Have you ever considered hosting a Scent Work trial, but wasn't sure what was involved? Perhaps you have some reservations or thought it may not be for you. In this episode, we speak to two Scent Work University instructors, Lori Coventry and Kristina Sveinson, to see what goes into hosting NACSW and SDDA Scent Work trials respectfully, as well as pitfalls to avoid and tips for success.
Learn more about Lori here and Kristina here.
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Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competiton, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today!
Interested in another dog sport, or looking for help getting your dog to learn some manners? Dog Sport University is sister online dog training platform, give it a peek and see what it has to offer you and your dog.
PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to the Scent Work University All About Scent Work Podcast. In this podcast, we'll be talking about all things Scent Work. We'll be giving you a behind-the-scenes look, as far as what your instructor or trial officials may be going through, we'll be giving you training tips, and we'll just be discussing everything that goes along with doing Scent Work with your dog, whether you're interested in competition or not.
In this episode, we're going to be speaking with Scent Work University Instructors Lori Coventry and Kristina Svenison, in order to discuss what it takes to host a successful Scent Work trial. All right, without further ado, let's dive in.
For our first interview, we're going to be speaking with Lori Coventry, an Instructor with Scent Work University and Dog Sport University.
Hi, my name is Lori Coventry, I own Do Over Dog Training in Buffalo, New York. I am also an Instructor for both Scent Work University and Dog Sport University. With Do Over Dog Training, we offer trials, seminars, coaching days, sniff and go's, teach classes for all levels of Scent Work. I am also an AKC Scent Work Judge, and a UKC Nose Work Certified Official. I'm available for seminars, coaching, consulting, video reviews, you name it. And also as part of our business, we do regular dog training, so we offer private lessons for manners and behavior, and have a couple seminars that we do related to that.
We asked Lori some of the most common questions that we received from individuals who were interested in hosting a Scent Work trial.
How many Scent Work trails have you hosted?
I have hosted six weekends of NACSW trails.
How many levels have you offered in a given day of trial?
With NACSW, it's usually one level per day, unless we do elements, and that would normally be two elements per day. And I've done regular trials and element trials.
How many officials did you need to hire?
So with NACSW, it's typical to have a CO, a Certifying Official, and then two judges for the day.
How many volunteers have you needed?
We could always need more, but typically, 15 to 20 good volunteers a day runs a great trial.
What is one hosting nightmare story you would like to share?
So a few years ago, we rented a fire hall for a trail, NW1-NW2. It was planned ahead of time, way in advance, had contract signed, everything was cool, and then you really don't talk to the trial site until before the trial. So I called a few days before the trial to confirm our walkthrough time with the CO, and when I was talking to the guy in charge, he said, "Hmm, I don't know if we can do that this weekend. We have our Fireman's Picnic, everyone will be here."
I think I started crying instantly. So I got a hold of, it was a student that helped set this up for me. She had contacts at the fire hall, so I got a hold of her, and she talked to the fire chief. He's like, "Don't worry, we can do this. We'll block the parking lot off, so that your people are separate from our people, and
