“Search”—“Alert”—“Find Another”—“Finished”— Search Cues Tune Up

Saturday, Oct. 7

4:00PM - 6:00PM

Experience Level: Intermediate/Advanced

From the moment you say “search” to everything that happens after you call “finished,” you and your dog are continuously responding to a stream of cues—both from the environment and from each other. Your dog is in charge of following the odor cue, but his job can either be helped or hindered by you. How clear are you really at your end of the leash? Are you sending conflicting signals and creating uncertainty? Or are you supporting your dog’s work?

In this session we’ll be looking at common communication glitches that happen in searches, such as confusion about repayment at hides, exactly when and how reinforcement is going to happen, or ending searches abruptly in a way that may be confusing or demotivating. Dogs should already be on odor, with some experience searching for multiple hides.

Presenter Bio

Sarah Owings

Sarah Owings (she/her) is a long time educator. She specializes in the practical application of learning principles, transforming the lives of challenging dogs, as well as the lives of the humans that care for them. As an international speaker and regular contributor to both online and in-person conferences, she is known for innovative approaches to tough behavior problems and her compassionate and insightful teaching.

Sarah has written for Clean Run Magazine on topics such as stimulus control, release cues, and reinforcement-specific cues. She currently gets her fill of what she calls “brave learning” as a member of the ClickerExpo faculty, and as a curriculum designer and instructor for several online training platforms.

In the past she has advised the Glendale Humane Society in Los Angeles, as well as the training team at Marin Humane Society in Northern, CA, where she now also teaches classes. Sarah is an avid Nose Work competitor, currently competing at the Summit level with her canine teammate, Tucker. She shares her life with her husband, Fred, Tucker, a small herd of pet cattle, a dove named Latte, and a tortoise named Bug on a fifteen acre ranch in Petaluma, CA.