The Dog's Hunting Instinct: How to Work with It, Instead of Against It

Hundens jagtinstinkt: Sådan arbejder du med det, i stedet for imod det

Online masterclass with "Predation Substitution Instructor" Tanya Timann Spedtsberg from OptiHund

Date and time: Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 6:30 PM

About this masterclass:

Hunting behavior is a source of frustration and concern for many who live with dogs with a pronounced hunting instinct.

This may mean that you have seen your dog disappear from sight after a wild animal, have difficulty getting the dog's attention in the environment and eventually never dare to let the dog loose.

Furthermore, it can often damage the relationship between dog and human, because both parties experience frustration with the situation and the other party.

However, it doesn't have to be that way!

Most conventional training protocols are purely management-based or approach training from a punishment-based perspective. In addition to damaging the relationship and the dog's overall well-being, the methods often prove insufficient to achieve the desired results.

Predation Substitute Training (PST) is a new way to train with your dog's instinctive behavior instead of against it!

Watch as Tanya explains the complexities of hunting behavior, enlightening us on “why” and “how” we should tackle the dog's hunting instinct with positive reinforcement.

About the expert - Tanya Timann Spedtsberg:

Tanya Timann Spedtsberg is the owner of OptiHund, where she advises and teaches students with family dogs and offers body treatments.

Tanya has a master's degree in Animal Science from the University of Copenhagen, in addition to being a trained instructor, NW instructor, Predation Substitution instructor, dog masseur and cranio-sacral therapist for dogs.

Tanya's approach to dogs is holistic and with the belief that dogs should be considered as complex beings that we must be motivated to understand in order to achieve the best relationship. This is the starting point of all dog training and body treatment at OptiHund.

In addition to OptiHund, Tanya is co-owner of the Dog Welfare Center, which among other things runs the webshop Klik & Beløn.

You can read more about Tanya's work on her website: www.optihund.dk

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