Joanne Soyke had a Border Collie named Flip who finally found a sport that let him use his powers for good rather than evil. From that moment, from competing to training to judging, she's made it her mission to bring the gift of scent work to every dog since.

That mission is rooted in something she comes back to throughout this conversation. Dogs let us into their world when they search. They share something with us that we can barely comprehend, and the more we learn to listen, the richer that experience gets for the dog and for us.

She also talks about the tools that help you get there. And a mantra she borrowed from Jeff McMahon that she takes to every start line: I'm grateful for whatever the dog wants to share with me today.

What we talk about:

• Joanne's origin story, a border collie named Flip who finally got to use his powers for good instead of evil
• CARAT, the Suzanne Clothier assessment tool that changed how Joanne sees every dog she works with
• The over-aroused Doberman and the start line routine she built around him
• The terrified rat terrier who went from scared of a box to knocking them across the room
• Judging philosophy, fun and fair, not trying to trick you or your dog
• How the environment dictates the difficulty of the hides she sets
• The sunshine through the windows she didn't notice and what that moment taught her about judging.
• What's actually going through her head when she's watching you run
• The blind hide exercise that builds your ability to read your dog
• Why your one step after finding a hide might be costing you a converging
• Trusting your dog and sharing the responsibility of the search
• Are you trying to trial today or for the next 10 years
• The mantra she takes to every start line
• Seven questions with Joanne, including who in her pack keeps her humble, the wedding line, and what her dog would say about her in one word

Find Joanne:

www.furbetterfurworse.com

Facebook: Fur Better Fur Worse Dog Training

Alert! Scent Work is a podcast for competitors — the parking lot conversations you'd never get to have at a trial, with the judges and community members you wish you had more time with.

Listen to the podcast and find everything here: https://www.AlertScentWork.com

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