Scentwork Trainer Subscription Scheme

TDS Scentwork Trainers

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Join our family!


You know how hard you've worked to get where you are. You know the hours of study, the time spent practising and the days spent striving to be the best trainer you can be. You know how much your clients love and value your efforts, your dedication, and how much they rely on you to be a shoulder to cry on and a friend to celebrate their successes. Someone who is there through the cute times, and the stinky times, the hard times and the surprising times.

Well now it's your time!

Becoming part of the Talking Dogs Scentwork® family truly is the gift that keeps on giving. When you need someone to lean on, someone who can give you advice and support when you're not sure where to turn, turn to your TDS family. Distance is no barrier. Scentwork experience is no barrier. We were all beginners once. Whether you are ready to add starter scentwork sessions to your class schedule or have been preparing to run full day workshops to clients of all skill levels, I can offer just the right level of membership. From Enterprise through to Professional and on to Elite, I'm here to help you make the most of your skills and to deliver the very best scent training you can.


Dog training can be a very lonely business. Many of us run our businesses alone, but think how much more supported you would feel being part of a network of likeminded trainers? And think about how confident your clients would feel to discover that you are part of a long established, reputable, forward thinking company. One glance at your website and they'd see our logo, see your affiliation to Talking Dogs Scentwork®. In that instant they would know that they were in great hands.


Great scentwork trainers are different

The art of teaching requires that the trainer makes the skill they are teaching look easy. But I'm not going to sugar coat it: recognising the dog’s physical, behavioural and emotional needs in addition to a thorough understanding of both learning theory and scentwork systems is far from easy. There are no short cuts. Recognising the dog’s physical, behavioural and emotional needs in addition to a thorough understanding of both learning theory and scentwork systems is far from easy. There are no short cuts. You cannot teach this effectively and with empathy without having experienced courses as both delegate and trainer. Lack of experience can turn dogs off scentwork completely, usually as a result of adding needless pressure to the dog through inappropriate search areas and lack of understanding of the role of handling skills. Instead of building confidence, reducing anxiety and building strong bonds with their handlers, the opposite results are all too easy to produce. Ethical and professional standards dictate that you must have a thorough, not fleeting, knowledge and understanding of the subject before asking people to pay for you to teach them. Trainers work hard learning the art of practising and teaching scentwork in addition to their existing general dog training and behaviour skills. Great trainers keep their skills up to date by regularly attending seminars, workshops and conferences led by respected industry professionals from all over the world. When you come to a Talking Dogs Scentwork® workshop or class, you know that the trainer has all the skills you and your dog needs to have a sublime scentwork experience. But learning your craft doesn't have to be a slog. The process is the prize, enjoying learning and wanting to pass that knowledge on to others is a real gift.Great scentwork trainers are different. And that's why your clients can feel secure when they choose you to help them train their precious companion.


Our trainer scheme aims to provide a central meeting point for trainers and clients looking for great scentwork trainers.


Jump on board and start reaching out to new clients, start offering scentwork classes to pups and seniors and everyone in between. Show your skills, display the Talking Dogs Scentwork® Trainer logo and tell the world how good you are!


"Pam has a wealth of knowledge in dog behaviour and is the absolute go to person for all things scentwork. Pam's operational work for HM Customs & Excise means that she truly is a leading expert on teaching dogs how to search for particular scents.

Therefore, as a trainer myself, there's no other organisation I'd rather be associated with for teaching pet dogs scentwork than Talking Dogs Scentwork®. Teaching workshops and classes (online and in-person) for Talking Dogs Scentwork® has been a pleasure and what a wonderful way to open up pet dog owners' eyes to how amazing their dogs are. No pressure on the dog to compete against other dogs. It's all about the individual dog and building an amazing partnership with their human.

The learning we receive as trainers to teach Talking Dogs Scentwork® is detailed and thorough.

There are so many options from online training to in-person classes and workshops and it really can be carried out anywhere. Dogs learn to enjoy searching right from the off and are set up for success every time."

- Louise Bater BSc (hons), Happiest Hounds Dog Training

I'm now accepting overseas trainers onto the scheme. Currently our trainers are based in Scotland, England and South Africa!

