Workshops

ACT! Workshops, online courses & private training

You can find the ACT! workshops worldwide. For many years I travel around in the Far East such as Malaysia, the Middle East in the vicinity of Dubai, Israel, European countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and in the various states of America and Canada. I enjoy traveling with great pleasure. I meet wonderful people, see a lot of diversity in animal training and I am allowed to teach in different languages and cultures. I also hope to meet you during one of these workshops! Also, I launched our first online courses, ‘The ACT! Scent Wheel Course’ and ‘ The Odor Recognition Test’. And there are more courses to come. I keep updating my workshop information. And of course I keep studing new scientific material. In my workshops its all about skill sets and advanced training methods for dogs and human coaching.

My workshops are all about empowering trainers and using more positive training methods. Of course, we go into the newest insights in training. And yes, we train a lot of detection, hands-on. So we actually train what we just have learned in theory, a mixture of lectures and actual training. But the overall goal is empowerment. My workshops are motivation builders for participants and their dogs. I love to empower both. The technique I’m using for this is FeedForward. I’m not too fond of feedback because it always goes back in time. And we can not change what was happening. Feedback is dangerous, can ruin relationships, and people tend to defend themselves and will have difficulties changing their behavior. FeedForward is focusing on the future. That is the only moment in time that we can influence. We can see significant differences after just a few trials by changing the subtle small details like body language, movement, position, action, timing, reinforcement skill, or handling issues. And I ask and encourage participants to make mistakes! Trial and error, just like our dogs! Because I love mistakes, it’s the way how we learn. Please follow our ‘agenda’ and see where you can meet us. Hopefully, we will meet soon!

ACT! WORKSHOPS ARE FLEXIBLE – INTUITIVE AND CHALLENGING

Select topics for your workshop!

In 2022 you can offer your company, team, club, clients, or friends a particular build ACT! Workshop by adding topics you like us to cover during the workshop. Customize the program in the way you want to fit perfectly into your company! Here are some ideas about the topics we offer. And, of course, we are flexible and open to discussion.

The ACT! workshops will be held over three days. You will be encouraged to step out of your comfort zone during these days. Because then the magic will happen. You will learn more about yourself, learn more about your dog, and will be amazed at how fast you both can grow. These workshops are accessible for all participants with all breeds of dogs on all levels. You are on a novice, advanced or expert level; you are more than welcome. With more than 25 years of operational experience, we make sure you will grow!

Mother Nature & Animal Training
History of Animal Training
Modern Training and Innovations
Training Humans
Training Animals
Detection Training
The ACT! Odor Recognition Test
Training and Consequences
Splitters and Lumpers
Protocol Training
Data Collection and Analysis
Search and Rescue
Selecting Trainers
Training radio directional K9’s
Human coaching

NEW! THE ACT! ONLINE COURSES !

I have tested many different ORTs worldwide and brought all this information together in the ACT! ORT test. This fantastic course will give you a lot of background information! This will absolutely get you to the next level as a trainer. It’s a real confidence builder! Videos and photos support the lessons. And a step-by-step program will help you to follow this new challenge for you & your dog

Working with a scent wheel allows you to gather data and work around the most challenging distractions with your dog. In an objective and scientific approach, this course helps you understand all the details about scent wheel training. You can use any scent wheel during this course. And if you don’t have a scent wheel, you can build your own with our manual that you will find in this course!

The ACT! CATO - workshops

Platform training is the way to playfully teach your dog and positively reinforcing basic behaviors such as SIT, AWAY, STAY and HERE. This form of training is an essential part of the training of marine mammals, zoos, birds and other animal species. These ‘stationaries’ provide your dog with calmness, information on what to do and clear criteria. An ideal form of communication from which the basics are learned or a new exercise starts. In addition, this platform training is ideally suited to teach trainers and handlers new skills regarding timing, way of rewarding, observing behavior and body language. Now at ACT! a specially tailor-made training where you learn everything about platform training. Not only in theory, but also in practice. You can register on Saturdays and Sundays from August. The day consists of theory, learning principles such as classical and operant conditioning, Clever Hans, Premack and much more. Choosing the right rewards, way of rewarding. Communication through bridge signals. Positioning and body language. Working with protocols and collecting data. And a delicious lunch at a unique location. And of course many exercises with your own dog and the platforms. From our own experience we work today with the perfect CATO boards. These are provided by ACT! specially imported from USA to Europe and are in stock in almost all colors. Register now and receive a 10% discount on the purchase of your own CATO board. Join my workshops in the Netherlands or lets organize this in your place!

The ACT! Odor Recognition Test

We are happy to inform you that we will introduce the double-blind ACT! Odor Recognition Test (ORT) during our workshops, starting in 2022. An excellent test, specially designed for detection! There are many types of ORT all over the world. In this way, K9 teams are tested if they are ready for basic operations. These tests are challenging for you and your dog. The ORT will give you an objective view of your level of training.

Now ACT! is bringing this all together and making it accessible for you! During our ACT! ORT, you can test the detection skills of you and your dog. And you will become a part of the worldwide ACT! ORT community. Bring your dog(s) and the selected target odor(s) to our workshops. All participants start at level 3 and eventually will be able to reach the ACT! ORT level 1 GOLD!

Are you ready to become a member in the ACT! ORT community?

Level 3 ACT! Bronze – Level 2 ACT! Silver – Level 1 ACT! Gold

Odor recognition tests (ORT) can be held in many shapes and forms and used in police, military, customs, and nosework environments. The only way to test if you are ready for operations or competitions is by doing these objective and science-based ORT’s! You can find our specially designed ORT training kits in our webshop!

THE ACT! MASTERCLASS

De ACT! Masterclass Detection training

As an animal trainer it is not always easy to be able or dare to choose your own path. So many opinions, different methodologies, assumptions and beliefs. But what is best for your dog, for your club, your security or K9 detection company? How can you treat your colleagues and your customers even better? The ACT! Masterclass focuses on you as a person in the role of trainer, instructor or enthusiastic fanatic dog lover.

The ACT! Masterclass is fascinating, dynamic and inspiring. With information about animal training in general, with specific explanations about different methodologies and science, the focus on detection training. A lot of attention and information about coaching people, because that is exactly what the instructor stands for! How do you deal with difficult students? Are there any difficult students at all? After which we continue with the training process. How do you write your protocols, how do you collect data? And how do you bring fun and motivation into your training, to your students and to your dogs? What are the latest techniques? What do the most modern scent wheels and scent imprint devices look like? All tangible present, including receipt of the ACT! Masterclass workbook! But the most important message in this Masterclass is believe in yourself! Became curious? You as an instructor, teacher, dog detection professional or super driven hobbyist can also participate in this unique Masterclass.

Private training - customized

New in 2022 is our customized program. Now you can contact us for specific help, or rather customization for you and your dog. We start with an extensive intake conversation of one and a half hours. Together we will look for answers to the questions you have. We view and test your dog. After which we design a specific tailor-made program for you and your dog so that you can grow to the next level together.

In addition, we have access to the most modern imprint devices when it comes to detection and odor recognition, feeder systems, scent wheels, targets and other innovative training devices. We use the beautiful forests in the Veluwe for our extensive search programs. We solve your problem. We help you reach your next level. For more information, without any obligation, click on the link below the photo and fill in the contact form. Answer within 24 hours!