Dangermond Preserve Wrap Up
Podcast Show Notes, ResearchIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Elizabeth Hiroyasu, Hillary Young, and Grace Lewin about their Dangermond Preserve work. Science Highlight: None this week Links Mentioned in the Episode: None Where to find Hi...
Snake Bites with Nick Brandehoff
Field Safety and Ethics, Podcast Show Notes, SafetyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Nick Brandehoff about snake bites. Science Highlight: None this week Links Mentioned in the Episode: Denver Venom Conference Where to find Nick: Website | Snake B...
Snake Avoidance with Ken Ramirez
Field Safety and Ethics, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, SafetyFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Ken Ramirez about snake avoidance Science Highlight: Field quantifications of probability of detection and search patterns to form protocols for the use of detector dogs for e...
Heat Safety & Working Dogs with Dr. Janice Baker
Field Safety and Ethics, Podcast Show Notes, SafetyFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Janice Baker from the Veterinary Tactical Group about heat events and working dogs. Science Highlight: Rethinking Heat Injury in the SOF Multipurpose Canine: A Critical R...
Field Safety Prep with Pine Irwin
Field Safety and Ethics, Podcast Show Notes, SafetyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Pine Irwin about field safety prep. Science Highlight: None this week Classes to Consider: Wilderness First Responder, WFR Trap Release Workshop Canine CPR Befo...
Urban Ecology and Making the NSF More Inclusive with Cesar Estien
Podcast Show NotesFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Cesar Estien about urban ecology. Science Highlight: None this week Links Mentioned in the Episode: None Where to find Cesar: Website | Twitter You can support the K9 Conserv...
Safari Science & Fieldwork Experience with Dr. Stotra Chakrabarti
Field Safety and Ethics, Podcast Show Notes, ResearchFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Stotra Chakrabarti about safari science and his experience working in the field. Science Highlight: Faecal sampling using detection dogs to study reproduction and health in ...
Odor Discrimination Wrapup and Personal Updates
Discrimination, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, ResearchFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla wraps up our discrimination series with a Q&A and provides some updates. Science Highlight: None this week Questions asked: From Megan: From Janna Links Mentioned in the Episode: None You...
How Much Money Do Conservation Detection Dog Trainers Make?
BasicsWorking as a conservation detection dog trainer/handler is an incredible lifestyle for the right person. It’s not for everyone – the hours are long, the fieldwork is physically demanding, and the grantwriting can be grueling. But one of ...
Medical Alert Service Dogs with Rayanne Craven
Podcast Show NotesFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Rayanne Craven about medical alert service dogs. Science Highlight: None this week Links Mentioned in the Episode: None Where you can find Rayanne: Website You can support th...
Canine Sports Medicine with Dr. Leslie Eide
Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Leslie Eide from The Total Canine about canine sports medicine. Science Highlight: None this week Links Mentioned in the Episode: None Where you can find Leslie: Website...
Progressing Your Detection Training Like a PRO with Lily Strassberg
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Lily Strassberg about organizing training based on target behavior. Science Highlight: A Review of the Types of Training Aids Used for Canine Detection Training Questions discus...
Safety and Inclusion for Queer Ecologists with Jamie Coon and Nathan Alexander
Podcast Show NotesFor this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Jamie Coon and Nathan Alexander about a paper they published about safety and inclusion for queer ecologists. Science Highlight: None this week What unique barriers do LGBTQ+ fo...
Odor Discrimination Part 6: Generalization with Paul Bunker from Chiron K9
Detection Training, Discrimination, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, Search StrategyFor our final episode of our odor discrimination series, Kayla talks with Paul Bunker from Chiron K9 about generalization and discrimination. Science Highlight: None this week Links Mentioned in the Episode: None Where you can find Pa...
Odor Discrimination Part 5: When Odor Discrimination Has Hone Wrong – A Case Study
Detection Training, Discrimination, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingFor our fifth episode of our odor discrimination series, Kayla talks about the odor discrimination work K9 Conservationists did with Action for Cheetahs in Kenya. Science Highlight: None this week Links Mentioned in the Episode: None Fi...
Odor Discrimination Part 4: Moss Discrimination with Caroline Finlay
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, Search StrategyFor our fourth episode of our odor discrimination series, Kayla speaks with Caroline Finlay from Conservation Detection Dogs Northern Ireland about moss discrimination. Science Highlight: Relative abundance of endangered San Joaquin kit ...
