Your first week introduces the essential principles of tracking and trailing. You will explore how dogs use scent, how scent behaves in the environment, and how to build strong motivation from the very beginning. The focus is on clarity, confidence and early success. Above all, creating that strong emotional link!

You will learn how to introduce tracking starts, short tracks, scent articles, line handling, trailing starts, subject motivation, reward placement and clear end-of-search routines. You will also learn how to keep tracking and trailing a concep training method allowing the dog to ‘Choose thier own concept’ in order to solve that problem and find the person.

By the end of Week One, you will understand the difference between a track and a trail, know how to set up simple foundation exercises, and be able to read the early signs that your dog is committing to scent.

Most of all, you will discover Dr Rob’s Hydrotrailing methodology, giving you another all-important extra tool in your training ‘Tool-Box’

Week Two takes your skills into more realistic and demanding situations. You will learn how to increase distance, introduce scent ageing, work across different surfaces, manage contamination, use decoys and build reliable indications or subject finds. The aim is to progress each dog carefully while protecting motivation and confidence.

This week also explores specialist pathways such as lost dog style training concepts, pet dog enrichment and confidence-building scent work. These areas show how Track & Trail skills can be used to create meaningful services and powerful training experiences, while always respecting safety, ethics and the limits of non-operational training.

By the end of Week Two, you will be handling more complex tracks and trails, making better decisions in changing environments, and understanding how to adapt training to suit the dog in front of you.

The final week moves from doing the work to teaching the work. You will learn how to design progressive Track & Trail sessions, coach handlers, structure group classes, adapt exercises for different dogs and explain scent concepts in a way that clients can understand.

You will develop your instructor toolkit with course design strategies, adult learning principles, safety planning, risk assessment, practical teaching techniques, business development ideas and long-term progression plans. The focus is on creating training experiences that are safe, professional, enjoyable and effective.

By the end of Week Three, your skills as a handler, trainer and teacher come together. You will be ready to build your own Track & Trail services and inspire others to discover what their dogs are capable of.