Find Your Fix- Sport Dog Scent Detection Podcast

Your K9 SCENT FIX - Host Support Podcast Team has been working diligently behind the scenes to craft our Podcast Progression and Facebook Support group to bring our scent detection sport dog hosting community closer together to share ideas and inspire each other to Host !  

IN our HOST SUPPORT PROGRESSION- We have broken down the Sport Scent Detection Event Hosting TO DO List and added in basic and needed concepts along the way, pertinent for most every host, new or seasoned from Site Acquisition to Its a Wrap - Event Closure ! 

For October (uploaded October 321, 2024- just in the nick of time to count for October) we jump back into more pre-planing ideas including Forms submission and what we need to GET the TRIAL SITE approval completed. We want to add in some focus on finances so we have TWO PARTS filled with information and educaiton to at the very least insprice more questions and an exchange of ideas.

Trial Production and the Digital Paperwork

-Pre-Trial- Budget Planning; Submission content; Levels; Calendar/ Membership Announcements/ Advertising

CoHosts- Jill Kovacevich of Mountain Dogs; Aleks Woodroffe of Release Canine and Jen Fleming of Georgia Nosework together with input from veteran host Tracey Gamley - contributor.

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Objective - Lets brainstorm the parts and pieces that may be "communication" in scent detection and the semantics - words and concepts to describe those training and trialing ideas for HANDLER communication. 

In our Train to Trail and Trial to Train Series we are exploring COMMUNICATION. In EPISODE we covered DOG COMMUNICATION and the broad view of the 1001 ways communication is present in our scent detection search to now in our next episode in Communication to talk about HANDLER communication. 

First lets look at the definition: What is communication in simple words? Communication is a process that involves sending and receiving messages through the verbal and non-verbal methods. Communication is a two-way means of communicating information in the form of thoughts, opinions, and ideas between two or more individuals with the purpose of building an understanding. What words might describe COMMUNICATION ? 

Everything we see, do, hear, feel, think By and Between Dog - Handler - Environment My List- Aleks' List 

Communication is the key to dog and handler clarity for learning and training the task of seeking and finding in nosework. Lets explore training concepts that "involve" include or depend on "communication AND break down the "areas" for more in depth focused discussion of those perceived as more important areas for our next few episodes and maybe even identify our favorite or most compelling areas of need in training our scent detection dogs. And more ! 

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Week Four: Meeting Expectations with Success - In this EPISODE- our final in the September Trial Hosting Series- jumps into getting your trial site approvals with NACSW or HOW TO pull in great AKC Judges with clear plans & photos! With guest Sue Frisch, NACSW Trial Approval Chair and Certifying Official, providing excellent insight into what makes great photos/videos of sites and what is required for NACSW approval!

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ITS A HYJACK !

We are hijacking todays podcast to talk about our September to Remember and all the great TRAINING and TRIAL experiences with GOALS met and new ones SET. 
Our Co-Host Aleks Woodroffe with Release Canine is featured to tell us her Summit success from Estes Park CO September 27-28 2024 culminating in a Summit Title and 1st Place overall for Aleks and her wonder pup Tana. Team Tana has faced challenging odds this trial season with a cancer diagnosis that so far has been met with good results YET forged a GOAL for Aleks of NOW or NEVER. 

Listen to not only the Story of Summit Success but lots of training nuggets for any scent sport dog team with goals to develop trial level search skills and find their own success. 

Team Tana is pure joy in motion. A spectator asked while watching the team search, is that dog a puppy- she has so much fun energy. Now THATS the JOY of 
SCENT DETECTION sport dog searching ! 

CONGRATULATIONS ! This lifetime "bucket list" is CHECKED as DONE and Done Well. This is not a brag tag podcast- its heartfelt and full of good train to trial and trial to train tid bits.

ENJOY THE JOY ! 

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FACILITY USE FEES-Explore facility expectations first, explore calendar BEFORE fees; off-season; low activity schedules; check online fee forms; ask for fee info; have budgets in mind- if goal is to break even- determine revenue potential less costs (get cost estimate from other Hosts in your area or build your own; 

POTENTIAL FEES- Ask for a written quote; revise to reduce hours for each area; offer to include staff hourly rate; 

BILLING -INVOICE- Ask how fees are billed; do you need to speak with accounting office; can you include the accounting office in a quote or proposed fee; do you need the accounting office buy-in - with small NON PROFIT the accounting office may be responsible for meeting facility use revenue goals; 

DECISION MAKER- Who  facilitates community facility use; decides on contract; who signs the contract; who bills for the fees- this will reveal alot about the decision maker and commitment to your event use; 

CONTACT PERSON- Is this the same as the Decision Maker; if not can you email to include both Contact Person and Decision Maker (Principal and Activity Director);

COMMUNICATION- If its a first time use- build an expectation that you will be communicating via email EARLY AND OFTEN (clearly and be timely); get emails and phone numbers; have a local host team member who can drop in to say hello and check in with folks- be respectful- "I imagine your very busy with school starting, but thought Id stop by and say hello and check on the calendar for our event and answer any questions"  etc.

