New Training Insight: The Direct Odor Imprint Method © (DOI)

What if you could teach a new target odor faster, cleaner, and with greater reliability than traditional imprinting methods? 

For more than 25 years, I worked in specialized operational K9 environments where reliability was not optional. Dogs had to learn quickly, perform accurately, and work confidently under real-world conditions. Those experiences led me to develop a training system that challenges many of the traditional assumptions about odor imprinting. Today, that system is known as the Direct Odor Imprint Method (DOI).

DOI is one of the fastest and most reliable methods available for introducing new target odors and building strong detection dogs. Instead of relying on lengthy pairing procedures, complicated training chains, or methods that can create unwanted associations, DOI teaches dogs to focus directly on the target odor from the very beginning. The result is a clear and powerful odor picture that helps dogs learn faster and with greater confidence.

Many traditional imprinting methods require significant amounts of time, repetition, and management. They can also introduce challenges such as overshadowing, proofing issues, competing associations, or unnecessary training complications. DOI was specifically designed to avoid those pitfalls. The method is clean, efficient, and highly practical. Just as importantly, it is easy to understand, easy to teach, and easy to implement within existing training programs. Whether you are working with a green dog or introducing a completely new target odor to an experienced operational dog, DOI provides a clear roadmap for success. 

Thousands of trainers around the world have already begun questioning traditional approaches and exploring more direct ways to build reliable odor recognition. Once they see DOI in action, many immediately understand why dogs learn so quickly and why the results are so robust. If your goal is to build stronger detection dogs, reduce training time, improve reliability, and create a clear odor picture from the very start, it may be time to take a closer look at the Direct Odor Imprint Method. 

This is not simply another imprinting technique. It is the result of 25 years of operational experience, continuous testing, and a relentless search for a better way to train detection dogs. Welcome to the next generation of detection dog training.

This method has already proven itself with police, customs, military and wildlife detection dogs and now we’re ready to share it with a wider community of trainers. Curious how it works and why it’s such a breakthrough? If you want to see a video about the basic steps click on this YouTube link to see the DOI first steps. Or go directly to our DOI online course in English or NL. You can find this in our online shop under products DOI.

ACT! Workshops Return in 2026

In October 2024, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, which required me to temporarily suspend all international K9 activities. Following an intensive treatment and recovery period, I am pleased to announce that ACT! workshops are returning in 2026. 

The good news is that I feel better than ever. My energy is back, my focus is sharper, and I am highly motivated to return to the international K9 community. Over the past months, I have continued developing new ideas, testing innovative training concepts, and working on products designed to help trainers and handlers improve their performance.

In 2026, I look forward to sharing new insights, introducing new products, publishing new educational content, and helping K9 professionals reach the next level in their careers. Whether you are looking for personal coaching, want to attend one of my international workshops, or simply wish to stay informed about the latest developments in detection dog training, I invite you to follow my work. his news section will be regularly updated with workshop dates, new projects, and upcoming events. 

I also encourage you to read my blogs, where I share practical experience, scientific insights, and innovative training approaches to help you stay ahead in the constantly evolving world of K9 detection. I look forward to meeting many of you again during the upcoming workshops and events.

See you in 2026.

TraceOdor, the real game changer in detection 

What if some of the biggest challenges in detection dog training could be recreated in a simple, controlled, and repeatable way? What if you could teach dogs the difference between source odor and residual odor? What if you could create realistic contamination scenarios without contaminating your entire training environment? What if you could challenge experienced detection dogs with odor pictures that closely resemble what they will encounter in the real world?

For more than 25 years, I worked in specialized and covert K9 operations. During that time, I repeatedly encountered the same challenge. The real world is often far more complex than our training environments. Dogs do not always encounter a clean odor source. They encounter trace contamination, transferred odor, residual odor, and complicated scent pictures that require true discrimination skills. That experience started a journey. Over the years, I have been developing and refining a concept that addresses these challenges in a practical and innovative way. A concept designed to bridge the gap between traditional training and operational reality.

That concept is called TraceOdor™.

I am not going to reveal everything just yet. What I can tell you is that TraceOdor™ allows trainers to create training scenarios that were previously difficult, time consuming, or simply impossible to set up. It helps dogs learn to work through complex odor pictures while helping handlers better understand what their dogs are actually communicating.

The first trainers who have seen the concept immediately started discussing applications, possibilities, and training exercises. That is usually a very good sign. Throughout my career, I have always asked myself one simple question:

“How can we prepare our dogs better for the real world?” TraceOdor™ was born from that question.

If you are interested in improving discrimination skills, understanding contamination, creating realistic operational scenarios, or simply want to know why experienced trainers are getting excited about TraceOdor™, send me a message. Sometimes the smallest amount of odor can teach the biggest lesson. Welcome to the future of detection training. Welcome to TraceOdor™.