Scent work wasn’t part of the plan. It started with Sam, anxious in agility but able to find his place in nose work. Then Rosie, her flat coat, lit up the moment she started searching, and her joy made the game contagious. Finally, Tana, the dog who was supposed to do agility but didn’t love it, found her stride in scent work and pulled Aleks all the way in.

That was the start of an obsession with scent work. Competing, learning everything she could, teaching, and judging all followed.

Aleks shares what she believes is the single most important skill for scent work teams and why it changes everything. She talks about the difference between waiting for confirmation and watching for the odor picture, and how she sets searches with intention. From her “chair at every level” example to the master searches she plans in detail, nothing is just slapping hides out there.

From first Qs to Detective titles, Hallie McMullen has been part of the journey for countless teams. Now she shares her judging philosophy and training insights.

Hallie has judged for NACSW and AKC, while also competing with her own dogs and coaching teams through every stage of the sport. With more than 25 years of experience, starting in detection dog work before moving into sport, she brings a depth of knowledge shaped by thousands of searches.

Hallie talks about what makes a search fair, challenging, and enjoyable. She unpacks how environmental factors like wind, heat, and elevation change odor. And she offers candid insights on the role of the handler—how nerves, habits, and over-handling shape a dog’s performance.

Laurie Schlossnagle helped build C-WAGS scent work and went on to judge the very first AKC Scent Work trial. In this conversation, she shares how she thinks through level-appropriate searches, why stable odor matters more than difficulty, and what handlers often overlook when competing. Laurie also reveals the personal story behind her signature distractor, and what it symbolizes beyond adding challenge.

Laurie Schlossnagle is a judge for AKC, UKC, and C-WAGS scent work, a long-time competitor, and a trainer at Side by Side Dog Training. She has been instrumental in creating scent work opportunities across organizations and continues to judge, teach, and compete.

1. Fair judging starts with level-appropriate challenges, not tricks.
2. Stable odor is the first test: if odor won’t stay available, the search isn’t fair.
3. In upper levels, dogs usually know the odor picture, handling becomes the hard part.
4. Long lines are communication tools, and teams must practice them.
5. AKC, UKC, and C-WAGS each give dogs different “odor pictures” and environments and different competitive experiences
6. Judges sometimes rerun classes when fairness is compromised, and they’re looking for it.

1. Side by Side Dog Training — https://sidebysidedogtraining.com
2. Facebook: Side by Side Dog Training
3. Instagram: @sidebysidesc

00:59 Scot’s first Q was under Laurie

03:42 Laurie’s philosophy for setting hides

05:06 How environment shapes “level appropriate” searches

08:37 Why higher levels are mostly about handling

11:02 Long-line advice for trialing and training

15:34 What’s different across AKC, UKC, and C-WAGS

17:41 Why C-WAGS was created

19:20 Laurie judged the very first AKC trial

23:23 When buried was literally drilled into the ground

27:12 A hidden food distractor forces a rerun

30:28 Seven Questions

33:12 Story behind Laurie’s signature distractor

Thanks for listening to Alert! Scent Work.

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This is the trailer for Alert! Scent Work.