In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Ann McGloon from Seeking Scent about precision tracking and using hide placement to get the most learning application for your dogs.

Science Highlight: Wildlife detection dog training: A case study on achieving generalization between target odor variations while retaining specificity

All dogs know how to sniff. Do they all know how to problem-solve?

• A lot of dogs, especially pet dogs, have forgotten how to use their nose and their olfactory abilities
• Depends on the dog, but sometimes they need to be encouraged to problem solve.

What concepts can we teach our detection dogs by using hide placement? Why would we want to use placement to teach these skills?

• Olfaction isn’t the only cue dogs are using to solve the problem.
• Location, location, location.
• Train the environment they are going to be searching. This will help create more efficient searches because you are giving them exposure to what they are going to be experiencing on the field.

Patreon Questions:

Janna: How do we incorporate handler movement and hide placement for training? Especially with the goal of accurate but effectively progressing through searches in wilderness?

Megan: How do you teach the dog to differentiate between visual aids and odor? For instance, I came across a company selling scent work hides, but they're in fun shapes and bright colors, which may make the hide more noticeable. If you use things like that in training, how do you guarantee that the dog is searching for the odor and not searching for the hide itself?

Megan: Odor contamination is a big issue in the competition scent work world. Is this a concern in conservation detection? Can odor contamination in the search environment be used to teach the dog to differentiate between residual odor and the actual source of odor?

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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En nuestro tercero episodio del microserie español, Daniel y Kayla hablan de como uno se puede aprender trabajar con perros detectores de conservación. Hablan sobre el educación formal, los cursos disponible, como encontrar internos, y un poco sobre socios. Gracias a Daniel Castillo y Camilo Sierra.

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Esther Matthews and Samantha Mynhardt about dogs detecting golden moles.

Science Highlight: None

Links Mentioned in the Episode:  

Where to find Esther & Samantha: Website | Instagram | Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Kate Graham from Katalyst Kennels about breeding detection dogs.

Science Highlight: Effects of maternal investment, temperament, and cognition on guide dog success

What health testing is important in the field?

• Pay attention to health conditions in the breed, like orthopedics (OFA hips and elbows), echocardiograms, and eyes
• Look at the breadth of pedigree, not just the dog itself
• General genetic testing to find carriers

What about successful sporting dogs with less-solid pedigrees?

• Looking for dogs that work independently, highly motivated, and handler resilient in terms of performance
• Then see if the health related issues can be bred with a complimentary pedigree
• Behavioral issues are not worth the risk
• Sometimes this won’t be successful, but other times it will be

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Where to find Kate Graham:  Website | Instagram | Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Jo Lock of Nose No Limit and Conservation Dogs Collective regarding her paper about using antecedent arrangement to help reduce bat fatalities on wind farms.

Science Highlight: The relationship between number of training sessions per week and learning in dogs

**Link the Jo Lock paper

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Where to find Jo Lock:  Website | Instagram | Facebook | Conservation Dogs Collective

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this bonus episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Mary Wykstra from Carnivores, Livelihoods and Landscapes, about the work they are doing with Actions for Cheetahs in Kenya. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Where to find Mary Wykstra: Website | Facebook | Vaccination Facebook Page | Go Fund Me You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists. K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Lindsay Ware of Science Dogs of New England about breed selection for unique uses, big game tracking, and more!

Science Highlight: Effects of learning an increasing number of odors on olfactory learning, memory and generalization in detection dogs

• Different dogs place different priorities that we really have to be on top of

How do you start training a dog for tracking?

• Similar to the conservation world with hides, but instead they are mock trails using animal blood or animal hooves
• The goal is to not be 100% realistic, but to be able to gradually increase the difficulty
• Train alongside an experienced dog

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Last Track: Trailer - YouTube

United Blood Trackers

Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer

Where to find Lindsay Ware:  Website | Instagram | Facebook | Tracking Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Isabelle Groc about her book Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment.

Science Highlight: Performance of detection dogs and visual searches for scat detection and discrimination amongst related species with identical diets

Have you read Conservation Canines: How Dogs Help the Environment yet? Isabelle Groc put together this lovely book to highlight many of the working dogs around the world, from conservation detection dogs to livestock guardian dogs. I had a blast learning about her book-writing process. If you don't have the book yet, order it! It's gorgeous and a great read.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Isabelle Groc Book list

Where to find Isabelle Groc: Website

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla hosts a panel of conservationists, dog behavior consultants and trainers, and ecologists. Our panel guests this episode are Dr. Charles van Rees, Ken Ramirez, Ursa Acree, Kim Brophy, Laura Holder, and Dr. Erim Gomez.

Questions asked:

1. What kinds of applications are currently practiced in conservation dogs work that might surprise those of us who don’t know about them?
2. What are your top 2 or 3 professional ethics you feel are the most important in the work you do with animals (including humans)?
3. What are the top things that you most wish your ecologist colleagues knew about dogs and dog training, that would make your collaborations easier or more productive?
4. Where do you see this profession going in the future?
5. Do you see an opportunity for pet dogs to become involved in conservation work on a large scale as a way to “give dogs jobs”?
6. From your current knowledge of the “working dog world,” where do you see the biggest opportunities to provide these incredible creatures with a healthier body, mind, and life?
7. How can dogs be involved in the growing ecology world?
8. What advice would you give to yourself 10 years ago? Where do you see yourself in your career 10 years from now?

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Detection dogs in nature conservation: A database on their world-wide deployment with a review on breeds used and their performance compared to other methods

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Paul Bunker about all clear procedures.

Science Highlight: An assessment of the effects of habitat structure on the scat finding performance of a wildlife detection dog

What is an all-clear response?

• The dog’s formal response to let the handler know there is no odor to alert to

What is a go-no-go response?

• The dog’s NON-formal response to let the handler know there is no odor to alert to

What’s a situation we may want to teach this for?

