of the Union, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and most recently Sweden.

In 1996 Jill Marie joined spcaLA and developed the agency’s first Animal Behavior and Training Department since its inception in 1877. During her time at spcaLA she created the HEAL program (Helping Enhance Animals’ Lives) to improve and enrich the lives of the animal clients in the shelter, developed the Standards Program for enhanced assessments, behavior modification and placement recommendations and wrote the dog training curriculum for the TLC program designed for at-risk youth. Jill Marie’s tenure working in the shelter environment has given her a unique insight into how successful dog/human relationships are developed and sustained.

Jill Marie’s years of dog training experience includes developing a behavior assessment protocol for use in the shelter environment, agility instruction and competition, tracking, Animal Assisted Therapy, Schutzhund and canine detection training along with many hours of K9 Nose Work™ development and instruction. As one of the founders of the sport of K9 Nose Work™ and the National Association of Canine Scent Work, LLC™ she is a strong believer in activities that enhance and cultivate teamwork between dog & handler.

Along with her involvement with the NACSW and K9 Nose Work, Jill Marie operates her own dog training and consulting business in the Los Angeles area. She shares her life with her son, Aedan, and husband, Jim, and three dogs, Raven, Grip and Stella.

Lauralea has been working with dogs professionally since 2001. Her experience encompasses work with dogs in many environments and disciplines including animal shelters, working dogs, companion dogs and service dogs. Currently, she is the lead wildlife detection dog trainer and handler for Great Basin Bird Observatory and the wildlife detection dog training consultant for H.T. Harvey & Associates. She is a contributor on project reports and scientific publications and is an international speaker about the role of canines in ecology and conservation.

In addition to her ecological work, Lauralea owns and operates a professional dog training business k9inSCENTive, LLC in Southern California. Her business has provided private and group behavior consultations, dog training and K9 Nose Work classes since 2004. Lauralea also provides detection dog services, working dog evaluations and dog training services for scent detection canines for multiple entities including private and government environmental agenices, law enforcement, private security, pest control companies and service dog organizations

As an active member of the National Association of Canine Scent Work, Lauralea is an Elite competitor. As a competitor, she has titled three of her personal dogs in multiple trials. She and her Belgian Malinois, Mayhem, continue to trial and have earned their Elite 1 and a HIT placement at NW3. She is currently bringing up her next two Nose Work dogs. Vector the Inspector, a Dutch shepherd famous for his love of avocados, recently began trialing and so far has earned his NW1 Title. Dash, a Belgian Malinois, recently earned his NW2 Title and took Third Place Overall at his trial.

Lauralea is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed, Certified Nose Work Instructor, Certifying Official, Trial Judge and Professional Ecological Scent Detection Dog Trainer and Handler.

Julie Riekes, started K9 Nose Work in January 2013 with her Australian Cattle Dog mix Amber.  She and Amber received the Harry Award in January 2014 and caught the nose work “bug” eventually traveling the country to compete and attend nose work seminars and camps. She trains regularly with the founders and several of the founding instructors in Los Angeles where she currently teaches K9 Nose Work classes.  Julie is also a NACSW trial host through JavaK9s and has hosted many trials in the Southern California area.  In addition, she serves as a mentor to new trial hosts, a volunteer coordinator for fellow hosts, is an NACSW trial coordinator, and is a NACSW Certifying Official.  She also works in the NACSW education division and served on the CNWI Manual Task Force.  Julie and Amber are one of the few teams in the country to have their ELT-CH title and five Summit titles. They consistently received top overall placements and search placements in NACSW Elite trials and achieved first place overall at five out of the seven Summit trials they have competed in.  In addition, they came in first place overall at the 2022 AKC Western Regional Championships in the Masters division, and have earned their AKC Detective title, the highest AKC scentwork title available through the organization.

Julie played competitive tennis from age 11 to 17 and competed on the junior circuit in Southern California.  She also completed the John Muir Trail in 2010 and has done extensive hiking and backpacking throughout the Sierra Nevada and San Gabriel Mountains with her husband Duncan and dog Sasha.

Julie spent most of her career in marketing and distribution and worked in her family’s glassware distribution business, Riekes Distributing Company, Inc. She attended UCLA and received a bachelors’ degree in communication studies and holds an MBA from USC.

