We offer an assortment of Nose Work Events and Special Classes. Click on the class title below to view the class description, requirements and fees. Let us know if there’s a special class you’re interested in that isn’t on the schedule.
Your Instructors
Nose Work Trainer
Devin Turk
Devin Turk joined the What A Great Dog team in 2019. He and his wife, Ash-Leah, have been involved in dog shows, sports, and training for twelve years. They have been involved in everything from Rally, Obedience, Conformation, Agility, Lure Coursing, Fast CAT, Nose Work, Barn Hunt, Dock Diving, as well as K9 Search and Rescue, Tracking, and K9 Scent Detection.Devin teaches Nose Work 101 at What a Great Dog and has been involved in Nose Work competitions and trials with his Great Dane, Gemma, for nearly three years. He has trained in nose work with many expert trainers, such as: Victor Borras, Caroline Oldham, Bob Rodriguez, Mickey Shufman, Ellen Heavner, and Robin Cameron.Devin is also a public school teacher, having taught as a band director and science teacher for twelve years. His philosophy is that anyone can learn anything from anyone with the proper support system and with consistent constructive feedback. His main goal for his students is for them to strengthen their bond and working relationships with their dogs and to have fun “playing the game” together.
Ellen Heavner
Ellen is Director of the nosework program at WAGD, and joined the team in 2020. She
teaches at all levels of nosework/scentwork. She designed the curricula used by the
other nosework instructors at WAGD.She has been teaching scent work for the last 12 years, competes in many venues, and
is a judge for many scent work organizations, including: AKC, UKC, ASCA and USCSS.
In addition to judging, Ellen is a member of the AKC Scent Work Advisory Committee,
and writes a monthly blog about scent work (sniffingaroundscentwork.com).Ellen currently has two Lagotto Romagnolos: Astra, who is retired from competitions
and Yeti, who is competing at the Detective level in AKC.
Julie Morton
Julie is a self-described nosework and dog training nerd. She began nosework
instruction in 2018 and began working as an AKC Scent Work Judge in 2022.
Julie’s love of nosework began while working with her reactive Australian
Cattle Dog mix, Eleanor Frisbee. Julie and Ellie began their nosework
competition career in 2016 and competed until Ellie’s retirement in early
2024. Together they earned titles in UKC, AKC, NACSW, and USCSS.As a dog training nerd, Julie is interested in interspecies communication
through training and enjoys incorporating best practices from successful
trainers such as Bob Bailey, Sue Sternberg and Denise Fenzi into her training
toolbox.Julie has experienced first-hand the benefits of teaching a dog to use his or
her nose and the partnership created in the process. She sees nosework as a
dance and loves watching the dog/trainer team learn the steps.
Nose Work Trainer
Mickey Schufman
Mickey has been involved with dogs for over 40 years and has competed in conformation, obedience, rally and agility. She started an in-home training business (Four Paws Training School) in 2002 and worked with owners using reward based training. Some of the trainers who have influenced her most are: Susan Garrett, Bob Bailey, Pat Miller, Kathy Sdao, Jean Donaldson, and Ken Ramirez.
An owner and fan of big dogs for most of her life, she has now downsized to a couple of little guys: Micah (terrier mix), and Harper Lee (Papillon). In 2012 she went to a seminar to learn about K9 Nose Work, a new dog sport, and it quickly became her passion. She has been teaching nosework at What A Great Dog! in Frisco since opening in 2012, and has several classes each week. Her favorite venues to compete in are NACSW (National Assoc of Canine Scent Work) and USCSS (United States Canine Scent Sports). Above all, she believes that competition needs to be a great experience between you and your dog, and that success is completely secondary.