• Odor recognition tests
• Teaching them that they can still get rewarded for no odor, which reduces stress
• Good to check for contamination
• Teaches them to be confident in leaving a search area with no target present knowing they will still be rewarded

What components make for a successful all clear?

• Ensure it is maintained and refreshed
• Prepare your training session in advance. Progression plans are extremely important.
• Variable reinforcement with your dog’s reward hierarchy
• The dog must 100% understand target before learning all clear
• Don’t use jackpot rewards for an all clear

What other options do we have for reducing stress and reducing false responses (go-no-go)?

• Teach odor separately from systems of searching so they are not codependent
• Train blank sessions
• Train longer sessions (within the abilities of your dog) so that it is similar to long working days
• Develop independence early

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Where to find Paul Bunker:  Website | Instagram | Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with James Davis about his work with Padfoot

Science Highlight: Detecting Small and Cryptic Animals By Combining Thermography and a Wildlife Detection Dog

What is some advice for someone hoping to jump into the industry?

• Be realistic about your expectations
• Don’t rely on this line of work to hold a steady income or to sustain you financially

How do you keep your dogs safe in the field?

• Use snake avoidance training - teach the dog to avoid snakes by rewarding the behavior of them stepping away from the snake

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Paul Bunker Book
• Cadaver Dog Handbook

Where to find James Davis: Website | Facebook | Instagram

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Sarah Stremming and Erin Jones regarding what we owe our working dogs, and what they owe us.

Science Highlight: Buzzing with possibilities: Training and olfactory generalization in conservation detection dogs for an endangered stonefly species

Where to find Sarah Stremming: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Podcast | TikTok

Where to find Erin Jones: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Charles speak with Kyoko Johnson about her work at Conservation Dogs Hawaii.

What are some threats that Hawaii is facing?

• Hawaii is in the middle of the pacific ocean. One of the major principles of conservation is island biology, which is how species and organisms are not able to easily get there from other places
• It cannot be “fixed” by just allowing other species to arrive, as they would be considered invasive species and the island is much more sensitive to those

Is there anything unique about Hawaii’s wetlands?

• There are some unique wetlands due to orographic rainfall from the volcanic activity
• Because there is a lot of water and a lot of sun, it’s so quick for invasive plants to take over
• 80% of the coastal wetlands were lost due to development

Why are invasive species so dangerous to Hawaii?

• The island struggles more than other places with invasive species
• On the plus side, it can be easier to square off invasive species and make safe zones

Where to find Charles: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Nature Guys

Where to find Kyoko: Website | Instagram | Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Crystal Wing from Training Director for Evolution Working Dog Club and the K9 Detection Collaborative about play, pivoting, and positivity.

Science Highlight: The feasibility of using scent detection dogs to locate bat hibernacula

Links Mentioned in the Episode:  

Thousand Hour Eyes

Simon Mueller Episode

Where to find Crystal: Linktree

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks to Jennifer Hartman and Heath Smith from Rogue Detection Teams about working with behaviorally “challenging” dogs for conservation dog work.

Episode suggestion:  Pay attention to your bedtime routine.

Call to action: Go for a walk somewhere new.

• Once dogs are able to work at a job, a lot of the behavior problems melt away.
• Making sure their needs are met can change the behavior.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

None

Where to find Rogue Detection Teams:  Website |  Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks about mistakes, failure, and errors.

This week’s science highlight: You Are Not My Handler! Impact of Changing Handlers on Dogs’ Behaviours and Detection Performance.

• Everything is just data; it’s just information
  • Now we have all sorts of interesting questions to dig into - was it search conditions? Target odor? Study design? Time of year? Training sample quality? Dog-project fit? Criteria? Splitting? Timing? Stress or exhaustion? Handler interference?
• While applied behavior analysis isn’t always the answer to all training issues, it’s a great place to start.
• Remember the ABCs of applied behavior analysis: antecedent, behavior, consequence. If you’re seeing behavior in your dog that you consider an error, there’s likely an antecedent or a consequence that’s cueing or reinforcing the behavior somehow.
• There are so many ways to frame the concept of failure, errors, mistakes. As much as possible, strive to set your dogs up in training for low-frustration-learning. Rather than teaching my dogs to deal with failure, build up their resilience, enthusiasm, endurance, and problem-solving skills consciously through training.
• When you select ultra-high-drive dogs for a job, frustration is never far away. These dogs are desperate for their reinforcer, and that can be problematic by creating aggressive behaviors towards the target or handler, difficulties in toy play, off-target alerts, and more. Clean training is SO important.
• Of course we can’t completely cut frustration and errors from real life: but our training plans don’t intentionally introduce adversity. Instead they focus on building the dog’s skills so the dog has the tools and the confidence to deal with long, hard, difficult searches.
• In training, sometimes the dog doesn’t find the target. Video is really helpful with this, but the next question is whether or not the dog actually caught the odor at all. In other words, is the problem that the dog completely missed the odor, or that the dog couldn’t source the odor completely?
• Challenging searches often scare people because they’re worried about failure. Blind searches, blank searches, or long searches can make handlers’ palms sweat. That’s ok! Getting used to a search that’s more like an “operational” search is an imperative part of training and field prep. While we never want to demotivate the dog or the handler, embrace challenge in a safe and progressive way.
• Most of these minor mistakes can be addressed through teaching the dog specific cues to help direct them in the field and returning to foundational search skills.
• Safety is always the first concern. Whether it’s a dog investigating a snake, a handler getting lost, or a predator getting too close for comfort, now is not the time to think about training. Act to keep or get you and your dog safe. If you’re really stressed out, angry, afraid, or otherwise really shaken, take a break from surveying or even consider ending the survey early.

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back for part two with Kyoko Johnson from Conservation Dog Hawaii and Jennifer Hartman from Rogue Detection Teams to continue their talk about things to know before hiring a conservation detection dog team.