Odor Discrimination Part 3: Mud Snails with Conservation Dogs Collective and Auburn University
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingFor our third episode of our odor discrimination series, Kayla speaks with Laura, Morgan, and Jo from Conservation Dogs Collective and Emily from Auburn University about a fascinating project undertaken to detect New Zealand Mud Snails. ...
Odor Discrimination Part 2: Training an “All Clear” for Detection Dogs with Paul Bunker
Basics, Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, Search StrategyIn the second episode of the odor discrimination mini series, we revisit an older episode of K9 Conservationists where Kayla speaks with Paul Bunker of Chiron K9 about all clear procedures. Science Highlight: An assessment of the effe...
Odor Discrimination Part 1: Signal Detection Theory with Simon Gadbois
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, Search StrategyIn the first episode of the odor discrimination mini series, we revisit an older episode of K9 Conservationists where Kayla Fratt speaks with Dr. Simon Gadbois to talk about signal detection theory and his conservation work. Links Mentio...
Canine Olfaction and Detection Science Conference with Lauren DeGreef
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Lauren DeGreef about the upcoming Canine Olfaction and Detection Science Conference. Science Highlight: None this week! Where to find Lauren: Facebook | LinkedIn Links Mentioned...
Dogs Detecting Insects Carrying Diseases with Rachel Curtis-Robles and Devin Christopher
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Rachel Curtis-Robles and Devin Christopher about dogs detecting insects carrying diseases. Science Highlight: Dogs can sense weak thermal radiation Where to find Rachel: Website ...
Imposter Syndrome with Jay Gurden
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Jay Gurden about imposter syndrome! Science Highlight: You Are Not My Handler! Impact of Changing Handlers on Dogs’ Behaviours and Detection Performance Why is imposter syndrome ...
Wood Turtles with Kristine Hoffman and Julia Sirois
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Kristine Hoffman and Julia Sirois from St Lawrence University about their work with wood turtles, building on our conversation with Scott Buchanan. Science Highlight: Training wi...
Wood Turtles with Scott Buchanan
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Scott Buchanan on his work with wood turtles. Science Highlight: A Glimpse into the Use of Dogs to Address Global Poaching, Overharvesting, and Trafficking of Aquatic Species Lin...
Patreon Q&A with Caisa Persson Werme
Basics, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with our patreon Caisa Persson Werme to answer questions about training and alerts. Science Highlight: Back to the basics with conservation detection dogs: fundamentals for success Que...
Using Dogs for Pest Eradication with Melissa Houghton
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Melissa Houghton about using dogs for pest eradication on a remote world heritage island. Science Highlight: Methodology and challenges of a complex multi-species eradication in t...
Post-Guatemala Fieldwork Discussions with PhD student Ellen Dymit
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back with Ellen Dymit to talk about their experience with the fieldwork in Guatemala. Science Highlight: None Links Mentioned in the Episode: Where to find Ellen: Ellen’s Twitter | Taal�...
Pre-Guatemala Fieldwork Discussions with PhD student Ellen Dymit
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Ellen Dymit before their fieldwork in Guatemala. Science Highlight: None Links Mentioned in the Episode: Barley’s First Find Where to find Ellen: Ellen’s Twitter | Taal’s Tw...
Using Dogs to Survey for Baw Baw Frogs with Chris Hartnett
Podcast Show Notes, Sensitive SpeciesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Chris Hartnett to talk about Baw Baw frogs. Science Highlight: Obedience training effects on search dog performance Links Mentioned in the Episode: Where to find Chris: Website Yo...
Finding Lost GPS Trackers Using Dogs with Sho Rapley
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Sho Rapley about dogs finding GPS trackers. Science Highlight: Diving in Nose First: The Influence of Unfamiliar Search Scale and Environmental Context on the Search Performance o...
Field Work Preparation
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks about field work preparation for the upcoming project. You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists. K9 Conservationists Webs...
Data Dogs Can’t Detect with Toni Proescholdt
Detection Training, Hiring Dog Teams, Podcast Show Notes, Search StrategyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks to Toni Proescholdt from Utah State about the data that dogs can’t detect. Science Highlight: Can volunteers train their pet dogs to detect a novel odor in a controlled environment i...
