Outer Bounds K9

03/31/2026

Scent Work Saves Lives…

…the story of how I ended up doing what I do now and why I’m so passionate about it.

When my Malinois was just a year old I had an experience with a “trainer” that changed the trajectory of my life.

In an attempt to be a responsible owner, I chose to leave him with someone who came recommended for her knowledge of the breed while I was away on a family holiday.

When I returned, I discover my dog had spent most of the time in a crate and had only been leash walked. It was suppose to be a board and train week that promised free play in the yard and lots of engagement at her training facility. Turned out he was locked in her garage, monitored on a camera and let out to eat, p*e and do some training stints in between her other commitments.

When I picked him up, my farm raised dog use to hours of outside exercise, socialization and exploration was a frantic mess. He literally attacked me howling, jumping and biting. Her response was that “I needed to do something with this dog” 🤔

I was so shocked I didn’t know what to say. She proceeded to tell me she had worked on teaching him to “play like a Malinois with her other dogs” and that I needed to play with him more to build his drive. She then snatched the leash from my hand to show me what she meant. As I watched her set him up for frustration teasing him with a toy and holding him back with a leash, I could see him slowly starting to engage, but then it all came crashing down.

When he finally tried to grab the toy, he caught her hand with his teeth and BAM! She backhanded him across the face! I was horrified. She had just punished him for doing exactly what she asked him to do!

I took my dog home and never went back.

But the damage was done. I did not come home with the dog I dropped off the week before. My dog came home angry, resentful, and mistrusting. He was aggressive toward the other dogs in the house, dogs at the park and strange people who visited the farm. He even started attacking my truck if it moved and he was outside. To say his behaviour was awful would be an understatement.

I honestly thought his brain was broken and I would never get him back to where he was after working so hard to build his confidence the first few months I had him (he was a 4 month old rescue when I brought him home).

I questioned everything I thought I knew about training dogs, reading body language and finding solutions to meet the needs of the dog that’s actually in front of you.

Now I’ve had a lot of high drive dogs over my lifetime, and been quite successful bringing them up to be good citizens, but this dog - well he was a whole other level of…I don’t even know what.

I looked at my dog standing in my barn a few weeks after bringing him home from this “trainer” and burst into tears, confessing to a friend that I was considering rehoming him. I wasn’t sure it would be responsible or safe to keep him. I was heart broken by his obvious state of stress and frustration and wondered if I should find a more qualified person to take him.

That maybe it was me.

And that was the day I went on a mission to research everything I could about the breed (not that I hadn’t done a lot of that prior to getting the dog) and all forms of training so I could make educated training decisions suitable for my dog and my circumstances.

And then we found scent work and the rest is history.

Because of scent work, most people have not seen the dog that, in many ways, will always be there. It has provided me with functional, practical, transferable tools that reduce my dog’s anxiety, build his confidence and settle his mind.

Most people think that this scent work thing is “just fun” and a great way to engage your dog and build a partnership, and while this is ALL true, it is also true that scent work is a training tool that can serve as a stepping stone for owners dealing with challenging dogs. It’s a tool that can be built upon.

Griffin is now able to go to busy group dog classes, rally trials, and dock diving and hold placing consistently in the top 3% because SCENT WORK helped me build a solid foundation of focus, trust and partnership.

Scent work has taught Griffin to cope with stressors through the introduction of greater distractions over time in a safe and controlled environment - more dogs in sight in parking lots, then in classes at a distance, then sitting in a lineup or passing us in hallways at a trial; strange people respectfully giving us space so he could learn dogs and people he didn’t know were not a threat.

Scent work has helped me help my dog beyond what I ever would have been able to accomplish at home - alone. It provided me with a community of supportive, knowledgeable and respectful handlers and trainers always willing to answer questions and provide constructive feedback.

Scent work has taught me a lot about my dog - and the rest of the dogs in my house. It has given me new insight into Griffin’s learning style and how to read subtle changes in his body language and be better able to mitigate triggers before they escalate. It has helped me polish and revise my training EVERY SINGLE class/drop-in/trial. I learn something every time I work with him.

Scent work changed my life but more importantly, it gave me my dog back.

So yes - scent work is fun, but it isn’t all just fun and games.

Scent work - simply put - saves lives. I know, because it saved my dog.

03/27/2026

03/25/2026

It was helping, but we missed it completely.

Dogs cope with the world in ways we don’t often realise.
Not always in the big, obvious ways. Not always in ways that look like progress, focus, or anything we’ve been told to look for.

Sometimes it’s really tiny.
A little pause.
A shift of attention.
A small moment of disengagement.

We often don’t even notice what they’re doing, all by themselves, with no direction from us whatsoever.
And because it looks like nothing, we step in and keep things moving.

We call them back because we have to get home.
We redirect their focus back to us.
We try to keep the “training” back on track.

But in doing all that, we can interrupt the very thing that was helping them manage what they were feeling.