This week’s science highlight: How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys.

Covered in this episode:

• What hazards might the dog-handler team be facing in the field? How can these be mitigated or avoided? What levels or types of risk are unacceptable?
• How does the use of CDDs compare to other methods in its level of acceptability to the local community, esp. Indigenous cultures?
• Where are samples going to be sent/analyzed?
• What ancillary data, in addition to detections, should be collected by the handler (e.g., time, weather conditions, related field samples of vegetation or soil)?
• Can the dog teams access the study area to train and/or do risk assessments prior to project start?
• Is there funding secured for the project?
• Are the teams you're hiring experienced enough for this job?
• Consider cross-training dogs on multiple target species
• What is the timeline for this project?
• Have you found the dog team that's the best match for your project?
• Do you need input from the team on project design?
• Have you considered weather/ terrain/ climate/ schedule through the lens of a dog team?
• Will the dog teams work alone or accompanied by a researcher?
• Are dog teams the right choice for your project goals?

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In October 2020, Kayla and Barley flew to Maine to compete in a dog human survival challenge now published on National Geographic and Disney+. The show is called Called to the Wild and depicts dog human teams competing to thrive in the wilderness. In this episode Kayla talks about her experience on the show and tells you where to find the show online.

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks with Kyoko Johnson from Conservation Dog Hawaii and Jennifer Hartman from Rogue Detection Teams about things to know before hiring a conservation detection dog team.

What are some things scientists should consider before hiring a conservation detection dog team?

• Lower density finds are easier for dogs
• Dogs are often used near the end of a project vs the beginning or brought in to target a more specific area
• It is important they have their question ready and prepared in order to figure out if dogs will be useful to the project or not
• Conservation detection teams are understaffed, so sometimes it’s best to consider other options that are more feasible

Pros of detection dogs?

• They can be used in tandem with other methods, which can be very successful
• Detection dogs are non-invasive
• They are not biased
• Dogs can narrow down species easier

How to know if the dog will be able to successfully collect data?

• It’s not possible to guarantee that it will work
• Known target types in which dogs have been successfully used in other projects
• Go with an experienced team to ensure best accuracy if it is something new

What is the importance of training samples beforehand?

• Reliable training samples is important for the dog to be able to detect for your project
• It is important to have a sample from the location you are working in
• Variety in samples is important (sexes, different individuals, etc.)
• The fresher the sample the better, but sometimes it's not possible
• It is important to note samples will always differ from live odors when on the job

Why is it important to let teams know about past difficulties with projects?

• Some previous difficulties may not be relevant to a dog’s work, but it is good to know to ensure that the teams are able to help with the project

Why are realistic timelines so important for researchers to understand?

• It takes time to train a dog on a new odor
• Projects may have various limitations
• There are travel considerations - vaccines, etc.

Why do some scientists think detection dogs dont work?

• Study design may limit teams
• Expecting the method to perform the same way other methods do
• Patience is needed as it takes time to get the dogs ready on a scent
• Limited funding for teams

What are the risks of the dogs being invasive?

• The standards the dogs have when working are high
• Dogs could not do their job if they were a risk for chasing wildlife

What are some preventative measures to take for both the dogs health and the wildlife’s health?

• Vaccinations
• Ensuring your dogs have everything they need - fresh water, proper food, etc.
• Daily checks to ensure they are healthy
• Be prepared to stop work if they are sick or injured

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks to Stacy Barnett about fringe alerts in detection dogs.

What is fringing?

• When a dog alerts to odor outside of the preferred range of where the indication should be, aka too far away
• The final response begins where sourcing ends, so with fringing, the sourcing ends prematurely, making the alert farther away from the scent than is preferred

Why does it happen?

• The behavior chain of sourcing and alerting is off balance
  • Over-enthusiastic for the search
  • Over emphasising the alert/not enough emphasis on sourcing the odor
• Different kind of setting with work/trial vs training
  • For a trial or working a job, you are under different stressors and you aren’t able to control the environment and set up
  • When under pressure, your behavior may be different which can be difficult for your dog to work with
• Differentiation of odor concentration
  • If working in a situation with different odor concentrations, they may start to conclude a certain concentration of odor and start alerting to only that strength of scent
• It may be too easy or too hard
• Genetics is a big deal, but training is a bigger deal

What are ways we can fix it?

• More balanced training sessions - both sourcing and alerting
• “Show me” cue
• Ignoring fringe alerts and encouraging them to keep working/”keep going” cue
• Working to get the “show me” cue or the “keep going” cue out of the behavior chain

What are the downfalls of the “show me” cue?

• Can cause your dog to rely on the handler to source
• Can become a prompted cue to alert
• It is important to make sure it doesn’t become part of the behavior chain

How do we build sourcing into our training?

• Set up for success
  • Smaller and shorter puzzles easy for them to source
  • More complicated puzzles to get them back into the sourcing mindset
• Increase the challenge level for the dogs skill level to keep the flow going
  • Too easy may be boring, too challenging may be too frustrating
• Hide placement is important in training sessions
  • The training doesn't come from the human, the training comes from the hide

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Sourcing Odor with Stacy Barrett
• Signal Detection Theory with Dr. Simon Gadbois

Where to find Stacy Barrett:  Website | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks to Dr. Merlin Tuttle about bats and wind farms. Episode suggestion: Come to conversations ready to learn and ready to be curious. Call to action: Research your utility company and ask about green energy options in your area. More than 3 million bats a year are being killed by wind farms, none of which are labelled as endangered What can listeners do to get more involved? Be more knowledgeable about who you support. Ask them questions! Reduce the power you use! “Why run animals to environmental irrelevance before doing anything?” Links Mentioned in the Episode: Win Friends Not Battles Female bats harmed disproprotionately by turbines Where to find Dr. Tuttle:  Video Library | Photo Library | Website  You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists. K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks to Dr. Erim Gomez. They nerd out about amphibians, diversity, and academia!