Laurel has been working professionally with dogs since 1996 with roles including animal control officer, veterinary technician, dog trainer, and behavior specialist.

She has trained and titled dogs in rally obedience, agility and, of course, K9 Nose Work®. Laurel teaches K9 Nose Work® classes and workshops, has been an instructor at PA and CO Nose Work Camps, is an NACSW™ Certifying Official, Judge and Trial Coordinator, and is an AKC Scent Work Expert Judge.

Laurel and her husband are currently owned by Agnes, a 2-year-old Brittany, and Walter, a 1-year-old “Malinauzer”.

Barbara and her German Shepherd Landis (R.I.P.) were involved in K9 Nose Work since 2008. At the first sanctioned NW1 trial they earned “The Harry Award”, which is given to the most outstanding rescue dog that demonstrates extraordinary ability and spirit in nose work. They received a “Pronounced” designation for each of the three title levels: NW1, NW2, and NW3. Barbara and Landis were the 3rd team in the country to earn an NW3 Elite title. They qualified for the first four National Invitational events and competed in the first three, placing 2nd, 5th, and 12th. He earned his Elite 2 title before retiring. Landis was also part of the United States Naval Research Laboratory’s Odor Discrimination Study.

Barbara and her next K9 Nose Work partner, “Cassandra Sue (Cassie)”, a Labrador Retriever/Border Collie mix, have been working together since July 2015. After spending nearly a year on “primary” in literally dozens of locations, Cassie is now competing at the Elite level, having just earned her 3rd NW3 Title. Cassie has also earned her L1I, L2I, L1C and L2C.

Barbara and her newest K9 Nose Work partner, a German Shepherd named Renner, have been working together since February 2022. A firm believer in building a strong foundation, Renner searched for a primary reward for nearly a year in more than a dozen different locations before being introduced to NACSW target odors.

In addition to her role of Trial Judge and retired Certifying Official, Barbara also serves the organization as a Senior Faculty member. Barbara has been instrumental in curriculum development and education of new nose work instructors, as well as continuing education for certified instructors. In partnership with Dogs of Course, she has been a K9 Camp Instructor since the very first camp in Pennsylvania in 2010. Barbara has been invited to speak, coach, and teach seminars throughout the United States and on the east coast of Australia. Seminar topics include Trial Prep for NW1, NW2, and NW3, Converging Odor, Inaccessible Hides, Problem Solving, and the ever-popular Hide Placement. She teaches weekly K9 nose work classes for students at the NW3, Elite, and Summit levels.

By day Barbara is a full-time corporate trainer where she has been since 1990. She holds the position of Director of Education and Training for a not-for-profit property management company that serves low to moderate income senior citizens, families, and the chronically-mentally ill. She holds a BA degree in Deaf Studies with a minor in Gerontology from California State University, Northridge. She worked as a nationally certified sign-language interpreter for nearly 20 years.

She shares her dog training company, Amante’ Dog Training, with her husband’s dog-walking and pet sitting business Safe at Home Pet Care. Barbara is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), a certified member of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), The National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW), the Association for Talent Development (ATD), the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), Pet Sitter’s International (PSI), AIDS LifeCycle Training Ride Leaders, and Shifting Gears Cycling Club. She and her husband have fostered numerous guide dog puppies in training, primarily German Shepherds, ensuring appropriate house-manners are part of the skills they learn.

She has been an avid distance cyclist since 2011 and has raised nearly $50,000 for AIDS LifeCycle, a non-profit organization in California which provides much needed services to those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Barbara is grateful to share her life with her long-time husband, Gerry, a house cat named Parker, their little black Labrador Cassandra Sue, and newest member Renner, German Shepherd Dog.

Dorothy is a professional, full-time dog trainer in the Olympia, Washington area. Her business, Let’s Talk Dogs, specializes in K9 Nose Work®. She began dog training as a hobby in 1995 and quickly became involved with rescue and education work as a volunteer. She eventually transitioned to training others and quit her day job in 2002 to pursue dog training as a full-time professional.