Updates from the Field and Patreon Q & A
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla provides an update on what K9 Conservationists has been up to and answers some Patreon questions. Science Highlight: Detection distance and environmental factors in conservation detection dog...
Antiracism and Detection Dogs with Kassidi Jones
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Kassidi Jones to talk about antiracism and detection dogs. Science Highlight: Handler beliefs affect scent detection dog outcomes Links Mentioned in the Episode: Reading list Wher...
What’s a Dog Trainer, Anyway? With Mike Shikashio and Kim Brophy
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Kim Brophy and Mike Shikashio to answer an important question: what is a dog trainer? Science Highlight: Relationship between aggressive and avoidance behaviour by dogs and their ...
Building and Growing Companies with Andrew Ishimaru
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Andrew Ishimaru from RyTech about building and growing companies. Science Highlight: When the nose knows: ontogenetic changes in detection dogs’ (Canis familiaris) responsiveness ...
Early Career Conservationist Tips with Gael Sanchez
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Gael Sanchez about joining the field of ecology and conservation. Science Highlight: Curtailment as a successful method for reducing bat mortality at a southern Australian wind fa...
First Season in the Field with Emma Lustig
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Emma Lustig about her first season as a conservation detection dog handler. Science Highlight: Effect of odorant pre-exposure on domestic dogs’ sensitivity on an odorant detection...
Expertise, Accessibility, and Gatekeeping with Cate Roscoe
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Cate Roscoe about Expertise, Accessibility, and Gatekeeping. What does DEI stand for? Can we define each term? Links Mentioned in the Episode: Why Diversity and Inclusion Are Good...
Demonstration Dogs with Tayllor Pittman
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with our long time patron Tayllor Pittman about selecting and preparing dogs to be demonstration dogs. Science Highlight: Detection Distance and Environmental Factors in Conservation D...
Screening Shelter Dogs and Career Changes with Katie Brennan from Search Dog Foundation (Part 2)
Dog Selection, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back with Katie Brennan for part two about sourcing shelter dogs for work. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Where to find Katie: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Recruitment You can support...
Screening Shelter Dogs and Career Changes with Katie Brennan from Search Dog Foundation (Part 1)
Dog Selection, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Katie Brennan from Search Dog Foundation about sourcing shelter dogs for work. How do shelters know to reach out? ie, what do they see in the dog? How do you screen dogs? Links M...
Patreon Questions with Meg Barnes
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back with our patron Meg Barnes to answer some of her questions! Science Highlight: None Links Mentioned in the Episode: Where to find Meg: Instagram | Facebook You can support the K9 Cons...
Certifications with Robin Greubel
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Robin Greubel from K9Sensus about certifying detection dogs. Science Highlight: None Links Mentioned in the Episode: Where to find Robin: Website | Facebook | Instagram You can s...
Training Expert Dogs to Hand-Off to Amateurs with Miranda Turenne
Dog Selection, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Miranda Turenne from Pacific Assistance Dogs Society about Assistance Dogs. Science Highlight: Canine Olfaction: Scent, Sign, and Situation How do you prep dogs for new/green hand...
Getting Published 101
Podcast Show Notes, ResearchIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Charles van Rees, our conservation correspondent, about getting research published. Science Highlight: None How is getting published in academia the same, or different from ot...
Wildlife Chasing with Alisa Healy
Field Safety and Ethics, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, SafetyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Alisa Healy from Dog Forward Training about wildlife chasing. Science Highlight: Training methodology for canine scent detection of a critically endangered lagomorph: a conservati...
Invasive Species with Dr. Charles van Rees
Invasive Species, Podcast Show Notes, ResearchIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Charles van Rees, our Conservation Correspondent, about invasive species. Science Highlight: None What makes a species invasive? Generalists Fast-reproducing Behavioral flexib...
Stimulus Control with Sarah Owings
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, SafetyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Sarah Owings about Stimulus Control. Science Highlight: “Reactivity to Stimuli” Is a Temperamental Factor Contributing to Canine Aggression What is stimulus control? Understandi...
Mid-Season Musings
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks candidly about some mid-season musings. Links Mentioned in the Episode: None You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists. K...