If you think you've got what it takes to be a Talking Dogs Scentwork® trainer, I'm ready to welcome you.

 
  • Elite Trainers can:
  • Deliver Talking Dogs Scentwork® Workshops: Scent 1-Scent 5
  • Deliver Scent 6 (once trained by Pam to deliver this workshop)
  • Deliver classes and/or 121s incorporating Talking Dogs Scentwork® methods
Elite Trainers get:
  • Premium listing including photograph, logo with hyperlink, plus social media, phone, email and website details on the scentwork.com website (linked to the detectordog.co.uk site)
  • Event listings on the scentwork.com website
  • If using Facebook, you can add Talking Dogs Scentwork® as a host for your events in order to have them listed on the Talking Dogs Scentwork® Facebook page in addition to your own
  • Permission to use the classic Talking Dogs Scentwork® and Elite Trainer logo
  • Client confidence gained by being part of the Talking Dogs Scentwork® family

Do you qualify?
To be an Elite Trainer you must:


I'm so excited to have found a way to offer Elite status to you wherever you are in the world. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. Now, thanks to the new coaching service, that time has come!

 

Professional Trainers can:

  • Deliver classes and/or 121s incorporating Talking Dogs Scentwork® methods
Professional Trainers get:
  • Listing including phone, email and website details on the scentwork.com website (linked to the detectordog.co.uk site)
  • If using Facebook, you can add Talking Dogs Scentwork® as a host for your events in order to have them listed on the Talking Dogs Scentwork® Facebook page in addition to your own
  • Permission to use the classic Talking Dogs Scentwork® and Professional Trainer logo
  • Client confidence gained by being part of the Talking Dogs Scentwork® family

Do you qualify?

To be a Professional Trainer you must have graduated from the Talking Dogs Scentwork® Detector Dog School course How to Teach Scentwork and be a Talking Dogs Scentwork® Accredited Handler. I highly recommend that you sign up for the Successful Scentwork Trainer - Professional package as you work towards becoming a TDS Professional Trainer. With personal coaching with me (Pam) you can gain a deeper insight into how your skills and knowledge can be enhanced and improved as you work towards your goals.

 

Enterprise Trainers can:


  • Deliver starter scentwork classes and/or 121s incorporating Talking Dogs Scentwork® methods
Enterprise Trainers get:
  • Your name listed on the scentwork.com website (linked to the detectordog.co.uk site) (Allows clients confirm your TDS credentials)
  • Permission to use the classic Talking Dogs Scentwork® and Enterprise Trainer logo
  • Client confidence gained by being part of the Talking Dogs Scentwork® family

Do you qualify?
To be an Enterprise Trainer you must have graduated from the Talking Dogs Scentwork® Detector Dog School course How to Teach Scentwork You'll find that the Successful Scentwork Trainer - Professional package is super useful as you work towards becoming a TDS Professional Trainer. With personal coaching with me (Pam) you can gain a deeper insight into how your skills and knowledge can be enhanced and improved as you work towards your goals, whether you are working towards Enterprise level or have reached that and are setting your sights on Professional.

"I began my scentwork journey in October 2014 when my Golden Retriever puppy, Cammy, was just 4 months old. After just one workshop I was hooked and wanted to learn more. I tried various different activities with Cammy when she was young but nothing quite sparked the same joy for her as searching for her catnip scented toys.

I wanted to share this amazing activity with other pet dog owners. I started hosting workshops with a Talking Dogs Scentwork® Accredited Trainer so that I could encourage my clients to try scentwork for themselves. But I soon realised I wanted to do more. I didn't just want to host workshops - I wanted to teach them!! I wanted to experience the pure joy of helping owners to work in partnership with their dog. To see dogs gradually building in confidence as they progressed through their training.

And so in March 2018 I became an accredited trainer for Talking Dogs Scentwork® and in 2020 I transferred to the new trainer scheme to become Talking Dogs Scentwork®'s first Elite Trainer.

