Connecting with Dogs

08/03/2025

🎉👃🐾 Congratulations to Team Wyatt on earning their NW3-E and NW3-I titles this weekend!! Way to go!! 🐾👃🎉

07/26/2025

🎉 EXCITING NEWS! 🎉 I'm excited to announce I'm now a fully approved Evaluator for Cyber Scent Work! 🐕👃

This new certification stems from my growing passion for all aspects of nose work and my commitment to serving dogs and their people with varying levels of experience with an activity that changed my life.

What makes Cyber Scent Work special? Cyber Scent Work offers both in-person (that's where I come in!) and virtual scent work opportunities through two unique programs— their Cyber Sniffing Games and Traditional Cyber Scent Work trial-like searching.

✨ Cyber Sniffing Games - Tests the skills of the dog, perfect for showcasing your pup's natural abilities!

✨ Traditional Cyber Scent Work - Tests the skills of the dog, human and team as a unit, building that incredible partnership we all love!

What I really love about this new opportunity is its inclusivity! It's perfect for dogs searching for food, toys, paired odor, and odor... offering multiple ways to earn titles (and yes, ribbons for all my fellow ribbon-seeking friends! 🎀). It also opens doors for accessible, fun, and friendly competition for teams who may not enjoy traditional trials for various reasons - whether it's cost, travel requirements, time constraints, a gag reflex when you think about competitions, or environmental sensitivities your dog might have.

🗓️ I'll be announcing some fun events based on the Cyber Scent Work opportunities soon! If you'd like to be placed on the email notification list to be kept "in-the-nose" about upcoming, please email me at [email protected] to be placed on the email list.

Important note: I remain incredibly committed to the philosophies of the NACSW and will continue serving dogs and their people with my CNWI certification. This new role simply expands the ways I can support my amazing nose work community with more SNIFFertunities! 🐾

07/17/2025

👃📦Specialty Drop-in Class Alert! Containers - Beyond the Basics

- When: Friday, August 29th from 10:30am-12:00pm
- Where: All Paws In Dog Training, Butler, WI
- Cost: $50/team - 6 spots available

You're invited to an advanced class that will explore how containers can be strategically placed throughout various environments to create challenging and engaging odor puzzles for your dog. We'll move beyond traditional floor-based searches to discover how elevation, placement, and positioning can transform the search experience.

In this class, we'll work with a diverse range of container styles including boxes, tubs, and even luggage! Your dog will learn to search containers placed at varying heights, including on walls and even dangling above their heads.

Prerequisites: This class is designed for dogs who have achieved fluency in standard container searches where containers are placed on the floor. Your dog should be comfortable and confident working independently through multiple containers without you having to present the search area to them.

Note: The use of intentional distractors in this class will be determined based on enrollment and the experience level of participating teams.

Registration is available at: https://tinyurl.com/drop-in-classes-with-laura

06/11/2025

Leveling up my paired hide game on a windy day be like…

06/10/2025

“Losing our heads over Nosework!”

06/06/2025

💚🌈 A tribute to sweet Cherub 💚🌈

Last night, my regular Thursday evening class had the profound privilege of being with Connie and her beloved nose work dog, Cherub, during what would be Cherub’s final searches. Shortly after class ended, Cherub peacefully crossed the rainbow bridge, following a recent diagnosis of a large mass on her liver. While our hearts are heavy with grief, I am filled with deep gratitude for the incredible gift of watching Cherub do what she loved most—sniffing and searching—one last time.

Even in her final moments, Cherub showed us her indomitable spirit, working with admirable enthusiasm and bounce in her step that, despite how she must have been feeling, reminded us all why she was so extraordinary. We paired the hides with Cherub’s most treasured treats—deep-fried cheese curds—and she searched with the same unwavering confidence and determination she’d shown from her very first lesson a few years ago.

Watching Connie and Cherub share their final searches together was a poignant reminder of why this “sport” is truly magical. It opens our hearts to experience our dogs’ world through their deeply rooted instincts and remarkable ability to follow their noses, creating a bond that transcends words.

In those precious final moments, Cherub taught us once more to honor every single second of every single search—no matter how long or short it is, or how big or small the search area might be—with complete presence and joy.

Run free, sweet girl. Your floofy, prancing body and your adorable, gentle face will be deeply missed by all who knew you. Thank you for teaching us so much about dedication, joy, and living life to the fullest. And thank you, Connie, for so generously sharing Cherub’s remarkable gift with all of us. Your nose work family is holding you so close in our hearts as you remember your special girl. 🐾❤️

06/03/2025

📢 Sunday, June 15th Sniff-n-Go: Registration closes this Friday, June 6th 📢

👉 Location: Beautiful Blooms LLC, Lisbon, WI
👉 Levels: NW1, NW2, NW3 and Elite Levels offered
👉 Cost: $50/dog - 45 spots available
📝 Grab your spot at:

Join us for a fun Sniff-n-Go for all doggos on target odor. NW1 through Elite level participants are welcome!

05/28/2025

👃 Sniffy dogs come in all shapes and sizes! After a few days off, it was time to get back to sniffing with some very good sniffers, big and small.

05/27/2025

🎉👃🐾 Congratulations to Team Koby on earning their NW1 title on Saturday! I’m so proud of both of you—and are giving you a standing ovation for being the best team ever! Way to go! 🐾👃🎉

05/25/2025

🎉👃🐾 Congratulations to Team Quest on earning their NW1 title yesterday! I’m so proud of both of you—Way to go! 🐾👃🎉

05/25/2025

🎉👃🐾 Congratulations to Team Shadow on earning their NW1 title yesterday! In addition, they took 2nd place overall, 1st place in containers, 1st place in vehicles, and 3rd place in interiors! I’m so proud of both of you—Way to go! 🐾👃🎉

05/21/2025

🐶 2025 SNIFF CLUB TERM #2 - Registration Closes This Sunday 🐾
https://www.connectingwithdogs.com/2025-sniff-club

👃 OVERVIEW 👃
- New skills released monthly from June through September
- Two levels of challenges: Foundation & Advanced
- Work at your own pace and for ALL experience levels

🎉 BONUS FEATURES 🎉
- Optional Coaching "Amp" add-on available 🤝
- Share your progress videos with other club members in a supportive community 📹
- Each video submission = 1 entry to win a $50 gift card 💰

💸 TUITION 💸
- $100 for Standard Registration
- $150 for Coaching "Amp" Registration

📆 TERM SCHEDULE 📆
- June - Skill posted on Wednesday, June 11th
- July - Skill posted Wednesday, July 9th
- August - Skill posted Wednesday, August 13th
- September - Skill posted Wednesday, September 10th