Our conservation detection dog teams are ready to help meet your project goals.

You and your dog can learn to detect data together.

K9 Conservationists is proud to offer online and in-person education for aspiring conservation detection dog handlers.

What We Do

Data Collection and Study Design

We train detection dogs to find the data that matters—from scat to invasive species—across diverse landscapes. Whether you're looking to hire a team or learn to work with your own dog, we’ve got you covered. Our methods are science-backed, humane, and field-tested. With unmatched enthusiasm and accuracy, our dogs turn the messiest parts of conservation into reliable, joyful work.

Partner with us

Mentorship and Coaching

We provide comprehensive support for future conservation detection dog handlers through our 18-module online course, monthly book club, personalized coaching calls, and additional learning resources—all designed to help you succeed in this field.

You can also explore our Frequently Asked Questions page for more details about the path into this career.

Start learning

Our conservation detection dog teams travel the world to find the samples you need.

We specialize in the inter-mountain west of the USA and Latin America. Hablamos español!

Carcasses

Dogs excel at locating bird and bat carcasses around wind energy facilities, even in dense vegetation or rugged terrain. Their ability to detect small or scavenged remains makes them far more effective than human searchers alone, helping researchers gather accurate fatality data for wildlife impact assessments.

Scat and Animal Sign

Dogs are incredibly useful for finding scat and other animal sign across challenging landscapes, enabling researchers to collect genetic, dietary, hormonal, and pathogen data without ever needing to capture or disturb the animal. This non-invasive method is ideal for population monitoring, food web studies, and ecological health assessments.

Insects, Mussels, and More

Our team has experience screening all types of watercraft for invasive mussels with speed and accuracy. Dogs can also locate rare, remnant, or pioneer populations of hard-to-find invertebrates and plants—supporting rapid response efforts.

Let's work together!

Check out the K9 Conservationists Podcast!

Trusted by Conservation Professionals Around the World

"We have been surveying jaguar populations in the Maya Biosphere Reserve for over 20 years. Knowing what they are eating is fundamental to understanding how this defines the presence and abundance of their populations in different sites of the reserve. One of the ways to determine jaguar diets is through the analysis of their scats, but it is not easy to find them in the jungle. Working with Barley, a K9 Conservationist scat detection dog, and his trainer Kayla Fratt facilitated this task and made the work in the field not only effective but also a lot of fun."

—Rony Alberto García Anleu,
Director of Biological Research for Wildlife Conservation Society-Guatemala Program and project partner

"Learning with the K9 Conservationists in 2022 for 3 months was an incredible journey. As a novice female dog handler, I always felt uncomfortable working with dogs and desperately sought online female trainers to help me overcome my struggles.

When Kayla, Heather, and Rachel came to train the K9 team at Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK), I received more than I hoped. In those 3 months, my confidence working with the scat dogs improved, and I learned the basics of scent training, animal behavior, clicker training, and positive reinforcement.

I also learned the importance of asking questions and having a plan in mind before working with the dogs. Each trainer brought a different perspective to my training, which complemented each other perfectly."

— Naomi Kung'u,
Kenyan in-person student

"I have been K9 Conservationists' Patreon member for a few years now. Training alone in Finland, I have valued the community and all the knowledge it offers. I can bring a training challenge into the monthly Patreon video call and love the good spirit and creativity in generating ideas and sharing experiences. We have grown to be field ready, training and doing pro bono work along my day job."

— Janna Tirronen,
Finnish ecologist and remote mentee