Episode suggestion: Try something new, even if it’s small!

Call to action: Update your amazon smile to benefit K9 Conservationist!

How could dogs help with amphibian research?

• Humans can’t see as well as dogs can smell, so dogs would be more accurate
• Dogs would also be able to help pinpoint the location in a safer way, vs humans having to dig around to find one

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Spadefoot Toad
Roguefungus

Where to find Erim: Instagram | Twitter

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks about her experience and advice on how to “make it” as a K9 Conservationists handler.

Call to action: Join us on Patreon or make a monthly donation.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Lonely Conservationists Essay

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Charles speak with Nate Marshall. They talk about bats, wind farms, and why you should care about the conservation of bats! 

Episode suggestion: Win friends, not battles. 

Call to action: Build a bat box. 

What should we like about bats? 

• They are around everywhere in multiple types of ecosystems 
• They eat insects, fruits, fish, crustaceans, and blood 
• The variation and diversity in bats is truly astonishing 
• 1 in 5 mammals in the world is a species of bat 

How many different species? 

There are over 1400 species, the number still increasing due to discoveries

Are they nocturnal? 

• Not all species are! Some are, others are day-dwelling
•  Same with echolocation; not all of them do it 

What do they eat?

•  Mosquitos and other mosquito sized insects, which helps our ecosystem 
• They also eat other pests, like moths 
• Fruit; they help disperse seeds 
• Nectar; they help pollinate 
• Blood; only 3 species consume blood 
• Fish 

Bats and Wind Farms 

• While wind farms are good for pollution, they are decimating migratory species, such as bats 
• Some farms are trying ways to get bats to avoid the area, or to shut down during peak migration periods 
• Various farms are working on new mitigation techniques that work better 

What other threats do bats face?

•  White nose syndrome, which is a fungal infection that wakes hibernating bats 
• They are hunted in some places for meat 
• General misinformation and fear 

What can we do to help?

•  Bat boxes. However, they aren’t a long term solution
•  It is important to follow the research when building and placing a bat box 
• Plant trees 
• Less pesticides the better 
• Grow a garden 
• Keep water clean 
• Artificial lighting can be detrimental to bats 
• Find a local bat working group 
• Bat walks

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Nils Pederson from Wind River Bear Institute about wildlife canines used for bear deterrence.

Science Highlight: Effectiveness of scat-detection dogs in determining species presence in a tropical savanna landscape

Links Mentioned in the Episode:  

Where to find Nils: Website | Facebook | Instagram

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla introduces Dr. Charles van Rees. Charles has been on the show before, but will now make a more regular appearance as K9 Conservationists new Conservation Correspondent.

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks to Laura Holder of Conservation Dogs Collective. They chat all about puppies! 

Episode suggestion: Stay curious by being more “dog”! For 90 seconds a day, find joy in little things and slow down! 

Call to action: Update your Amazon Smile to benefit K9 Conservationists.

What are the pros and cons of getting a conservation dog as a puppy? 

Pros: Having a dog from a puppy gives you more control over their learning and getting them started on detection-related development early 

Cons: It is a huge time and monetary investment. There is also no guarantee they will end up working as a conversation dog. 

What are you looking for when looking for a breeder?

 It is a good idea to interview breeders Look for physical health, how the dogs are kept, titles, bred for related work (service work, police dogs, hunting, etc.) 

How to pick a puppy from a litter?

 If the breeder doesn’t pick for you, it would be best to see some video of the litters, see if the breeder knows about Puppy Culture, etc. You can do an obstacle course, puzzles, etc. If your breeder is selecting, ensure they know what they are looking for. Be cautious about shelter puppies, as there are so many perks to working with a reputable breeder 

What are some games would you play with puppies to get them started on the conservation detection line of work? 

Basic puppy socialization is important! Sprinkle in a little bit of nosework such as food scatters and snuffle mats! Keep things easy to start, they are just puppies! 

What about games for a pre-teen puppy?

•  They have a higher attention span, so you can increase the difficulty of your nose games 
• Barrier challenges are good to start at this age 

What games can we play with teenage detection dogs? 

They are still young, so it’s important to know they will still have “difficult” days You can increase the difficulty even more and introduce physical aspects to the challenges 

How do you manage your goals and expectations for your puppy?

• Your puppy will never be perfect, neither will you. 
• Mistakes will happen and that’s okay! 
• Working with a professional will help set you up for success 
• Be your puppy’s advocate 
• Be humble, don’t wear rose coloured glasses 
• “Everything is a phase; whether it’s good, whether it’s bad, whether you’re thrilled with what you’re seeing or devastated.” 
• Know when to really dig into something or when to just let them ride it out 
• It is absolutely okay if raising a puppy is not your thing. 

Patreon Question: How can I be productive in developing a conservation or good scent detection puppy while dealing with puppy brain and waiting for maturity to hit? Are there certain signs that you can see early on a potential conservation prospect puppy? Try as best as possible to expose and positively influence the puppies experience out in the world.

You’ve got time! Signs to look for are dogs that are motivated to engage with the environment with and without human-induced reinforcers 

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla discusses the ins and outs of becoming a K9 Conservationist!

Episode suggestion:  It’s okay to not finish a book if you aren’t liking it.

Call to action:   Check out our new merch!!

Suggested by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, create a 3-way Venn diagram of how to get involved.

• Top circle is “what you love.”
• Circle off to the left of what you’re good at
• Lastly, a circle to the right of what the world needs.
• In the center could be some ways you can help save the planet, save some dogs, or be a k9 conservationist.

