About Canine Nose Skills
Hi, I’m Dee – the face behind Canine Nose Skills
A place where confidence, mindfulness and connection are at the focus of what I do.
How it all started
I decided I wanted to become a dog trainer soon after adopting my Husky x Malamute Buzz. At two years old he was a dog in his prime, already a skilled and successful hunter and very much an independent character (who would’ve thought! ☺) He did nothing by the book, full of frustration and over arousal, training was a challenge and I felt like I’d taken on more than I could deal with.
Ten months later I’d successfully completed Jane Arden’s Dog Training Instructor course with Distinction. A big takeaway from working with Jane is how her training is emotion centred, focusing on understanding the driving force of the dogs behaviour, not just what is visibly expressed, in order to work with the dog to build a trusting relationship.
Finding my approach
With new knowledge and a greater understanding, training became fun again. I started teaching others too, putting what I had learnt into practice and sharing an ethos of understanding, where the dog leads the conversation.
When scentwork entered my life, it quietly took over everything. True to Buzz’s style, it wasn’t something we mastered overnight, which meant much of my early learning with Wesley Visscher (Scent Imprint for Dogs) and Georgie Jones (Endeavour Canine) took place with my GSD, Ursa. These early days were less about results and more about observation, problem solving and communication.
The mantrailing chapter
So what about breed fulfilment for Buzz! I’m not a runner (seriously if you see me run there is something wrong going on) and I’m pretty average on a bike so I couldn’t see either of these as viable options without incurring injury or loss of limb. But I could definitely walk behind and be pulled along, I love walking.
Enter the world of Mantrailing. Initially Buzz picked the game up quickly but when things got more challenging his motivation dropped and his frustration crept back in, anything not to use his brilliant brain! We persevered and I upped my game becoming a Mantrailing UK, now Mantrailing Global, instructor and assessor.
Expanding my experience
Roll on the unforgiving times of Covid and we decided to make a big move to Shrewsbury. I took a full time position at The Dogs Trust as an Assistant Training and Behaviour Advisor and had my eyes and mind opened up to rescue, the good, the bad and the ugly.
I’m not cut out for it, but it has given me a lot of respect for those who continue their work for the good of the dogs in their care.
Recent achievements
In 2024, I became the first—and currently the only—person in the UK to successfully pass the Human ID Tracking Canine Team Certification, with my Labrador, Squid. This title was achieved by successfully completing five operational standard assessments over three days. The certification was awarded through K9 ILMA Global Training and taught by Ilkka Hormila, whose work has been instrumental in advancing ethical, evidence informed scent identification training.
This achievement wasn’t about titles; although I worked hard to pass the course, what I found in its achievement was a reconnection with my early learning of promoting calmness, connection and mindfulness. I also fell in love with tracking.
This year I’ve taken my tracking journey even further, successfully becoming an instructor under the K9 ILMA Global Training name. It’s already been incredibly rewarding to pass my knowledge on to new teams and witness their transformations, and I’m excited for what the future brings.
My philosophy
At the heart of everything I do is a belief in the dog’s incredible ability when we slow down, listen, and trust the process. My role is to guide, support, and educate teams to build real skills and deepen their understanding using proven methods grounded in science and experience.
Key areas I focus on:
Confidence building for both dogs and handlers
Mindfulness in training
Connection through understanding canine behaviour
Evidence-based scent work techniques
If that approach resonates with you, I’d love to welcome you into the world of Canine Nose Skills.
Meet my dogs!
Buzz
Husky x Malamute
Fiercely independent but secretly loves a cuddle.
Excellent singing voice, superb swimmer, adventure explorer extraordinaire.
Ursa
German Shepherd
Loyal and loving, but also a constant trip hazard.
Professional barker, guardian of the couch, perimeter patroller-level expert.
Squid
Labrador
Kangaroo in disguise, zero capacity for personal space.
Toy hoarder, master of zippy zoomies, ninja of the night.
Review
“To leave your precious dogs in the care of somebody it has to be pretty special.
There is nobody else I would trust to look after Blue and Amber. They’re happy when I drop them off and the pictures and videos speak for themselves.
Great job Dee.”
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If you are interested in our services but are not quite sure if we are the right fit for you and your dog or need something a little more unique, please do get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you and try to fulfil your needs.
