K9 Bondz is excited to host Michael McManus for a Trial Recovery Workshop.  Michael is highly respected within the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) community.  In this workshop Michael will use his knowledge and experience as a Certified Nose Work Instructor, NACSW Certifying Official, and NACSW Judge to teach us post-trial exercises to undo some of the damage we do to our dogs’ training during trials. 

The unknown nature of trials and the way we handle – and need to handle – to be successful at trials is often at odds with many of the golden rules of training.  We may not allow our dog to finish sourcing before calling alert, we don’t always reward at source, we second guess alerts, we may pull our dog off odor, we often   unintentionally interfere with our dog’s searches, we may not give our dog the opportunity to effectively work thresholds, etc.  But we can take steps to repair this damage with the training we do right after trials.  Michael will show us how in this fantastic Workshop!

When:  Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Location:  K9 Bondz LLC, 15510 Montanus Dr., Suite B, Culpeper, VA

Hours:  8:30am - registration, 9:00am – 4:30pm workshop (with a break for lunch) 

Cost:     Working Spot:  $250       Auditor Spot:  $75

Working Spots: 

There will be 10 working spots.  Each handler is limited to 1 working dog.  All working dogs must be trialing at the NW1/Novice level or above.  Two of the working spots are reserved for the workshop hosts/facilitators’ dogs.  The remaining 8 working spots will be filled by random draw.  The random draw will be made on October 15 or when all the spots are filled, whichever is sooner.  A waitlist will be maintained for individuals who do not make the random draw.  In the event of a working spot cancellation, individuals on the waitlist will be offered a spot in order of the random draw ranking. 

Auditor Spots:

There will be 5 auditor spots available.  They will be filled in the order of signup.  Due to space limitations, auditors may not bring their dogs into the K9 Bondz building. 

Payment:  

Emails will be sent to individuals’ who are given a working or auditor spot.  Payment instructions will be in the email. All payments must be completed   by the date specified in the email in order to secure your spot. 

Cancellation Refund Policy: 

For cancellation of entries:

  - On or before October 20, 2025 – Full refund minus $25          administrative fee.

 - October 21 – 25, 2025: Full refund minus $25 administrative fee, if spot is filled.

 - On or after October 26: 50% refund, if spot is filled.

Crating: 

Indoor crating will be available for working dogs.  While dogs are in the building they must remain in their crates when not working.  Dogs must be able to crate QUIETLY (no extended barking or whining) while away from handler or you will need to crate out of your car.

What to Bring:

Treats and/or toys and water for your dog.  Snacks will be provided for humans, but participants are responsible for their own lunch and beverages. 

Videoing/Audiotaping: 

No personal video/audiotaping of the educational portion of the workshop. You may take personal video of your own dog working. If you wish to do this, you may not post the video on any social media without Michael’s permission.

Jean Owen, Performance Coach

If you want your team to feel confident, connected, and ready to shine, Jean’s workshops make training clear, effective, and fun for both ends of the leash.

Jean Owen brings decades of hands-on experience in dog training, behavior, and performance to every workshop she leads. A nationally ranked competitor in obedience and agility since 1999, Jean has earned 4 OTCHs and 14 MACHs of her own and has coached her students to more than 40 MACH titles. She is known for her ability to troubleshoot, fine-tune, and bring out the best in both dog and handler, combining precision, strategy, and heart.

Jean has been invited to speak at APDT conferences in Atlanta, Ellenville, and Portland and has traveled nationwide helping teams polish their performance and rediscover their joy in obedience and agility. Her workshops focus on clarity, confidence, and connection, making even the most challenging skills feel achievable and fun. Jean’s calm, intuitive teaching style blends technical skill with practical application, creating lightbulb moments for both ends of the leash.

Her commitment to dogs goes far beyond the competition ring. With her therapy dogs Piper and GG, she volunteered daily at the WTC Family Crisis Center from September 2001 through January 2002. She also served as president and training consultant for a 400-member off-leash dog park in lower Manhattan for fourteen years.

Jean and her dogs have been seen on The David Letterman Show, The Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, Animal Planet (multiple shows), Good Morning America, The Today Show, Good Day NY, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Regis and Kathy Lee as well as many other news programs.  She has also been published in over 100 dog agility related articles.  From 1980-1983  Jean was the director of a private animal shelter in upstate NY.  During that time, she honed her skills in working with fearful and difficult dogs and to this day she attributes running that shelter to her ability to attain remarkable results in the competitive dog sports world.

Enjoy a little clip of Smartie Pantz - https://youtu.be/qlc0SK4K7Kk?si=vbZ1_zlZVYQyXfnO

Use this link to download the Workshop description 

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Use this link to download the Workshop description 

👉  upping your game in obed workshop.docx   

Upping Your Game and Your Score: Putting the Fun Back into Obedience Learn how to energize your training, boost scores, and rediscover joy in the ring.