My training ethos has always been about having fun and creating a strong relationship between dog and owner. I have never been interested in any training discipline focussed on a competitive element - especially when I see how detrimental that can sometimes be to the dog-owner relationship and the impact it can have on the dog's ability to enjoy the activity. With more and more scentwork training providers to choose from, Talking Dogs Scentwork® continues to align with the goals and ethos of my business and I am very proud to call myself an Elite Trainer.

Thank you to Pam for creating such a wonderful training system and community for scentwork enthusiasts. And thank you for allowing me to be a part of it all."

- Nicole Harris BA (hons), Paws Off

 

You want the security of being affiliated to the first national (GB) scentwork providers specialising in teaching pet dogs, run by someone who has been both a professional detector dog handler and has dedicated her life to teaching dog training to fellow trainers and pet owners alike, and has never compromised, always putting the welfare of the dog above all else. Talking Dogs Scentwork® has an impeccable reputation and this is your chance to be right at the heart of what we do, spreading the scentwork love to more dogs, more people, more scentwork teams. We know how useful scentwork training can be. Not just a joyful activity that people and dogs can participate in together, but as a tool for building relationships, confidence and engagement. Supporting scentwork teams as they learn how to use their dogs' innate scenting talent to best effect is one of the most important gifts you can offer. And with increasing numbers of clients wanting to learn about scentwork, this is a great time to step forward and show what you know.


You deserve to be part of this story, to make your mark and get the recognition you've worked so hard for. No matter what country you are in, where you are on your training journey, you will find a home here. Don't hesitate, pick your tier and click the button.

Good things are waiting for you on the other side!

Get started now!



Frequently Asked Questions


When does the subscription start and finish?
Your subscription starts now and ends when you decide to leave the scheme (or in the very unlikely event, if you are asked to leave.)
Where can I find the T&Cs for the scheme?
The Terms & Conditions for the scheme can be downloaded from the Welcome message when you join. If you would like to see a copy before joining, just drop me an email to [email protected] and I'll gladly send them over.
Can I join the scheme if I don't meet the entry standards?
The short answer is - not yet! But the fact that you want to join shows me that you want to get involved on a more professional level. So I'd urge you to take the required courses and then come back and join us. In the meantime, you could join our Scent Seeker Community to learn more about scentwork and make friends and contacts along the way.
Will I be removed from the scheme if I have joined without having the requisite qualifications?
Sadly, yes. I will be checking the details of everyone who joins the scheme to ensure that trainers have the required skills and experience. If I find this is not the case I will contact you to discuss your options.

Your Instructor


Pam Mackinnon
Pam Mackinnon

As a professional dog trainer for 30+ years, I have used scentwork to help thousands of dogs work with their owners to be more attentive, less reactive, more relaxed, less agitated. As a universal skill that can be learned by all dogs and all owners, the flexibility, fast results and good old fashioned fun found in scentwork led me to form Talking Dogs Scentwork® in 2011.

Since then I've been working hard to keep up with demand, such is the interest in scentwork. I work hard to stay at the forefront of my profession, staying creative, pushing boundaries and confounding expectations of what pet dogs can do. As the first national provider of scentwork training for non-selected (pet) dogs in Great Britain, TDS has quickly grown into the go-to scentwork training provider, with the TDS Detector Dog manual proving more popular than I could have ever imagined, selling well all over the world, but particularly in the UK, Europe and USA. I specialise in teaching all breed types, all ages, all abilities (physical, mental and emotional) Combining my years as a professional drug detector dog handler for HM Customs with my experience as a pet dog training and behaviour consultant, I tailor my teaching to dogs who don't have jobs, those who have been selected as companions rather than tools of the trade.

I work full time teaching Talking Dogs Scentwork® at workshops. online, at conferences and with major organisations, including Dogs Trust, Puppy School, Victoria Stilwell and the prestigious Woof! Conference.

Some of my working highlights include:

  • Drug Detector Dog Handler with HM Customs & Excise
  • Sirius Puppy Trainer in association with Dr. Ian Dunbar
  • Assistance Dog Trainer for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
  • Behaviourist for Wood Green Animal Shelters
  • Founding & running Talking Dogs Scentwork®, part of Talking Dogs Ltd.
  • Creating TD Rally® - a sport for pet dogs & their people