Workshops & Seminars

Mary Ellen Grady Nose Work Workshops (offsite at Bryn Athyn College)

Elite and Summit Mock Trial Day: Saturday, October 24
8:30am-12:30pm and 1pm-5pm (half day each)

Mary Ellen will set up a number of searches, ranging from 3-8 minutes each, designed to replicate challenges that may be found in an actual trial. Each team will work each search area blind. After each search is complete, Mary Ellen will provide feedback. These workshops are limited to those teams currently trialing at elite or summit level.

All-Level Workshops: Sunday, October 25
8:30am-12:30pm and 1pm-5pm (half day each)

Each team will execute the same challenging searches in the same amount of time. Not all dogs will find all of the hides (and that’s okay!) No questions will be allowed except by the handler working, until after all the dogs have searched. Handlers should be prepared to be challenged! Mary Ellen plans to send out a questionnaire to registrants to assess each team’s training level and goals. Searches will be set up to replicate challenges commonly found in trials. Open to any team on all three odors; Pairing is not permitted.

Each session is limited to 6 working teams.

Cost: $175 for members, $195 for non-members. Auditing is unlimited, $40 per session.

Tricks Training Like the Stars! - with Frankie Joiris

Saturday, November 14, 9-5 with a break for lunch
Sunday, November 15, 9-5 with a break for lunch

***Note: tricks taught the first day won’t be repeated the second day. Participants can come to both days!

Join us for a fantastic fun day of learning all kinds of tricks and new ways to look at teaching and training. If you’re looking for a way to de-stress your life, laugh a lot, connect with your dog, and develop new skills, this is it!

Drawing from over 40 years as a professional theatrical animal trainer, Frankie Joiris’s approach to animal education focuses on enhancing our conversation with our dog, and enjoying the process while expanding both our own and our dog’s skills. From taking a selfie to ring toss, bowling to balancing - this trick seminar focuses on finding the stuff that works best for your team, and creating trick routines that are a blast for everyone involved. In addition to learning new tricks, the basic concepts learned are great for your training toolbox in agility, obedience, rally, and just every day life with your dog!

This is a very interactive workshop, expect to be busy most of the day and tired at the end of it!

IF YOU DON’T KNOW FRANKIE...
Frankie Joiris has been teaching dog training since 1976, teaching pet and competition obedience classes in NYC for 25 years before switching to agility training in 2001. For thirty years her ‘day job’ was training and handling animals for theater, television, and film, which has given her experience training pretty much anything that breathes and moves, from turtles to tigers (mostly smaller mammals, birds, and farm animals).

More recently she has been involved in teaching dogs thinking games. With the assistance of researchers from the Animal Interaction Lab at Georgia Tech, the Messerli Research Institute, and others she and her dog Know Me are discovering just how much he can learn. Frankie has been a regular writer for Clean Run Magazine, writing articles on foundation, fitness, focus and training, including the popular ‘Total Team Performance Puppy,’ series based on Total Team foundation program from start to finish.

Frankie is also the author of the popular Dog Potential Unleashed newsletter

Working spots limited to 20; teams will work in groups of 10 at a time. Unlimited space for auditors.

Cost: Working spot Member, $140 per day; non-member, $155 per day.
Auditor: Member $50 per day, $75 for both days; non-member, $60 per day, $90 for both days.