Predation Substitute Training with Simone Mueller
Detection Training, Field Safety and Ethics, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, SafetyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Simone Mueller about Predation Substitute Training. Science Highlight: Performance of Pugs, German Shepherds, and Greyhounds (Canis lupus familiaris) on an odor-discrimination tas...
Breeding Functional Working Dogs with Dr. Jessica Hekman
Basics, Dog Selection, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Jessica Hekman from Dog Zombie about Breeding Functional Dogs. Science Highlight: Advancing Genetic Selection and Behavioral Genomics of Working Dogs Through Collaborative Sci...
Airports to Moors: Invasive Species Mitigation with Grant Blackley
Detection Training, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Invasive Species, Podcast Show Notes, Search StrategyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Grant Blackley from Orkney Native Wildlife Project about transitioning from airport screening detection dogs to working with conservation detection dogs. Science Highlight: Olfac...
Making a Detection Dog Team: Assessing Volunteer Teams in Various Working Conditions
Detection Training, Hiring Dog Teams, ResearchThank you to Madison, who volunteered to write this article. As the world of conservation detection dogs grows, finding or creating more dog and handler teams becomes necessary. Let’s face it, working dogs are expensive! This can cause...
What are Getxent Tubes? With Gregory Herin
Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, ResearchIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Gregory Herin from Getxent to discuss Getxent tubes. Science Highlight: Noninvasive Identification of Herpetofauna: Pairing Conservation Dogs and Genetic Analysis Links Mentione...
Thinking Bigger with Dr. Megan Parker
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Meg Parker from the Center for Large Landscape Conservation to discuss thinking bigger in the world of conservation detection dogs. Science Highlight: Factors That May Affect the ...
Roundtable: How Did You Select Your Conservation Detection Dog?
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla hosts multiple guests as they answer one of the top questions conservation dog handlers get: how did you select your conservation detection dog? You can find our guests online here: Jo Lock: ...
Science Highlight: Nontarget Species Behavior and Scat
Discrimination, ResearchThis week’s science highlight concerns something many K9 Conservationists are very familiar with: scat! The study, “How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys” was published in Nature...
Roundtable: How Did You Get into the World of Conservation Detection?
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla hosts multiple guests as they answer one of the top questions conservation dog handlers get: how do you get into the world of conservation detection? Jo Lock’s reply begins at 4:27 Lindsay Wa...
Growing as Consultants for Scat Dog Teams: A Co-Founder Conversation
Basics, Detection Training, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode, we sit down with Heather Nootbaar and Rachel Hamre, cofounders of K9 Conservationists. We dive into the work we did in Kenya, especially what Heather and Rachel worked on after Kayla went home. We also discuss what we fo...
Combining a Love of Dogs with Conservation with Co-Founder Heather Nootbaar
Basics, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla interviews co-founder Heather. They discuss how Heather got into the world of conservation detection dogs, her experience before K9 Conservationists, and how she and Kayla joined forces. Sci...
Get to Know K9 Conservationists Co-Founder Rachel Hamre
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla interviews co-founder Rachel Hamre. They discuss how Rachel first got into dog training, her many jobs as a field tech, how she and Kayla met, Rachel’s season handling Barley, and her journ...
Remember, Your Training Will Pay Off
Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts), Wind EnergyNot All Days are Good Days I wake up nervous, having barely slept. Today is our first day at the wind farm since October 2021. I’m partially excited to handle Barley again, and partially nervous that Niffler won’t be as brilliant as I re...
Detection Puppy Raising Questions with Meg Barnes from Detection for Good
Alerts and Changes of Behavior, Detection Training, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla answers some questions from Patron Meg! We discuss when and how to introduce alerts, target odors, and a variety of life skills. We also talk about whether or not sports and other “hobbies” m...
Action for Cheetahs with Mary Wykstra
BasicsIn 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. Transcription (AI-Generated) Kayla Fratt (KF) 0...
Safe Animal Interactions with Skylos Ecology
Field Safety and Ethics, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, Sensitive SpeciesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with the Skylos Ecology Team, Tracey Lyten and Fiona Jackson, to discuss how to work safely around wildlife and livestock. What are your expectations/goals around detection dogs and wi...
Canine Ergonomics 1 & 2 (Patreon Book Club Notes)
Book Club Notes, ResearchAs part of our monthly Patreon Benefits, we have a book club. For the next few months (summer to fall 2022), we’re reading Canine Ergonomics by William Helton. These rough notes are for chapters 1 and 2 of the book and include heavy quot...
