Deepening your NoseWork Relationship with your Dog!
Please join us for Four workshops with Jeff McMahon at Prairie Lutheran Church.
Four half day workshops on two separate days (March 9th and March 23rd) to learn from a nationally sought after coach, who is passionate about helping handlers experience joy through learning their dog’s Scent Work language and becoming a supportive and skilled partner for their dog.
Depending on the needs of the participants in each workshop, we may explore some, all or more of these aspects of nose work:
Pre-search routines and rituals
Start line scenarios
On or off leash - when, why, and how
Reading behavior in odor, at source, and making confident decisions
Reward type, reward timing, and building reliable communication
How to deal with time pressure
When/why/how of search area management
Understanding different dog personalities and how to work with the dog you have
Using scent work games to think outside the box and overcome training challenges
Learning about environment and its effect on odor movement
Building and improving the language of the search and the practice of communicating with your dog
Identifying and using training challenges to improve your scent work performance
Hide placement - when and why does it matter
Understanding the mind of a scent work judge
Setting your own standards for performance
Dealing with “pooling” or “collecting” odor and false indications
The power of blank search areas
Making the most out of blind searches
Getting clear about goals and how to reach them
Keeping the game of scent work fun
The Workshops
Sharpening Your Elite & Summit Skills
Monday, March 9, 2026, 8:30am-12:30pm
Monday, March 23, 2026, 1:00pm-5:00pm
This workshop is geared to Elite & Summit teams who are looking for a novel search location and the keen eye of an experienced coach to bring out the best in both the dog & handler. There will be a mix of blind and known search scenarios. There will be 6 working spots, and 5 auditor spots available. Please Note: Open to those trialing at the Elite & Summit levels
Searching at the NW1 to NW2 to NW3 Levels
Monday, March 9, 2026, 1:00pm-5:00pm
Monday, March 23, 2026, 8:30am-12:30pm
This workshop is open to teams who are training to compete at the NW1, NW2 & NW3 levels. The focus will be on a mix of blind and known search scenarios which will reveal the needs of each dog and person. There will be 8 working spots, and 5 auditor spots available. Please Note: Dogs are to be on all 3 odors of Birch, Anise & Clove.
REGISTRATION
Registration will open on Monday, February 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM Central Time (CT) for both the Random Draw AND Confirmed Spots. Enrollment will be limited to a single dog per handler per session to maximize learning. In the event there are working spots remaining, we will open up the sessions to multiple dogs per handler and to lower titled dogs who are looking forward to their next title.
Auditors are welcome from any level for all sessions. There are 5 Auditor spots available per Workshop.
NACSW CEUs: 2.5 CEU / workshop (applies for both auditor & working spots)
There will be TWO REGISTRATION OPTIONS for WORKING Spots**
RANDOM DRAW SPOTS | Register for the Waitlists
CONFIRMED SPOTS | SOLD OUT!
**This split registration system provides the opportunity for both participants who want the assurance of a working spot and also for the participants who may not be able to get to register right away when registration opens up. If all confirmed spots are not filled by the end of the draw period, they will be awarded to the random draw entries.
AUDITORS are welcome to audit one or all four sessions. Attendance will be limited to 5 Auditors per Workshop and registration will be accepted in the order received. | Register to Audit
COST
Random Draw Working Spot: $125 per dog and handler team per half day session
Confirmed Working Spot: $150 per dog and handler team per half day session
Audit Spot: limited to 5 spots/seminar
$40 for ONE half day workshop... or ... $65 for BOTH workshops in a day ... or ... $120 for ALL FOUR workshops for BOTH days
Please NOTE: Confirmed Spots will be required to pay at the time of registration. If you are awarded a spot from the Random Draw; payment will be required within 24 hours of receiving an email notification to secure your spot. Auditor registration will be accepted in the order received.
Registration Entry and Closing
Registration will open on Monday, February 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM Central Time (CT) for both the Random Draw AND Confirmed Spots
The Random Draw Spots will be awarded of all entries received between 11:00 AM, February 23, 2026 and 11:00 AM, February 25, 2026.
Confirmed spots will be first received and are limited to 4 spots per session. An automated payment confirmation email from The K9 Nose website will be sent confirming your spot and payment.
Random Draw Confirmation & Wait List emails will be sent out by 11am on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Registration will close when all spots are filled after the draw period or by 9:00 PM Central Time (CT) the day before the event.
A wait list will be maintained from all random draw registrations received and any additional registrations after the draw.
Auditors may not see every team search depending on the size of the room/areas being searched. All day auditors will be on their own for lunch.
The K9 Nose reserves the right to cancel the workshop if minimum registration numbers are not met
After all registrations have been received during the draw period, if the sessions are not full, registrations will continue to be accepted in the order they are received through the closing date or when all spots are fill.
More about Jeff McMahon
Jeff was lucky enough to be in Southern California in the 2000s, joining an early nose work class taught by Amy Herot (NACSW co-founder) in 2008 with his rescue dog, Muriel.
By 2009, Jeff was assisting NACSW Founding Instructor Penny Scott-Fox with classes and by 2012, Jeff was learning the ropes of Certifying NACSW nose work trials (the CO determines search layout, hide placement, time limits, etc.).
A 2013 move to Minnesota resulted in Jeff shifting all of his focus to nose work. 2013 was also the year of the first NACSW National Competition in which Jeff & Muriel competed, and Jeff & Penny’s student took first place overall.
Jeff has a depth of experience coaching dogs & people in nose work: instructing at numerous Dogs of Course/NACSW nose work camps, presenting seminars and workshops all over the country and in Canada, co-crafting special events such as the Turner Trials, the Scott-Fox Scent Camp, The Sniffover and Sniffathlon, and teaching 20+ nose work group classes a week.
Over the years, Jeff’s students have earned high accolades in competition, including at the national level. While titles and ribbons are sometimes measures of achievement, the truest measure of achievement is growth in teamwork, and that can happen independent of ribbons. As the sport of scent work becomes more popular, Jeff is dedicated to honoring Ron Gaunt (NACSW co-founder) and his steadfast message to all scent work handlers: “It’s about communication.” Ron created search environments where handlers had to bring a deeper understanding of their dogs to the partnership in order to succeed. He laid out a path for growth, not a path for ribbons.
Today, Jeff is primarily dedicated to private and small group coaching sessions where the goal is to experience joy through learning your dog’s scent work language and becoming a supportive and skilled teammate for your dog.
Jeff’s other passion is adventuring with his family and dogs. You can share in the whole crew’s journey by following WheelSpin Adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
Cancellation Policy & Refunds
For cancellation of a working spot or an audit spot on or before 5pm central time a week before the event (Monday, March 2, 2026 for the March 9th workshop and Monday, March 16, 2026 for the March 23rd workshop) – Full refund minus $25 processing fee IF your spot can be filled from the wait list.
For cancellation of a working spot or an audit spot after 5pm central time Monday, March 2, 2026 (for the March 9th workshop) and Monday, March 16, 2026 (for the March 23rd workshop) – no refunds will be issued.
All cancellations must be emailed to shopk9nose@gmail.com
This cancellation and refund policy applies to any participant that must withdraw for any reason including but not limited to injury, illness, emergency, and personal or work-related reasons.
No part of the fee will be refunded if the workshop cannot take place or be completed by reason of fire, civil disturbances, an Act of God, public emergency, or any other cause beyond the control of the event organizers.