RELATIONSHIPS- This is the CRUX of the FIRST USE and every repeat use thereafter !

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HOW TO START THE CONVERSATION with Guests Stacy Saravo and Sue Frisch ... 

SCHOOLS -GET Insider Information; Get to know a School Staffer;  Pros and Cons; relationship with staff; challenges; how to create buy in; create progress to getting to yes; written proposal; School support groups- sports, coaches, PTA/PTO; Theater, Band, 4 H; TAs; Keep engaged- Front office; P/VP;Secretary; Accounting staff 

MUSEUMS/ FAIRGROUNDS- Use the online event request forms- fill it out generally- too much detail may disuade the reader

BUSINESSES- Build relationships !

COLLEGES- Ask to train from building manager and invite staff spectators

STUDENTS- Ask NoseWork students about their jobs, work or business relationships- who DO YOU know; 

EXPECTATIONS- Get more NOs than YES ! Keep the MAYBEs on your list !

EXCLUSIVE USE-When asked or during Walk Thru for event exploration-  Explain Dog-Handler parking; one dog searching; search dog focus needs exclusive use to avoid distraction; dogs maintained on leash moving to and from search area; maintained in parking (include all the safety-respectful policies for YOUR hosting to gain the Exclusive Use allowance; COI- $1m/$3M; 

RESPECT - Communicate respect to ALL staff you encounter- build the relationship

TIPS and TRICKS- VOLUNTEER for any Host, any job, show up, ask questions, be a sponge !

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Site Suitability – what can you offer? 

Lets discuss how you can identify potential trial sites and what are the needs for a trail site !

Here's our laundry list -

Types of locations:  Whats important -  Logistics- Parking, Dog Potty Areas Rest Rooms, Score Room, Hospitality for Volunteers; Search areas for levels the site supports;
Is the site Event Manageable- Line of sight; sound; enter/exit; reactive dogs; ADA-TBD; 
Location proximity- lodging; food; travel distances; are events allowed; dogs allowed; budget feasible; New host/ experienced host; team hosting; single business hosting; engagement-conversation with the site; alot of info v little info; decision maker; methods to ask; 

Exclusive Use- Ask for it and explain why- for the AREAS you MAY need

Review How to Host- Ask questions

Progression- Host event- mock; sniff n go; ORT; classes at new facility or area; ask to train at potential trial event facility; create a facility coordinator team; ask existing Host if you can be a facility coordinator for that Host; Offer to do trial secretary tasks; Ask to learn trial secretary tasks; volunteer for different hosts- different positions with learning in mind; ask to shadow the Host/ VC even if you miss searches or all the searches; offer to help with set up - break down; learn the Host Team Jobs- SR; VC; PLOT; GS; JS; T 

RESOURCES ONLINE- 

Rules- Be familiar with the rules for that Venue- NACSW/ AKC - other

How To Host- NACSW - INCLUDES IT ALL ! https://nacsw.net/events/trials/hosting-trial

Trial Location Requirements- NACSW https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JcuQDfA0uY0BH1cUm3B3yf-xqzd9zG0S/edit

Other Hosts- Learn who is hosting in your area; can you collaborate not infiltrate; how does that community share hosting calendar

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PART TWO- In our Train to Trial and Trial to Train Communication Series we started with DOG to HANDLER communciaton ! DO YOU SPEAK DOG ? In Part One we explored our thoughts and ideas of how our dogs' communicate various odor attributes and presence or absence of odor in the search.

In PART TWO we continue this fun discussion and explore a bit more about hide placement and how training may build dog commuicaiton CLARITY for DOG and HANDLER for imporved Handler observation and understanding. 

LETS JUMP back into the conversation where we left off as PART TWO. 

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We are excited to start our Host Support Weekly Tid Bits with a focused monthly topic to build a Host- Handler community and support our great sport of scent detection with training and trial events. Join Us starting Wednesday September 11 2024 on K9 Scent Fix posted to your favorite PODCAST app or at k9scentfix.buzzsprout.com

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If you BUILD it they will come ! Who knew ! Over 3,000 downloads ! We are all hungry to learn,  in the dog sport world of scent detection and one more podcast to choose from didnt seem possible but became probable and here we are ONE YEAR later with our upcoming September K9 Scent Fix Podcast Episode ! 

Thanks from Aleks with Release Canine and myself Jill with Mountain Dogs to all our listeners and supporters and folks who engage in this great sport and become life time learners with our dogs. Its Amazing, Awe Inspring and just plain Fun. So Congratulations to all of you who engage in learning and sharing the pursuit of odor with your dogs.  We hope you will JOIN US and continue to tune in and listen to the K9 Scent Fix Podcast upcoming episodes for another year of K9 Scent Fix talk !

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