K9 Conservationists

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 y...

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 in...

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 be...

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...

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 an...

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 K...

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...

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 l...

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...

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 a...

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 inform...

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 a...

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 en...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 P...

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 s...

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,...

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....

Today we’re talking to Hannah Branigan about cueing versus shaping in your training sessions. Now this might sound a bit nerdy - and it probably will be - but it’s actually really important for novice trainers! I know I personally got stuck on this a lot when I was starting out as a new trainer. And Hannah is EXACTLY who I wanted to talk to about this topic. Hannah is the host of Drinking from the...

Kayla and Ursa provide updates on their life and play another quick round of hot takes. They take turns pulling a topic from a hat, then they have 3 minutes to give their thoughts on it – then the other person has 2 minutes to add their thoughts. Hot takes covered: Praise based training Head collars Vibration collars

Discussed in this episode: Creating plans for non-trainer dog handlers Working with clients vs working with conservation problems Elephant migration  Chimpanzee project  Remote conservation vs captive conservation  How to get involved with conservation training Working with detection dogs Using the “all clear procedure” Maintaining enthusiasm in “no find” environments Ensuring the learner has all...

Kayla and Ursa return for another Hot Takes. They take turns pulling a topic from a hat, then they have 3 minutes to give their thoughts on it - then the other person has 2 minutes to add their thoughts. Remember, you can now support the podcast through Patreon for as little as $3/month! Patrons can submit questions, which we’ll answer at the end of each episode. Join the conversation over at patr...