Laughing and Learning with Naomi Kung’u from Action for Cheetahs in Kenya
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesKayla sits down with Naomi, one of the conservation dog handlers at Actions for Cheetahs in Kenya that she spent 6 weeks with before Heather and Rachel arrived in Kenya. Naomi talks about her hopes as a female K9 handler, how the dogs ar...
Leveraging Terrier Instincts with Miriam Ritchie
Dog Selection, Invasive Species, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Miriam Ritchie from the New Zealand Department of Conservation about leveraging your dog’s instincts to conduct a job. Science Highlight: Impact of weather conditions on cheetah...
Hide Placements for Training Success with SAR Handler Ann McGloon
Detection Training, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 trai...
Collaboration, Invasive Plants, and Insects with Arden from New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Basics, Invasive Species, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Arden from the New York New Jersey Trail Conference about her work helping build coalitions and use detection dogs to mitigate invasive insect and plant infestations. Science High...
Clean Training for High Drive Dogs with Sarah Owings
Detection Training, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Sarah Owings from Cyber Dog Online Training about clean mechanics for training and working with high drive dogs. Science Highlight: Detecting small and cryptic animals by combinin...
Poop is Brown Gold: Genetic Analysis with Tara Wilson and Misa Winters
Podcast Show Notes, Research, Sensitive SpeciesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Misa Winters and Tara Wilson about laboratory analysis of scat after field collection. Science Highlight: Duration of urination does not change with body size What can we learn fr...
Intelligent Disobedience and Cue Hierarchies with Tony Harvey
Detection Training, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Tony Harvey about intelligent disobedience. Review Highlight: JPinCB says “Kayla’s authentic, enthusiastic interest in all of her guests and topics, paired with her knowledge ...
Things to Consider When Starting a Conservation Detection Dog Program
Basics, Hiring Dog TeamsIf you’ve used conservation detection dogs in the past or are considering them for future projects, you may wonder whether it’s better to just get a dog yourself versus hiring an expensive outsourced team. There are a lot of factors ...
Breeding Detection Dogs with Kate Graham, Part 2
Dog Selection, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back for part two with Kate Graham from Katalyst Kennels about breeding detection dogs. Science Highlight: Effects of maternal investment, temperament, and cognition on guide dog success W...
Why Do Conservation Detection Dogs Make False Alerts?
Alerts and Changes of Behavior, Basics, Detection TrainingIn January 2022, the K9 Conservationists Team was hired to come to Kenya to help with a struggling conservation detection dog program. Action for Cheetahs in Kenya has two experienced detection dogs paired with two very green handlers. O...
Kenya and K9 Conservationists Update
Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla provides an update on what she has been doing in Kenya, announces the new K9 Conservationist course, and answers some questions from patrons. Transcript (AI Generated) Kayla Fratt (KF) 0:01Do...
Breeding Detection Dogs with Kate Graham, Part 1
Dog Selection, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 tes...
How to Keep Bats Away from Wind Turbines with Jo Lock
Podcast Show Notes, Research, Wind EnergyIn 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: Th...
How Can Conservation Detection Dogs be Paired with Other Survey Methods?
Hiring Dog TeamsConservation detection dogs are a very powerful tool for finding hard-to-find samples. Pairing conservation detection dogs with other survey methods can strengthen the impact of your research and gather additional information. Conservati...
Unusual Sniffer Dogs and Blood Tracking with Lindsay Ware
Detection Training, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingIn 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 odor...
How Wide Should Conservation Dog Search Transects Be?
Research, Search StrategyWhen searching an area for scat, invasive plants, or other data points, many researchers and conservation detection dog teams employ a transect search. In order to determine the appropriate spacing of your transects, you need to understa...
Conservation Canines: How Dogs work for the Environment
Basics, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 d...
Panel Discussion with Ken Ramirez, Kim Brophy, Laura Holder, Dr. Erim Gomez, Ursa Acree, and Dr. Charles van Rees
Field Safety and Ethics, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 Ho...
Training an “All Clear” for Detection Dogs with Paul Bunker of Chiron K9
Alerts and Changes of Behavior, Detection Training, Podcast Show NotesIn 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...