Smaller ways to help

• Be a more eco friendly dog owner by supporting local, reducing your carbon footprint during travel, etc.
• Volunteer with organizations that protect the land or start your own

Getting in the field of conservation detection:

• Your first 2 steps no matter what are similar if you want to be a handler: learn scentwork/handling/dog behavior and familiarize yourself with field biology and survey techniques
• Volunteer to start to see if its something you’d be interested in
• Education
  • Grad school is one option
  • Getting hired with a bigger organization is another
    • Working Dogs for Conservation
    • Rogue Detection Teams
    • Science Dogs of New England
    • Conservation Dogs Collective
    • WEST Inc
      • Summer gigs for wind and solar farms
      • You get hired with your dog
    • Other abroad organizations
  • Taking courses in person and online, such as Fenzi Dog Sport Academy for Nosework, Rogue Detection Teams, Conservation K9 Consultancy in Australia
  • K9 Conservationist podcast and patreon

Being a handler isn’t your only option, and it’s not for everyone. Other ways to get involved:

• Volunteer with us: course creation, social media, website maintenance - you probably have a skill we need!
• Work in another role like fundraising at another organization
• Biologists can hire us
• Shelter workers can help us find other dogs
• Donations, of course
• Get involved in your local community with the shelter, trail building, PlayCleanGo, wildlife rehab, or just pick up some extra dog poo bags.

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Jeff Rennickle. They talk about inspiring others to care about the land and Jeff’s experiences with photographing the world and teaching at the Conserve School.

Episode suggestion: Give yourself grace for what you’re capable of right now.

Call to action: Find a place that speaks to you, visit it often, and find out what you can do to get involved in its protection.

What is wilderness?

• The wildness of our planet and the existence of everything in it
• The preservation of the world
• There's always two people in a photograph: photographer and viewer

Words and photos have the power to inspire people. Why does it matter?

• “Knowledge without love will not stick, but teach someone to love something first, then knowledge will follow.” - John Burroughs

What are some of the lessons you’ve learned from working with adults vs children?

• There are a lot of similarities
• There are subtle difference in pacing, assumption of understanding, etc., but you are still telling stories about a cause you want them to fall in love with
• “Facts and figures don’t stick, it’s love” - Jeff

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Wilderness and the American Mind
Jeff’s bog and conservation photos
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson Photography

Where to find Jeff:  Website | Instagram | Facebook | Friends of the Apostle Islands

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Brooke Mitchell-Norman. They talk about tourism, communication, education, and how all of that relates to conservation!

Episode suggestion: Don't sacrifice what you want now for what you want most of all.

Call to action: Support a local small business that donates or shares some of its profits with a cause you care about.

How does travel benefit conservation?

• When it is done right, it puts an exact value dollar on a live and thriving wildlifeWhen your favourite species is a top predator, it is in your genes to want to kill it to protect yourself
  There are very few things in conservation that places monetary value on wildlife, nature, and intact ecosystems
  
• A significant number of people are directly and indirectly supported through tourism

Can you tell us about some of the ways that travelers can not just support local communities and put value on live animals but also directly contribute to community science?

• Do your research
• Check the websites; can you tell if the business is locally owned or not?If so, your money will be for the local community
  
• How are they interacting with wildlife?If there are advertisements of people directly touching and interacting with wildlife, such as cubs, that is a red flag
  
• If something makes you uncomfortable, you do not have to do it

Are there any countries with regulations on these things?

• The Galapagos
• Africa
• Be wary of Asia, research elephant tourism

Why is communication and education so important for conservation?

• Connection
• We have to change the message from doom and gloom to storytelling and showing what we are fighting for
• If you connect with someone on a deeper level, they are more likely to listen to what you have to say and support you

What are some misunderstandings?

• That it is “bothering” wildlife, but there are always many layers to the reason for it. If it wasn’t for tourism, a lot of ecosystems would not have continued to thrive
• There are a lot of tourism places that give a bad reputation to the reputable ones

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Lekker Coffee in Rino, Colorado
• Rhino Film: The Last Horns of Africa

Where to find Brooke:  Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Charles Van Rees about data. They discuss the ins and outs of working with data and how to turn data into information scientists can use.Episode suggestion: Take the time to see, smell, and notice things outside!

Call to action: Check out ebird, inaturalist or seek!

What is/are data?

• Information that we can use for inference and for learning things
• Data doesn’t necessarily “teach you things” but it helps you learn an answer to something you’re looking for

Examples of data for conservation science

• Occurrence data: evidence of the occurrence of a species in a specific area
• Abundance data: identifying and counting every individual of every species in a given sector
• Time series data: a series of data points indexed in time order
• Monitoring: the process of watching the changes and patterns in the species

Challenges in data collection

• Biases in both humans vs dogs
• Dogs have less of a visual bias than humans as they rely on olfactory vs sight to find data
• Important to consider if the questions you are asking from the data are going to be worth it to have dogs involved.
• Sample size: you have to have enough data in order to be able to work with the data
• Trying to collect data in a cost effective way
• You can’t control the data you collect

What happens to the life-cycle of data?

• Analysis
• Publishing
• FAIR principles
• Meta-analyses and reviews
• Policy!
• Or if not, advocacy! Action! Management!

What are ways to collect data?

• Conservation detection dogs
• Radio collars
• Camera traps
• eDNA
• Drones
• Audio surveys
• Netting

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Mirror test (Kayla got this slightly wrong - dolphins spent extra time head circling, which may indicate recognition)
• Dogs self-recognition with scent
• Wolverine Way book

Where to find Charles: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Nature Guys

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Charles Van Rees about data. They discuss the ins and outs of working with data and how to turn data into information scientists can use.

Episode suggestion:  Take the time to see, smell, and notice things outside!

Call to action: Check out ebird, inaturalist or seek!

What is/are data?

