Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Info for Early-Career Handlers”
Kayla 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 are helping her learn to be more patient, and all of the great learning she’s been doing …
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: What kinds of applications are currently practiced in conservation dogs work that might surprise those of us …
In 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 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 …
Getting 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 in podcast episodes including “Making It as a Conservation Dog Handler” and “How to be a K9 Conservationist.” If you’re interested in …
In 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 goes into some of the realities of tough fieldwork, low pay, finding (and losing) jobs, and the social …
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 …
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 …
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! I think many of us can relate to …
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 Patreon! Discussed in this Podcast: Considerations: Make a list of your must haves from a lifestyle perspective to help which type of …
In 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. As always, you can join our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists to support the podcast, get stickers, and join …