Screening Shelter Dogs and Career Changes with Katie Brennan from Search Dog Foundation (Part 2)

In 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 the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists. K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok Transcript (AI-Generated) Kayla Fratt  Hello and welcome to the K9 Conservationists podcast, where …

Training Expert Dogs to Hand-Off to Amateurs with Miranda Turenne

In 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 handlers? Selection of the dogs is important Dogs that are highly biddable and highly task oriented Building foundation skills to fluency Training system created with the transfer …

Breeding Functional Working Dogs with Dr. Jessica Hekman

In 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 Science What is functional breeding? The population is no more at risk of X disease than the dog population as a whole. Also prioritizing behavioral wellness over looks …

Leveraging Terrier Instincts with Miriam Ritchie

In 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 monitoring with scat detection dogs Patreon Questions: Taylor: Are they hunting the rodents? Does that affect her selection? Taylor: How has the welcome been with this …

Breeding Detection Dogs with Kate Graham, Part 2

In 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 What is important to consider for pregnant broods? Appropriate exercise for pregnant broods to keep them fit, which is better and safer for whelping and …

Breeding Detection Dogs with Kate Graham, Part 1

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 …

Difficult Dogs Part 2, Shelter Stress, and More with Ursa Acree

In 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 environmental factors in the shelter or in the home that can make behavior problems worse? Change in environment is stressful, especially when …

Difficult Dogs and Conservation with Rogue Detection Teams

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 …

Selecting and Raising a Conservation Dog Puppy with Laura Holder

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 Conservationist!  What are the pros and cons of getting …