James Davis on Field Safety, Mentorship, and Dealing with Charismatic Invasive Species
Detection Training, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Invasive Species, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with James Davis about his work with Padfoot and the Conservation K9 Podcast. Science Highlight: Detecting Small and Cryptic Animals By Combining Thermography and a Wildlife Detection ...
Do Our Working Dogs Owe Us Work?
Field Safety and Ethics, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, SafetyIn 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 i...
Conservation Dogs of Hawaii with Kyoko Johnson and Dr. Charles van Rees
Podcast Show Notes, Sensitive SpeciesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Charles speak with Kyoko Johnson about her work at Conservation Dogs Hawaii. Weekly suggestion: Remember to take the plunge. Apply for that puppy, launch that business, sign up for the n...
Difficult Dogs Part 2, Shelter Stress, and More with Ursa Acree
Dog Selection, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back with a bonus part two episode about difficult dogs in conservation work. She is joined by Ursa Acree, previous co-host on the retired podcast Canine Conversations. What are some envir...
Difficult Dogs and Conservation with Rogue Detection Teams
Dog Selection, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 you...
Errors, Mistakes, and Failure in Conservation Dog Training
Detection Training, Podcast Show NotesIn 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. Sign up for o...
What to Know Before Hiring a Conservation Detection Dog Team, Part 2
Hiring Dog Teams, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 d...
What to Know Before Hiring a Conservation Detection Dog Team, Part 1
Hiring Dog Teams, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 thin...
Fringe Alerts with Stacy Barnett
Alerts and Changes of Behavior, Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks to Stacy Barnett about fringe alerts in detection dogs. Episode suggestion: Get up and go for a little walk! What is fringing? When a dog alerts to odor outside of the preferred range ...
Quick Questions About National Geographic’s Called to the Wild
Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts)Where Was Called to the Wild Filmed? Filming took place in the northwoods of Maine. How Were Contestants Selected? Contestants had to compile video applications to send to casting producers. They were then vetted on survival skills, psyc...
Bats and Wind Farms with Dr. Merlin Tuttle
Podcast Show Notes, Sensitive Species, Wind EnergyIn 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. Merlin started his bat career as a teenager, has done ...
Barley and Kayla Were Called to the Wild
Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts)My breath clouded around my face in the cold air as I paused outside the Missoula airport. I paused to put my mask on and readjusted my backpack before leading Barley into the airport. Barley was happy and confident, unaware of what we w...
Books to Read for Conservation Detection Dog Handlers
Info for Early-Career HandlersGetting into the field of conservation detection dog work can be incredibly difficult. There simply aren’t many jobs, and the jobs that do exist are highly competitive. We have discussed ways to enter the conservation detection dog field...
Amphibians and Charismatic MiniFauna with Dr. Erim Gomez
Podcast Show Notes, Sensitive SpeciesIn 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 bene...
“Making It” as a Conservation Detection Dog Handler
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks about her experience and advice on how to “make it” as a K9 Conservationists handler. Let’s be honest: the past year or so of this career has NOT been easy. In this episode, Kayla g...
Give Bats a Break with Nate Marshall
Podcast Show Notes, Sensitive Species, Wind EnergyIn this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Charles speak with Nathaniel. 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...
Introducing Conservation Correspondent Dr. Charles van Rees
Invasive Species, Podcast Show Notes, Sensitive SpeciesIn 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. Links Mentioned in the...
Selecting and Raising a Conservation Dog Puppy with Laura Holder
Dog Selection, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 ...
How to be a K9 Conservationist
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn 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!! Sugge...
Inspiring the Next Generation of Conservationists with Jeff Rennicke
Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn 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 suggesti...
Communications, Travel, and Conservation with Brooke Mitchell-Norman
Podcast Show NotesIn 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 w...
The Great Big Data Nerdfest with Dr. Charles van Rees (Pt. 2)
Podcast Show Notes, ResearchIn 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 s...
The Great Big Data Nerdfest with Dr. Charles van Rees (Pt. 1)
Podcast Show Notes, ResearchIn 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 s...
When Your Dogs are Your Coworkers – And Work is Hard
Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts), Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn 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...
Selecting a Conservation Detection Dog
Dog Selection, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn 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” ...
Off-Leash Etiquette and Ethics
Field Safety and Ethics, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, SafetyIn 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 responsibi...
