Jane Knight
Scent work Instructor
Provisional AKC Scent Work Judge
First Scent Work Dectective title earned in ALaska
Jane's family has always had dogs and she enjoyed "training" them as a child. She went to college to be a veterinarian and when Chemistry class got in the way of that dream, she switched to psychology with an emphasis in behavior.
During her brief stint in the military in 1985, she got her first dog, a very smart German Shepherd who needed a job. She did a lot of reading and worked with a group to help teach him. He became the first search and rescue (SAR) dog on Kodiak. The experience taught her a lot about how a dog's nose works, odor, air currents, and most importantly to "TRUST THE DOG!" A K9 officer also saw his potential and while he was never certified, he was trained in drug detection.
People saw how well her dog was trained and asked her to help them, so she became the first obedience instructor and canine behavioral consultant on Kodiak. Later, another SAR moved to the island an they founded Kodiak Canine Training together. When her business partner went off to vet school in 1996, she moved to Chugiak and started teaching for Obedience Training Club of Chugiak, as well as started her own consulting business, Pawsitively Dogs.
She as well as her students have earned a slew of titles on their dogs in Conformation, Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Herding, Nose Work, Scent Work (including advanced levels), and some have even become therapy dogs. She is extremely proud of not only her dogs, but her students and their dogs. She loves training for performance events as she thinks it is a true test of teamwork and how well we communicate with our dogs. She loves seeing her students achieve a balanced relationship with their dogs, no matter what venue they choose to pursue.
She has worked with all different groups of dogs and many, many different breeds. She has worked with rock-solid dogs, fearful dogs, and reactive dogs. Through experience, she has found there is no cookie-cutter method for teaching. There may be foundation exercises that each dog will learn, but each dog learns differently and she loves the challenge of figuring out what works best for each dog.
During her brief stint in the military in 1985, she got her first dog, a very smart German Shepherd who needed a job. She did a lot of reading and worked with a group to help teach him. He became the first search and rescue (SAR) dog on Kodiak. The experience taught her a lot about how a dog's nose works, odor, air currents, and most importantly to "TRUST THE DOG!" A K9 officer also saw his potential and while he was never certified, he was trained in drug detection.
People saw how well her dog was trained and asked her to help them, so she became the first obedience instructor and canine behavioral consultant on Kodiak. Later, another SAR moved to the island an they founded Kodiak Canine Training together. When her business partner went off to vet school in 1996, she moved to Chugiak and started teaching for Obedience Training Club of Chugiak, as well as started her own consulting business, Pawsitively Dogs.
She as well as her students have earned a slew of titles on their dogs in Conformation, Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Herding, Nose Work, Scent Work (including advanced levels), and some have even become therapy dogs. She is extremely proud of not only her dogs, but her students and their dogs. She loves training for performance events as she thinks it is a true test of teamwork and how well we communicate with our dogs. She loves seeing her students achieve a balanced relationship with their dogs, no matter what venue they choose to pursue.
She has worked with all different groups of dogs and many, many different breeds. She has worked with rock-solid dogs, fearful dogs, and reactive dogs. Through experience, she has found there is no cookie-cutter method for teaching. There may be foundation exercises that each dog will learn, but each dog learns differently and she loves the challenge of figuring out what works best for each dog.
