Clermont County Dog Training Club proudly presents:

Ashley Wendler

Understanding your dog’s communication

March 7 & 8, 2026

(Saturday and Sunday)

6058 Kells Lane, Milford, OH 45150

Contact Edith Markoff at emarkoff01@gmail.com with any questions.

 

CCDTC is hosting Ashley Wendler for an “Understanding your dog’s communication” workshop. Ashley’s training plan is directly modified from her years of training professional detection dogs and teams as well as sport dogs.

 

Ashley was in the United States Air Force for 8.5 years and this is where she found her love for training and handling dogs. Her career started as a military police officer in 2010 and she was deployed to Iraq in 2011. At that time she first came in contact with military working dogs and their handlers. She watched handlers and their dogs go on patrols to help protect their fellow soldiers. By observing the bond between dog and handler and by experiencing the importance of that interaction Ashley knew this was the job for her! When Ashley returned from deployment to Ramstein Air Base in Germany she immediately began her journey to embark on the dog handling career. In 2013 Ashley attended Military Working Dog Handlers course at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Upon graduation in May of 2013, she returned to Ramstein where she picked up her first dog Nira, a 2 year old German shepherd right out of K9 Training School. By August of 2013 Ashley and Nira attended deployment training, and in September they were deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After returning from Kuwait Ashley then moved to Florida where she worked her second and third partners. While stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, Ashley was afforded the great opportunity to attend the Kennel Master/Trainer Course where she became certified to teach and lead k9/handler teams under her command. In July of 2016, Ashley found herself in Ohio where she continued her career as a Military Working Dog Handler with her fourth and final dog before taking over the role as kennel trainer. She helped prepare and advance K9/handler teams for daily missions and deployments. Ashley got out of the military in July of 2018 where she continued her dog training career at Train Your Pup, a pet dog training business. She started the companies nosework program and does private training and group training classes for everything from basic obedience to behavioral problems.

 

For this weekend’s workshop, the name of the game is nosework but that doesn’t mean you only have to rely on your dog’s nose. Handler’s should be able to read their dog and understand what their dog is trying to communicate with them. In this workshop we will be focusing on just that! Change of behavior is the most important part of calling an alert. You will only have a change of behavior when odor is present. If you can read that, you are more likely to get a yes when you call alert.

 

Day one we will work on improving our ability to read our dogs. We will talk about how we can communicate with our dog and how our dog communicates with us.

Day two will be building from day one with more intense odor problems and hide placements. The goal of day two will be to understand exactly what our dog is trying to tell us when they are working out converging odor problems or inaccessible odor problems.

 

Ashley will be working with 12 teams. We are gearing the working spots toward dogs that have succeeded with ORT, Novice levels, or above to qualify for a working spot. Auditor spots will be limited, and the quantity will be determined once working spots have been confirmed.

Registration Begins: January 10, 2026

 

Working Spots

A handler may only work one dog in a Working Spot

 

Dogs need to have successfully completed their ORT, or AKC Novice levels, or CPE Level 1. If you compete in any venue, please indicate on your registration what successes you have had in any of the venues. If you do not compete, please describe on your registration what training you have been involved with and for how long.

 

Dogs will be crated in the same room as the workshop. Working dogs should be comfortable (& non-disruptive) in a crate while waiting their turn. The workshop will be help in a climate controlled building. If a dog cannot be crates, the handler should expect to work out or their vehicle and stage away from the search areas. This means that you might not be able to watch the other working teams. Please consider this when deciding whether to apply for a working spot. Also, some searches may be outside so please dress accordingly.

 

Registering for a Working Spot does not guarantee acceptance. In the event of cancellations, preference for Working Spots will be given to those on the waiting list and then to those registered for auditing spots.

 

Auditing Spots

In order to allow for maximum working time for the working dogs, auditors need to hold their individual questions until breaks or lunch.

What to bring

For everyone – portable chair and note taking supplies

For working dogs – a crate, tarp to be placed under the crate, water bowl for your dog, lots of rewards/treats, and dog clean up supplies. These items can be left in the building overnight. If you do not have a crate, you may be able to use one of the CCDTC crates. We also have metal folding chairs, but they are not very comfortable for an all day workshop.

Lunch is not provided, but there are places to purchase food within a 10-minute drive. We have a refrigerator and microwave that you are welcome to use to store and/or heat up your food.

 

Registration/Other details

CCDTC Members:

2-Day Working Spots – CCDTC member: $300

2-day Auditing Spots – CCDTC member: $100

Non-Members

2-Day Working Spots: $350

2-Day Auditing Spots: $150

 

There will be NO personal video/audiotaping of the presentation portion of the Workshop. You may take personal video of your own dog working.

If you are interested in a Working Spot, you will need to supply the requested information on the registration page.

If you are interested in an Auditing Spot, no pre-approval is necessary. Please fill out the Registration Form and mail it with your payment, following the instructions on the registration page. Auditing Spots will be limited and the number will be determined once the Working Spots are confirmed.

PayPal (click)

note - you must submit this form AND Paypal form to be registered

-or- 

Check

payable to CCDTC

Checks will not be cashed until February 21, 2026

Mail your payment to:

CCDTC c/o Edith Markoff

1485 Fagins Run Road

New Richmond, OH 45157

Questions: emarkoff01@gmail.com

 

CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY:
Full refund minus $25 administrative fee for cancellations before 5pm February 21, 2026. Full refund minus $25 administrative fee for cancellations after February 21, 2026 only if we can fill your spot from the waiting list.

In consideration of the premises and of the opportunity to attend this event hosted by CCDTC, the owner / trainee agrees to hold CCDTC, its officers, directors, members, agents and employees and each of them harmless from any and all claims arising out of or in any way connected directly or indirectly with or caused by:  any biting or other action by or on the part of any dog owned by or under the control of the owner / trainee, his agents, or employees while such dog is on the premises or grounds owned or leased by or under control of hereby releases and agree to hold harmless the Clermont County Dog Training Club Inc., its instructors, trustees and officers from any personal injury or damage or injury to any dog owned by me, including any liability, cost or expenses associated with the foregoing, arising-out-of, or during training classes sponsored by CCDTC, inc. 

 

In Addition, I understand that it is my responsibility as an entrant to keep my dog(s) under control at all times before, during, and after the seminar and to refrain from the use of harsh or abusive training methods at any CCDTC Inc. activity.  Failure to comply with the above may result in forfeiture of monies paid. 

note - you must submit this form AND Paypal form to be registered