NACSW is the only official sanctioning and organizing body for the sport of K9 Nose Work.
Founders
Ron Gaunt
Ron Gaunt, Founder/Nose Work Instructor
Ron Gaunt has lived and worked with dogs the majority of his life. Ron began working with dogs and training for police Dog work in 1970. He has trained, worked and managed service dogs for more than 40 years consecutively. During Ron’s 12-year tenure in the K9 unit with the Inglewood Police Department, he had the honor of working with three different K9 partners. Among Ron’s many accomplishments are multiple national certifications in detection, both explosives and narcotics. Along with many years of training detection dogs, Ron has trained hundreds of dogs for police work encompassing all aspects of K9 police work. One of Ron’s many accomplishments was that of Master Trainer. In 1981 Ron was the K-9 Program Director with the Inglewood Police Department and the training director of the Los Angeles Schutzhund Club.
Currently, Ron is the owner/operator of Travel’n ManDogs, a private detection firm established in 1995 with the purpose and objective of providing a service to private business and corporate America. His goal is to augment current security systems to facilitate the ultimate in personal safety and protection. Presently he is a working manager/handler of multiple Explosive Detection Dog teams deployed in the private sector; many of his clients are “Fortune 500” companies.
Ron has bred, raised, and trained in excess of 100 working dogs that have obtained degrees in both sport and police trials. Ron’s years of experience includes multiple breeds, but in recent years he has concentrated on German Shepherds, Labradors and Belgian Malinois for service detection work.
Amy Herot
Amy Herot, CPDT, Founder/Nose Work Instructor
Amy is a professional K9 trainer and handler and brings over a decade of experience to her work. She has certified teams in Narcotics and Explosives and has logged over 1500 instructional hours in detection dog training.As co-founder of K9 Nose Works, and the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW), she has sought to bring that experience to companion dogs and handlers through the development of nose work classes and sport events.She and her partners launched and sponsored the first organized Fun Nose Work competition, a Nose Work Practice Match and the first national K9 Nose Work trial, a titling event, in January 2009.
In the canine sport world Amy has trained dogs for tracking, agility, sheepherding, protection sports, and detection.She has competed nationally and took 1st place, Narcotics Detection, Open Division in the Oxnard Police K9 Inaugural Trial, 2009 and 3rd place in Narcotics Detection at the Gold Coast K9 Working Dog Trials with her Dutch Shepherd, Maya.Her Belgian Malinois, Seven, is a nationally certified explosives detection dog and took 1st place in the Explosives Building Search at the 2009 Ventura County Sheriff's K9 Trial.
Amy holds a Bachelor of Science from NYU and is nationally certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT).Additionally, she is a graduate of the Balu Academy for Dog Trainers and is a John Rogerson associate here in the U.S. Amy is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator and is certified in Pet First Aid and CPR.
Her professional memberships and affiliations include the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), Southern California Dog Trainers’ Forum (SCDTF), Southern California Schutzhund Club, West Los Angeles Obedience Training Club, International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI).Amy gives much volunteer time and expertise to the betterment of shelter dogs. Some of Amy’s other achievements have been the 2007 President's Volunteer Service Award, spcaLA's 2005 Outstanding H.E.A.L. (Helping Enhance Animals Lives) Volunteer and 2006 Volunteer of the Year.
In addition to her working dogs, Amy’s oldest canine companion is her beloved rescue dog, Jesse, a German Shepherd mix and Canine Good Citizen.Amy is owner of the Los Angeles based All Good Dogs, LLC. www.allgooddogs.biz
Jill Marie O'Brien, CPDT-KA, Founder/Nose Work Instructor
Jill Marie has been working with and training dogs since
1987. She has been the Director of Behavior and Training at a major Animal
Welfare Organization in the Southern California area since 1996. During her
tenor there she has overseen the creation and continuing development of
that agency's first Animal Behavior and Training Department in
its 130 plus year history.
Jill Marie's twenty years of dog training
experience includes agility, tracking, AAT, Schutzhund and detection
training along with many hours of K9 Nose Work development and instruction.
Her training philosophy is one of building strong working relationships and
bonds between dogs and their handlers using positive, fun and motivational
techniques. She is a strong advocate of ongoing education and development
of skills. Not only has she attended many educational conferences and courses,
but she has also organized educational events featuring some of the most
sought-after lecturers and behavior experts in the world. She believes
education for the humans is as important as education for the canines. Jill
Marie is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, long time member of the Association of
Pet Dog Trainers and is a facilitator for the Southern California Dog Trainers
Forum.
Jill Marie and her dog Beckett are a nationally
certified Narcotics Detection Team and took 1st place, novice division in the
Oxnard Police K9 Inaugural Trial, 2009. She has been a long-time agility
enthusiast and has competed and trained in agility since 1990. In addition to
her work with Beckett, Jill and her other dogs have earned many training titles
and have competed at the USDAA's Grand Prix of Dog Agility. Jill Marie’s newest
partner is Raven, a Belgian Malinois. Jill Marie shares her life with her son
and wonderful husband for whom she thanks everyday for their patience and
understanding as she continues to build and develop her understanding and skill
working with dogs and their people.
