Alert! Scent Work

Scent work isn’t just about ribbons. It’s about setbacks, resilience, and the bond that makes every trip to the start line a gift.

In this episode, Tracy Hill offers practical takeaways for competitors while also opening up about the challenges that rarely make it to social media. From learning to process “no” to navigating the realities of a sick dog, she reflects on how those difficult moments shaped her approach to training and competing.

It’s an honest, encouraging conversation about perspective, perseverance, and the joy of working with our dogs, even when things don’t go as planned.

The first time I ran under Penny Scott Fox, she gave me a piece of feedback I still think about every time I step into a search area. We unpack what she meant by that comment — and how handlers can feel more confident calling finish when the run is actually done.

A founding instructor with NACSW and one of the judges at the very first AKC scent work trial, Penny digs into why most handlers wait too long to make the call and what she believes “trust your dog” really means. We also get into how she builds drive and what makes a search fun. She shares her take on the first-ever AKC Master National, and how she’s preparing for it.

Beyond her role as a judge and competitor, Donna opens the door to other ways the game is played that many handlers may not have seen before. She talks about why placing hides in training isn’t always about whether your dog can find them, a reward strategy in trial that could change how you earn a Q, and how to recognize and work around your own dog’s quirks. She also shares surprising advice for trial day: why excusing yourself from a search might sometimes be the best decision you can make for your team.

It’s a conversation full of the kinds of details that make you rethink the game, from training hides to handling quirks to knowing when to walk away.

Excused from the crate area and rattled through her novice searches, Jennifer's first scent work trial was anything but smooth. Instead of quitting, that moment lit the fire.

Jennifer talks about the overlooked skill that becomes critical in higher-level searches — especially buried; the hidden power of reward rituals that go beyond food; and how “my dog lies to me” usually means the dog is giving feedback, if we’re willing to listen. She also explains the smartest way to approach a judge if you want meaningful feedback after a trial.

But ultimately, it always comes back to joy, connection, and celebrating the dog, and that perspective just might change how you see your own searches.

The distractor rule I learned the hard way from Ellen, and it can make the difference between qualifying or not. It was awkward in the moment, but unforgettable.

We came back to that story, along with something I’ve noticed in Ellen's runs: when it looks like an alert to me, but she moves on. That led to a great discussion about the subtle signs of reading your dog and how every dog is unique.

We also talk about odor when judging long trial days, how to get more out of watching and video, and the kinds of moments she loves when judging.

And through it all, what really stands out is Ellen’s passion. Even after years in the sport, she still gets goosebumps watching dogs solve odor problems, and it’s contagious.

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.

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

• Side by Side Dog Training — https://sidebysidedogtraining.com
• Facebook: Side by Side Dog Training
• 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.