Too Much “Structure” Compromises Your Working Dog’s Welfare
Field Safety and Ethics, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingIn 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 De...
Working with a Teenage Detection Dog
Detection Training, Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts), Podcast Show NotesIn 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 sear...
A Day in the Life of a Conservation Detection Dog Handler
Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts), Info for Early-Career Handlers, Podcast Show NotesIn this episode, we discuss a day in the life of a conservation detection dog handler on a variety of projects that Kayla has worked on. We cover the daily schedule for projects ranging from wind farm work to jaguar surveys in Costa Rica...
Midseason Musings: 2021 Summer Update
Basics, Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts), Wind EnergyWe are halfway through our season of finding dead bats on wind farms. This work will help biologists understand trends in how the turbines affect bats, particularly during migration. I am handling Niffler for his first season as a K9 Con...
Signal Detection Theory with Dr. Simon Gadbois
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, ResearchIn 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 and his work in Nova Scotia What is signal detectio...
Introducing the Conservation Dogs Collective
Podcast Show NotesIn 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...
Lengthy Searches with Dr. Nathan Hall
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, ResearchIn 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 sy...
Ethology and Working Dogs with Kim Brophey
Dog Selection, Info for Early-Career Handlers, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingToday 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 m...
Hierarchy of Behavior Change for Working Dogs with Dr. Susan Friedman
Podcast Show Notes, Progressive TrainingToday 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 qual...
Using Dogs to Count Critically Endangered African Rabbits with Esther Matthew
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Sensitive SpeciesToday I have the joy of talking to Esther Matthew about training conservation dogs for a critically endangered lagomorph. Read Esther’s full bio at the bottom of the show notes and see some photos of her, the riverine rabbits, and her do...
Muzzling for Wildlife Safety with Michael Shikashio
Field Safety and Ethics, Non-Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, SafetyIn 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. Show...
Our Nearly-Homeless Detection Dog Teams Need Your Help!
Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts)One of the hardest parts about being a conservation detection doh handler is the travel. It’s not unusual for me to spend months on the road, living out of hotels and cooking on camp stoves in the parking lot. I may only have a few days ...
Sourcing Odor with Stacy Barnett
Detection Training, Podcast Show Notes, Progressive Training, Sourcing OdorIn 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 nose-work. What is sourcing? Dogs driving to the highest concentration of odor It ...
6 Ways to be a K9 Conservationist for Earth Day
Info for Early-Career HandlersHere at K9 Conservationists, we’re not just obsessed with training conservation detection dogs. We’re passionate about all the ways that dog lovers (and their dogs) can help protect the planet. Earth Day is about so much more than simple...
Introducing the K9 Conservationists Podcast
Podcast Show Notes0:00 Hello and welcome to the K9 Conservationists Podcast! We’ve got a new name. As our loyal listeners know, we’ve recently lost my beloved co-host Ursa. She’s not dead! She’s just working a new job that is not going to allow her to...
What’s It Like to Be a Conservation Detection Dog Handler?
Info for Early-Career HandlersTo many outdoorsy dog-lovers, being a conservation detection dog handler sounds like an absolute dream job. In many ways, it absolutely is. But what is the job actually like? Of course, the first thing to say is it depends. There are a v...
How I Became a Conservation Detection Dog Handler
Info for Early-Career HandlersI love talking about my job. I truly think I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. When I’m talking to people about the work I do, I always get asked: how do I get started as a conservation detection dog handler? Of course there’s n...
Can Any Breed be a Conservation Detection Dog?
Dog Selection, Info for Early-Career HandlersNot every dog can cut it as a conservation detection dog. As we discussed in our article “Could My Dog Be a K9 Conservationist,” generally trainers look for dogs that are: High-drive and easily motivated by toys or food or both. Motivate...
What Is a Conservation Detection Dog?
Basics, Info for Early-Career HandlersConservation detection dogs are dogs that are specially trained to sniff out odors related to conservation. They work similarly to bomb, drug, or Search and Rescue dogs – but instead of searching for accelerants, drugs, or missing people...
Could My Dog be a K9 Conservationist?
Basics, Dog SelectionIf you’ve recently learned what conservation detection dogs are, you may be wondering if your beloved Fluffy has what it takes to help protect the planet. Can Any Dog Be Trained to do Conservation Detection Work? Not just any dog can cut...