• Information that we can use for inference and for learning things
• Data doesn’t necessarily “teach you things” but it helps you learn an answer to something you’re looking for

Examples of data for conservation science

• Occurrence data: evidence of the occurrence of a species in a specific area
• Abundance data: identifying and counting every individual of every species in a given sector
• Time series data: a series of data points indexed in time order
• Monitoring: the process of watching the changes and patterns in the species

Challenges in data collection

• Biases in both humans vs dogs
  • Dogs have less of a visual bias than humans as they rely on olfactory vs sight to find data
• Important to consider if the questions you are asking from the data are going to be worth it to have dogs involved.
• Sample size: you have to have enough data in order to be able to work with the data
• Trying to collect data in a cost effective way
• You can’t control the data you collect

What happens to the life-cycle of data?

• Analysis
• Publishing
• FAIR principles
• Meta-analyses and reviews
• Policy!
• Or if not, advocacy! Action! Management!

What are ways to collect data?

• Conservation detection dogs
• Radio collars
• Camera traps
• eDNA
• Drones
• Audio surveys
• Netting

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

- Mirror test (Kayla got this slightly wrong - dolphins spent extra time head circling, which may indicate recognition)

- Dogs self-recognition with scent

- Wolverine Way

Whatever thing you were talking about at 22 minutes, gulo?

Where to find Charles: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Nature Guys

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Marissa Martino get personal discussing the woes of conservation work when handling your emotions while working! They discuss ways to balance how you’re feeling while trying to make the job as positive as possible for your K9 partner!

Episode suggestion:  Just train the dog!

Call to action:   Follow us on social media! Reach out to Kayla if you’d like to volunteer with helping put together a scentwork course!

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• None

Where to find Marissa: Website | Book | Podcast | Connection Summit | Instagram | Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla Fratt talks about considerations when choosing a conservation detection dog, sourcing a dog, and screening a dog. 

Episode suggestion: “Don't sacrifice clarity at the altar of generosity” 

Call to action: Join pateron! 

Discussed in this Podcast: 

Considerations: 

• Make a list of your must-haves from a lifestyle perspective to help which type of dog works best for you. This can be anything from breed type, grooming requirements, size, etc. You should also make a list of “nice to have” and “bonus points”. These are types of things that aren’t a must have, but are still of some importance to you. These are usually aesthetic type desires. 
• You also need to consider your work lifestyle, whether your dog can handle being off leash around wildlife, water, other dogs, people, etc. 
• Consider if you’d want to do outreach work at events with your dog. Would a social dog be more ideal, etc. 
• Travel is something to consider. A dog that thrives on routine may not be best for conservation work. 
• Most trainers in this field prefer dogs that have a high drive for toys 
• Consider what kind of dog you like to work with; high drive, low drive, preference for food reinforcement, preference for toy reinforcement, low energy or high energy personality, etc. 
• Consider the detail level of the work you want to do 
• It’s very important to consider your skill set and experience with dog handling 

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Pandemic Puppy - Where to Get a Puppy
• Pandemic Puppy - Picking a Breeder
• Pandemic Puppy - Picking a Puppy from a Breeder
• Pandemic Puppy - Picking a Shelter Puppy
• Test for Detection Dogs
  

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

Go Fund Me

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla Fratt talks about off-leash etiquette in order to keep your dogs, yourself, others, and the environment safe.

Discussed in this Podcast:

• Off-leash is a privilege and owners carry a responsibility when utilizing that privilege
• Ensure your dog has solid recall, especially around distractions
• Look for signage; follow the law - if the trail or area is on leash, there’s a reason for it
• When you arrive at a trail, observe your surroundings
  • Are there lots of cars indicating lots of people? Do the cars have bike racks? If so, is your dog reliable around bikes?
• When in doubt, use a long line
• Not only do you have to think about the safety of other people and dogs, you also have to think about the environment
• Your dog should not chase any wildlife; even if they don’t catch it, that is undue stress on wildlife
• Do research on what animals live in the environment you’re in to ensure yours and the wildlife’s safety

Links Mentioned in the Episode:
None

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

Go Fund Me

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Caroline Finlay about curlew nest detection dogs. 

Science Highlight: None

Links Mentioned in the Episode:  

Conservation detection dogs sniff out rare curlew nests

Where to find Caroline: Website | Facebook 

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla discusses the structure and welfare of a conservation detection dog! This episode is heavily inspired by Sarah Stremming’s Cog Dog Radio Podcast Episode titled “Drive, Deprivation, and Desperation”.

• Be careful to not label desperation or deprivation as drive
• Limited your dogs access to toys or other fun in order to “build drive" is a welfare issue
• Try not to build up an obsession with the reinforcers to best avoid desperation and deprivation
• Welfare is appropriate food, enrichment, exercise, and anything that would meet the dog's needs. Just because your dog is working doesnèt mean they shouldn’t get these needs met. They still need to “just be a dog”.
• “If your dog doesn’t want to work anymore just because you’re giving them a good life off duty, you need to reassess both your training plans and your welfare plans for your dog.”
• Modifying incentives isn’t bad, structure can be important to your dog’s health and safety

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Cog Dog Radio - Drive, Deprivation, and Desperation

Dr. Susan Freidman Episode

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

A HUGE thank you to an anonymous donor who donated enough to cover the remainder of the van repairs! Thank you to ALL of our supporters who donated, shared, and supported K9 Conservationists through this time!

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla discusses what it is like working with a teenage dog and gives tips and tricks to get your young dog in the world of conservation work!

• Start small. Niffler searches in small plots, each search only commencing around 15 minutes at a time.
• While conservation detection can be unpredictable, it’s best to find work that will be highly rewarding. If there aren’t as many finds as expected, make sure you are prepared to look after your dog’s welfare to make it a good and rewarding experience for them.
• Keep it extra fun!
• Don’t be afraid to call it off! Whether it’s cutting a search or day short, or just deciding it’s time to go back to training and start work at another date, it’s okay to call it off and take steps back or take breaks when needed.
• “Don’t prioritize success today at the expense of your dog’s long term career”
• Watch for changes over time, and expect them to happen
• Not all teenagers are going to be ready to work
• Use “gimme’s” as needed if there aren’t a lot of finds
• Watch your dog’s enthusiasm levels
• Don’t ruin your dog’s career for the stake of starting it early

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

None

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

A HUGE thank you to an anonymous donor who donated enough to cover the remainder of the van repairs! Thank you to ALL of our supporters who donated, shared, and supported K9 Conservationists through this time!

