Activity Training Groups

Dogs can do incredible things with their noses. They detect explosives, find drugs, search for invasive species of animals and molds in buildings, and can even detect Covid-19, as evidenced by dogs having being used on several international airports in virus detection trials! Using the dog's natural competencies to work with its nose is not only a lot of fun, it is also a great activity that can be carried out together with your dog.

Nose work is a comprehensive exercise for dogs - therefore, this is an ideal activity for achieving a balanced frame of mind for our dogs. At the beginning, you only work with one odorant. Later, depending on the performance of the human-dog team, more elements are added and the dog learns to differentiate between different odors. This course enhances your dogs natural abilities and aptitudes and fosters trust between handler and dog. He learns to focus and not be easily distracted.

(Block course with 5 appointments)

For those who have attended the Nose & Scent Beginners' Course, we continue training using different locations and odorants, developing the dogs' skills to higher levels of competence.

Our own body language as dog owers is often unclear or even contradicting. When communicationg (not only) with our dogs, this often leads to misunderstandings. Therefore, this course focuses on body language and timing aspects of communication. Body Language Circle Training is good mental and physical stimulation for your dog and enhances the bond between you both.

(Block course with 5 appointments)

We continue to work on the more subtle aspects of body language circle training.

Having fun and joint activities are our aim. You will learn to teach your dog all sorts of tricks. Accompanied by motivating music, we will work on various tricks from a simple "slalom through the legs" to the "jump into my arms", individually tailored to the respective dog and their owner. At the same time you learn to understand your dog's body language and to motivate him even when facing distractions. Learning to do tricks together will strengthen the relationship and trust between you and your dog, and you will master a series of tricks as a team. During the course, we only work with positive reinforcement. A clicker and small soft treats are used as aids.

This class will let you try out this competitive activity: if you and your dog like it, then we would love to have you join the Martha & Friends Crossdogging Team!
Known as the "Bundesliga of Dog Clubs", this is a fun activity for you and your dog which allows you to compete with other Crossdogging teams from canine training schools in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tasks change weekly and are made available to participating dog training schools by the company Crossdogging GbR.

Crossdogging involves circuit training in which two people work on each station. One person completes the given task as often as possible for two minutes, the other counts the number of runs. Then the team swaps and when both have completed the task, it goes on to the next of the 5 stations. The teams are not aware of forthcoming tasks until each training session. The tasks involve several different disciplines within dog sports. Sometimes tricky, sometimes more athletic, from agility and retrieval to body language, circle training and tricks performed by the dogs - there will be something for everyone.

Known as the "Bundesliga of Dog Clubs", this is a fun activity for you and your dog which allows you to compete with other Crossdogging teams from canine training schools in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tasks change weekly and are made available to participating dog training schools by the company Crossdogging GbR.

Crossdogging involves circuit training in which two people work on each station. One person completes the given task as often as possible for two minutes, the other counts the number of runs. Then the team swaps and when both have completed the task, it goes on to the next of the 5 stations. The teams are not aware of forthcoming tasks until each training session. The tasks involve several different disciplines within dog sports. Sometimes tricky,
sometimes more athletic, from agility and retrieval to body language, circle training and tricks performed by the dogs - there will be something for everyone.

Target object search or ZOS® (in German Zielobjektsuche) is derived from the detection dog work carried out by police dogs. The dog sniffs his pre-conditioned small search object in a hiding place, and then marks its location calmly and concentrated, with the nose as close as possible to the hiding place.

• ZOS® is an outstanding discipline for all dogs: The dog is a nasal animal. Its main sensory organ is the nose and it can detect and distinguish the slightest traces of smell. Almost every dog likes to work with his nose. By doing ZOS®, it is even rewarded for it.
• The focus is on social communication and cooperation between human and dog. The human needs the dog to find the object, but he may also help the dog occasionally in his search strategy. This will improve social bonding.
• The nervous, hyperactive dog finds a better sense of calm through focus and concentrated work and so creating a concentrated collaboration with the human.
• Insecure and anxious dogs gain more self-confidence and sense of security in everyday life.
• The intense focus and concentration by the dog is a more intense exercise for the dog than pure physical exertion. Due to the high concentration and nasal performance, ZOS® affects a dog‘s entire organism.
• Unwanted behaviors can be deviated. The dog gets a job.
• Breed, size and age are not important, ZOS® is also ideally suited for old dogs as well as dogs with handicap.
• ZOS® is easy to learn and can be practiced anywhere without much effort: in the living room, on the walk,... With progressive skills of the human-dog team, there are (almost) no limits to imagination. The team can always face new challenges: High hiding places, climbing locations and distraction through toys and feed or distinguish different search objects in the differentiation work.
• In addition to the activities for family dogs, there is the possibility for sporty ambitious teams to participate in competitions.