Those small moments can take the edge off.
They can create just enough space for a dog to process what’s in front of them, rather than react to it.

This is the part that often gets missed.

It’s not always about doing more.
Sometimes it’s about recognising what’s already happening, and allowing it to play out as it is.

03/22/2026

Feedback, Competition, and Pressure

What if feedback didn’t feel personal—and pressure didn’t throw you (and your dog) off your game?

Learning through games changes how we experience and respond to constructive criticism. Instead of it feeling like judgement, games turn feedback into useable information:

• Points gained or lost
• Strategies that worked (or didn’t)
• Opportunities to adjust and try again

Advice becomes something that helps you play better, not something that judges you personally.

Games also introduce a healthy form of competition where you can learn to:

• Stay focused under pressure
• Keep perspective when things go wrong
• Support your dog instead of reacting emotionally

And when you eventually step into more formal or competitive environments, this matters. Because success isn’t about being perfect — it’s about managing pressure, trusting your dog, staying present and celebrating all the things you and your dog DO do well!

Games help prepare you for the real world - whether that be in the competition ring, at a job or just out in the park.

Games are not separate from the work— they are the work…work that is designed to build resilience, clarity, and connection while you play.

Want to learn more about game based learning? Reach out!

03/20/2026

Timing, Feel, and Connection

Have you ever noticed how your timing falls apart the moment you start overthinking?

Great nose work isn’t just technical—it’s about feel.

It’s:

• Moving at the right moment
• Noticing subtle changes in your dog
• Responding without hesitation

But when you’re stuck in your head:

• Your timing slows down
• Your movement gets rigid
• You lose connection with your dog

Games bring you back into the moment because they’re dynamic and slightly unpredictable, and they force you to:

• React instead of overanalyze
• Stay mentally and physically engaged
• Match your dog’s rhythm

This is where the shift happens — you stop acting like a handler managing a task, and start becoming a teammate in play.

That’s where real connection is built.

Want to learn more about game based learning? Reach out!

03/19/2026

Positive Stress through Game Based Learning

What if the thing you’re trying to avoid in training is actually the thing you need most?

Stress isn’t something to avoid or eliminate—it’s something to learn how to use.

In the right context and at the right levels, stress sharpens focus, increases engagement, and makes learning stick.

Games give you a safe and fun way to experience and practice working through:

• Urgency
• Uncertainty
• Social pressure
• Success and failure

Instead of shutting down or second-guessing yourself, you learn to keep working and problem solving. And so does your dog.

Over time, this builds:

• Emotional resilience
• Clearer thinking under pressure
• Faster recovery from mistakes

For both of you.

So get out there, get creative and play some games with your dog!

Want to learn more about game based training methods? Send us a message about up-coming classes or book a private session!

03/18/2026

Play With Purpose - Nose work edition!

What if “playing games” with your dog is actually some of your most important training?

When we talk about games in nosework, it’s easy to assume it just means keeping things light and fun.

But this is play with purpose.

Games are a structured way to introduce meaningful stress into training—without overwhelming you or your dog. Instead of avoiding pressure, you experience it in small, manageable doses while staying engaged and curious.

That might look like:

• Working with a time limit
• Earning or losing points
• Navigating unclear or changing rules
• Being observed by others

These challenges are intentional. You’re learning how to:

• Make decisions under pressure
• Stay connected to your dog
• Adjust without shutting down

Yes, it’s fun—but more importantly, it’s functional.

03/18/2026

The Game of Nose Work

Do you ever get frustrated when learning something new with your dog? Do you sometimes find yourself dwelling on your mistakes and feeling like you just can't seem to get things right?

Every interaction between you and your dog is shaped by choices and outcomes.

There are always:

• Rewards (food, toys, success, interaction)
• Costs (frustration, confusion, missed opportunities)

Both of you are constantly adjusting behaviour based on those outcomes.

The problem is, many handlers focus too much on being “right” or "wrong."

That’s where pressure becomes unhelpful—leading to frustration, over-handling, hesitation, and lack of trust.

Looking at nose work activities (or any training goal) as GAMES shifts that mindset.

Instead of asking questions like:

“Did I get it right?”
"What did I do wrong?"
"Why can't we do this?"

You start asking:

“How well did we play the game?
"Were we able to adapt and improve our game play?”
"Can we identify tangible improvements (faster, more focussed, more intentional game strategy etc?)"
"What can we practice to improve our game?"

That shift changes everything for the better — your decisions, your confidence, your enthusiasm, your motivation and your partnership with your dog!

And it changes everything for your dog in exactly the same way!

So get out there and make a game of it and have some fun with your dog!

03/07/2026

Explore the boundless possibilities at Outer Bounds K9! Our website is your gateway to discovering exceptional canine training and first aid programs that build stronger connections between you and your dog. Uncover the benefits of tailored scent detection and life-saving first aid techniques today. Your journey towards an enriched canine relationship starts online. Visit us now! 🐶🌐