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla Fratt speaks with Dr. Simon Gadbois to talk about signal detection theory and his conservation work!

Discussed in this Podcast:

• Dr. Gadbois work in Nova Scotia
• What is signal detection theory?
  • Signal detection theory is a means to measure the ability to differentiate between information-bearing patterns and random patterns that distract from the information.
  • It has been around for a long time
  • Mostly used for physical stimuli vs olfactory stimuli
  • It wouldn’t be useful for clear distinctions or errorless data
  • However, signal detection theory needs a clear yes or a clear no
• What’s the potential problem with proportion or percentage correct data as performance?
• What’s the problem with our basic lineup for training and testing detection dogs as it relates to SDT?
• How can trainers at home put this to use with their dogs?

Links Mentioned in the Episode:
Signal Detection Theory Paper
Memorial University d’Prime Calculator

Where to find Dr. Gadbois:
Website | Lab Facebook Page | Lab Facebook Group

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

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In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla Fratt speaks with Dr. Nathaniel Hall to talk about lengthy searches for conservation dogs!

Discussed in this Podcast:

• How does a dog’s sensitivity to scent affect their work?
  All sensory systems are learned behaviors, so there will be genetic differences and learning history differences. Because of this, what one dog smells will not be the exact same as what another dog smells.
  It depends on the concentration of the odor on how sensitive your dog will be to the odor. Their threshold of detection of a certain scent will increase if the concentration is reduced over time.
  
• Motivation for long searches?
  Performance is strongly dependent on the frequency in which targets appear
  Reinforcing “all clear” signals can help with motivation in the event that there aren’t going to be a lot of targets for them to find.
  It is important to not over-reward for “all clear” because then “all clear” can start to become more rewarding than finding the scent.
  Make your “all clear” as equal effort as an alert response
  If your dog is pre-prepared for not finding targets over a long period of time, it can help avoid an extinction burst and frustration
  

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

The Canid Genome - 2012 Paper

Where to find Dr. Hall:
Canine Olfaction Lab | Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists WebsiteGo Fund Me

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla Fratt speaks with Laura Holder to introduce Laura’s Conservation Dogs Collective!

Discussed in this Podcast:

• How did you get into conservation detection dog work?
• What spurred the change to Conservation Dogs Collective?
• What are your goals with CDCI?
• What upcoming or recent projects have your finder-keeper teams worked on?
• What work are you doing to engage the dog-loving community and educate the public?
• I’d love to talk a bit about dog selection and training methods.
  

Links Mentioned in the Episode:
None

Where to find Laura Holder and CDCI:

Conservation Dogs Collective | Instagram | Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

Go Fund Me

Today I have the joy of talking to Kim Brophey about ethology. If you listen to dog podcasts the way I do, you’re probably already a bit obsessed with Kim. Today we’re going to dive into how we can use ethology to better select and meet the needs of our working dogs.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Dopamine Article
• Pop Psychology Podcast
• Beyond the Operant with Dr. Simon Gadbois
• Texas hounds that chase down poachers
• National Geographic, Gene 7R and Restlessness
• Jaak Panksepp TED Talk

Where to find Kim Brophey:

• Website
• Meet Your Dog
• Facebook

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

Go Fund Me

Today I have the joy of talking to Dr. Susan Friedman about the hierarchy of behavior change for dog training. This is so central to what we do - ensuring that our dogs are excellent at the work they do while maintaining the highest quality of life possible for them.

I am SO excited to get to this interview, but first I have to remind you all that our field vehicle repair fundraiser is ongoing. As I record, the van is getting repairs for several damaged cylinders as well as fuel injectors - costs will total around $16,000. Find that link in the show notes on K9Conservationists.org.

Patreon plug but no reviews.

• Dr. Friedman intro
• What is the hierarchy of behavior change?
• What drove you to outline it?
• How can we use this in working dog areas?
• Why does it matter?
• How do you address questions about efficacy, especially with working animals?
• Can this actually enhance the quality of work that our dogs do, aside from just enhancing their quality of life?

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you learned a lot and are feeling inspired to get outside and be a K9 Conservationist in whatever way suits your passions and skill set. You can find show notes and extra information on this episode at K9Conservationists.org and support our field vehicle repairs at our GoFundMe page. Until next time!

Show Notes Here

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Dr. Susan Friedman discuss the hierarchy of behavior change with dogs. They discuss what it is and why it matters!

• What is the hierarchy of behavior change?
  Hierarchy of Behavior Change Outline
  
• Why does it matter?
  It creates an effective outcome with the interventions being as unintrusive as possible to the learner.
• Can this actually enhance the quality of work that our dogs do, aside from just enhancing their quality of life?
  Short answer; YES! An enhancement in quality of life will lead to an enhancement in quality of every aspect in their like, including quality of work.
  

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

The Hierarchy & Trainer Skills

Effectiveness is Not Enough: this is a PDF on BehaviorWorks, just Google the phrase and you'll find it. We can't link it.

Where to find Dr. Susan Friedman:
Behavior Works

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists WebsiteGo Fund Me

Today I have the joy of talking to Esther Matthew about training conservation dogs for a critically endangered South African lagomorph: the riverine rabbit.

Questions answered by Ester: :

• What was the goal of this study?
• What other measures had been attempted?
• Why did you have to use roadkill?
• How did you measure specificity?
• Can you describe the 3 phases of the study?
• Some other trainers hesitate to use off-target species in proofing for training, which always seemed odd to me. You decided to use negative targets in training here. Can you explain why and what results you got?
• You didn’t reward on unconfirmed hides. Did you do any training to help prepare the dog for the variable reinforcement? How did the dog respond?