Dorothy teaches classes, private lessons and hosts educational seminars and workshops, trials and ORTs. She has traveled as the working assistant to Kathy Sdao, MS, CAAB (Bright Spot Dog Training). She is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI) and continues her education by attending and hosting seminars and workshops. She has graduated from the Dogs of Course Instructor Training Course, CNWI instructor training and three sessions of Bob Bailey’s “Chicken Camp.” Over the years, she has also volunteered and worked at her local shelters and various rescue groups.

In early 2010 Dorothy attended her first K9 Nose Work® seminar with Ron Gaunt. She was hooked. She knew this was a great activity that she wanted to share it with her clients. She began working with her dog and car reactive dog, Zoey, and never looked back. She had no plans to compete with this particular “problem” dog so was thrilled when Zoey not only earned her NW1 title but also took first place. Dorothy and Zoey had the honor of attending the National Invitational in November 2017. Dorothy is now a Supervising/Elite Certifying Official for the NACSW™. She is also an experienced trial and ORT host, National Trial Coordinator, Trial Representative and Score Room Lead for the NACSW™.

She shares her life with her husband and 2 dogs (all mutts) in Rochester, Washington. She is currently trialing with her Chihuahua mix, Brigette, at the Elite level.

Silke was introduced to K9 Nose Work® in 2010 and became one of first two CNWI™ in PA in 2011.  In addition to instructing group classes, private sessions and coaching clinics, Silke has hosted multiple NACSW™-sanctioned ORTs, trials and workshops.  She has taught at multiple K9NW camps hosted by Dogs of Course, and is also a webinar presenter for the K9 Nose Work® Education Division.

Silke is a Supervising Certifying Official and Judge for NACSW™-approved trials and ORTs, and is involved in various admin projects for the NACSW and K9 Nose Work®.

Silke loves to work on all aspects of this great dog sport while making sure that both ends of the leash have fun in a safe environment!  She has a soft spot for shelter dogs and introduced K9NW to several local shelters, two of which have now included it in their regular canine enrichment program.

Silke is also a certified professional dog trainer and behavior consultant and has been running HeRo Canine Consulting LLC, a successful dog training and behavior consulting business since 2006.

She currently competes with her 7-year-old Pit Bull Snap in NACSW™ nose work competitions and is an avid K9NW lover.

Dana Zinn has been working with and training dogs since 1999. Her many years of dog training experience include working at the spcaLA as an Animal Behavior & Training Specialist. It was the time working with dogs in the shelter that drew her to the sport of K9 Nose Work®; not only for her own dogs, but for the many dogs in need of a “job” to do.

Dana was involved in the first publicly offered Nose Work class in Long Beach, CA. She not only participated but eventually assisted in instruction. From there Dana became involved in the development of the K9 Nose Work® instructor certification program. Dana was one of the first participants to be certified as an instructor for the K9 Nose Work® curriculum approved by the National Association of Canine Scent Work, LLC.

Today, her many jobs with NACSW include certifying official, supervising certifying officlal, and trial judge.  She is also thrilled to be a part of education committee helping to train new certifying officials joining the organization.

Her learning never stops as she continues to teach classes, instruct at camps, compete in trials, create webinars, and teach workshops. One of her proudest moments was placing first in the 2014 NACSW National Invitational.

Dana has participated in a variety of canine activities such as obedience, herding, agility and of course Nose Work. Dana moved from California with her family to Golden, Colorado in 2008 and brought the sport of K9 Nose Work® with her.  She hosted the first trials in Colorado and has absolutely loved watching nose work flourish there.  Dana is honored to be a part of the amazing community that has grown around the game and sport in Colorado and surrounding areas.

Dana strives to increase her knowledge about canine behavior and instruction. She has attended and helped coordinate many seminars featuring some of the world’s most sought-after speakers. One of her most memorable educational experiences was working with and learning from the renowned dog behavior expert and trainer John Rogerson. She has traveled to England and Washington state to work with and assist him on many courses including his 21-day Instructors’ Course.

Dana is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and a member of the Colorado Trainers’ Networking Group. Dana was certified as a professional dog training in 2005 by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT).

Dana currently shares her life with her wonderful husband Ken, two beautiful children Jessica & Ben, and her two Labrador Retrievers, Winnie and Sunny.