Where to find Esther Matthew:
Youtube:   Jessie’s Story

Facebook:  Jessie the Border collie
Instagram:  jessiethebc | estherexplorer

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

Go Fund Me

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Michael Shikashio from The Bitey End of the Dog discuss muzzling. They cover why conservation detection dogs might need muzzles and the best way to acclimate your dog to wearing one.

Why is a muzzle a good idea for a CDD based on their work?

• Muzzles aren’t just for biting, they can also protect the dog from ingesting things they shouldn’t.

Types of muzzles and what sort is best for a working dog wearing it long-term

• Three things to look for are comfort, safety (biting, ingesting things, etc.), and function of the dog’s normal behavior
• Materials are important to consider
  • Leather
  • Biothane
  • Hard/soft plastic
  • Metal
  • Vinyl
  • Rubber

Consider the construction of the muzzle

• Does it have a safety strap?

Brands to consider are:

• Baskerville
• Jafco
• Dean & Tyler
• Bumas (custom fit biothane)
• Trust Your Dog
  

Introducing the muzzle/Acclimating a dog to muzzle for long term wear

• Create positive associations
• Take your time
• Go at the dog’s pace
• Use positive reinforcers with your muzzle to create positive associations
• Gradually increase the time
• Careful with dogs that resource guard
• Break down the steps slowly with the straps
• Once the muzzle is on, start moving and reinforce
• Slow and steady wins the race
• After acclimation, always work with your dog in a level they can tolerate
• Set your dog up for success, especially while wearing the muzzle

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Muzzle Up Project
• Pre-muzzling handling prep
• Muzzle training 101
• How to feed a dog through a muzzle

Where to find Michael Shikashio:
Website
The Bitey End of the Dog

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

Go Fund Me

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Stacy Barnett discuss sourcing. They cover what sourcing is and all you need to know about sourcing and nosework.

Links Mentioned in the Episode

• Fenzi Courses: Scent Theory & Dynamics, Introduction to Nosework, Nosework Games
• Where to find Stacy Barnett:
  Scentsabilities Nosework
• You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
• K9 Conservationists Website
• Go Fund Me

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Natasha Underwood from NHU Ecology and Detection Dogs about continuing education.

Science Highlight: None

Links Mentioned in the Episode:  

Dog Handling Training | Kryus | England

College of Scent Dogs-The College of Scent Dogs

Mantrailing Global

Where to find Natasha: Website | Facebook | Instagram

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

For the final episode of Canine Conversations before we transition fully to K9 Conservationists, we're talking about consent with Erin Jones. We cover what consent is, why it is important, and how you get - and maintain - a dog’s consent to participate in training or a behavior treatment plan.

Links Mentioned in the Episode

• Genealogy of Obedience
  Erin’s website, Instagram, and Facebook
  

You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.

K9 Conservationists Website

Go Fund Me

Hello and welcome to the K9 Conservationists Podcast!

We've got a new name! As our loyal listeners know, we recently lost my beloved cohost Ursa. After giving it a LOT of thought, I've decided to pivot the focus of this podcast. Rather than focusing broadly on dog behavior, the K9 Conservationists podcast will focus on the field of conservation detection dogs. We'll interview wildlife biologists, community scientists, dog behavior researchers, and handlers throughout this amazing field.

I hope that you decide to stick along for the ride. I plan to bring the same level of enthusiasm, nerdiness, and dog-centric thinking to this endeavor. I've got episodes in the works: on the humane hierarchy with Dr. Susan Friedman, the body language of scentwork with Steve White, a fascinating episode on combining thermal imaging and scent detection dogs, and SO MUCH MORE.

I really, truly want to thank all of our listeners for the support thus far. I dearly love Canine Conversations and will miss producing it, but my long-term career goals are firmly oriented towards conservation detection dog work. Journey Dog Training will still be here to provide support in the form of phone calls, courses, webinars, and free blogs, but more and more of MY time will focus on conservation detection dog work.

To that end, I'm thrilled to announce the launch of the K9 Conservationists nonprofit. We just filed for 501(c)3 status and hope that you'll continue supporting this podcast and the nonprofit through Patreon. This will help us cover the costs of not only this podcast, but also our new field vehicle that lets Barley, Niffler, and I do our important work. Once we've paid off the vehicle, supporters of the nonprofit can expect to help us offer subsidies on our consultant services. That will help us get involved in amazing projects that might not have been able to afford conservation detection dogs otherwise!

So with all those announcements out of the way, let's do a quick refresher. What the heck IS a conservation detection dog? How do you get involved? What's the work like? How do you select a dog for this work? We'll cover all of this in much more detail going forward, but I'll get the basics out of the way here.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-the-k9-conservationists-field-vehicle-repair?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

Ursa is leaving the podcast for new and exciting endeavors. But before she goes, we're tackling a Patreon question and another round of HOT TAKES! 

Patron Question Answered:

“In episode 34 you talked about using chasing squirrels as a reward for your dogs. Kayla said this made Barely more desperately want to chase squirrels but Marissa said this made Sully’s desire to chase squirrels go down. My dog is veryyyyy excited about squirrels and it is one of the things I’ve been trying to teach her to not lose her doggy mind over since she does not listen to me at all if she sees a squirrel. So basically, would using chasing squirrels as a reward for her impulse control or checking in with me help or with any other dog with a high prey drive? Or do you think any dog who is already extremely excited about squirrels have a reaction similar to Barely? Thanks!”

Hot Takes Answered:

Using dogs in a way that put them in harm's way (ie military and police dogs, livestock guardian dogs)
Training dogs to bite and latch instead of tackle

Rough play with humans

Which is better? Board and Train or Owner Train

Limiting shelter dogs and regulating breeders