K9 Conservationists

By Kayla Fratt

Welcome to the K9 Conservationists podcast, where we’re positively obsessed with conservation detection dogs! Join us every week as we discuss detection dogs, ecology, conservation, dog behavior, trai... more

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FAQs about K9 Conservationists:

How many episodes does K9 Conservationists have?

The podcast currently has 222 episodes available.

K9 Conservationists episodes:

December 07, 2021Selecting and Raising a Conservation Detection Dog Puppy with Laura Holder
In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks to Laura Holder of Conservation Dogs Collective. They chat all about puppies!
Episode suggestion: Stay curious by being more “dog”! For 90 seconds a day, find joy in little things and slow down!
Call to action: Update your Amazon Smile to benefit K9 Conservationists.
What are the pros and cons of getting a conservation dog as a puppy?
Pros: Having a dog from a puppy gives you more control over their learning and getting them started on detection-related development early
Cons: It is a huge time and monetary investment. There is also no guarantee they will end up working as a conversation dog.
What are you looking for when looking for a breeder?
It is a good idea to interview breeders Look for physical health, how the dogs are kept, titles, bred for related work (service work, police dogs, hunting, etc.)
How to pick a puppy from a litter?
If the breeder doesn’t pick for you, it would be best to see some video of the litters, see if the breeder knows about Puppy Culture, etc. You can do an obstacle course, puzzles, etc. If your breeder is selecting, ensure they know what they are looking for. Be cautious about shelter puppies, as there are so many perks to working with a reputable breeder
What are some games would you play with puppies to get them started on the conservation detection line of work?
Basic puppy socialization is important! Sprinkle in a little bit of nosework such as food scatters and snuffle mats! Keep things easy to start, they are just puppies!
What about games for a pre-teen puppy?
They have a higher attention span, so you can increase the difficulty of your nose games

Barrier challenges are good to start at this age
What games can we play with teenage detection dogs?
They are still young, so it’s important to know they will still have “difficult” days You can increase the difficulty even more and introduce physical aspects to the challenges
How do you manage your goals and expectations for your puppy?
Your puppy will never be perfect, neither will you.

Mistakes will happen and that’s okay!

Working with a professional will help set you up for success

Be your puppy’s advocate

Be humble, don’t wear rose coloured glasses

“Everything is a phase; whether it’s good, whether it’s bad, whether you’re thrilled with what you’re seeing or devastated.”

Know when to really dig into something or when to just let them ride it out

It is absolutely okay if raising a puppy is not your thing.
Patreon Question: How can I be productive in developing a conservation or good scent detection puppy while dealing with puppy brain and waiting for maturity to hit? Are there certain signs that you can see early on a potential conservation prospect puppy? Try as best as possible to expose and positively influence the puppies experience out in the world.
You’ve got time! Signs to look for are dogs that are motivated to engage with the environment with and without human-induced reinforcers
...more
1h 4min
November 30, 2021How to be a K9 Conservationist
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 you’re good at

Lastly, a circle to the right of what the world needs.

In the center could be some ways you can help save the planet, save some dogs, or be a k9 conservationist.
Smaller ways to help
Be a more eco friendly dog owner by supporting local, reducing your carbon footprint during travel, etc.

Volunteer with organizations that protect the land or start your own
Getting in the field of conservation detection:
Your first 2 steps no matter what are similar if you want to be a handler: learn scentwork/handling/dog behavior and familiarize yourself with field biology and survey techniques

Volunteer to start to see if its something you’d be interested in

Education
Grad school is one option

Getting hired with a bigger organization is another
Working Dogs for Conservation

Rogue Detection Teams

Science Dogs of New England

Conservation Dogs Collective

WEST Inc
Summer gigs for wind and solar farms

You get hired with your dog

Other abroad organizations

Taking courses in person and online, such as Fenzi Dog Sport Academy for Nosework, Rogue Detection Teams, Conservation K9 Consultancy in Australia

K9 Conservationist podcast and patreon

Being a handler isn’t your only option, and it’s not for everyone. Other ways to get involved:
Volunteer with us: course creation, social media, website maintenance - you probably have a skill we need!

Work in another role like fundraising at another organization

Biologists can hire us

Shelter workers can help us find other dogs

Donations, of course

Get involved in your local community with the shelter, trail building, PlayCleanGo, wildlife rehab, or just pick up some extra dog poo bags.
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
...more
22min
November 23, 2021Inspiring the Next Generation of Conservationists with Jeff Rennicke
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 involved in its protection.
What is wilderness?
The wildness of our planet and the existence of everything in it

The preservation of the world

There's always two people in a photograph: photographer and viewer
Words and photos have the power to inspire people. Why does it matter?
“Knowledge without love will not stick, but teach someone to love something first, then knowledge will follow.” - John Burroughs
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned from working with adults vs children?
There are a lot of similarities

There are subtle difference in pacing, assumption of understanding, etc., but you are still telling stories about a cause you want them to fall in love with

“Facts and figures don’t stick, it’s love” - Jeff
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
Wilderness and the American Mind
Jeff’s bog and conservation photos
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson Photography
Where to find Jeff: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Friends of the Apostle Islands
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
...more
1h
November 16, 2021Communications, Travel, and Conservation with Brooke Mitchell-Norman
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 benefit conservation?
When it is done right, it puts an exact value dollar on a live and thriving wildlifeWhen your favourite species is a top predator, it is in your genes to want to kill it to protect yourself
There are very few things in conservation that places monetary value on wildlife, nature, and intact ecosystems

A significant number of people are directly and indirectly supported through tourism
Can you tell us about some of the ways that travelers can not just support local communities and put value on live animals but also directly contribute to community science?
Do your research

Check the websites; can you tell if the business is locally owned or not?If so, your money will be for the local community

How are they interacting with wildlife?If there are advertisements of people directly touching and interacting with wildlife, such as cubs, that is a red flag

If something makes you uncomfortable, you do not have to do it
Are there any countries with regulations on these things?
The Galapagos

Africa

Be wary of Asia, research elephant tourism
Why is communication and education so important for conservation?
Connection

We have to change the message from doom and gloom to storytelling and showing what we are fighting for

If you connect with someone on a deeper level, they are more likely to listen to what you have to say and support you
What are some misunderstandings?
That it is “bothering” wildlife, but there are always many layers to the reason for it. If it wasn’t for tourism, a lot of ecosystems would not have continued to thrive

There are a lot of tourism places that give a bad reputation to the reputable ones
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
Lekker Coffee in Rino, Colorado

Rhino Film: The Last Horns of Africa
Where to find Brooke: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
...more
1h 23min
November 09, 2021The Great Big Data Nerdfest with Dr. Charles van Rees (Part 2)
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 learning things

Data doesn’t necessarily “teach you things” but it helps you learn an answer to something you’re looking for
Examples of data for conservation science
Occurrence data: evidence of the occurrence of a species in a specific area

Abundance data: identifying and counting every individual of every species in a given sector

Time series data: a series of data points indexed in time order

Monitoring: the process of watching the changes and patterns in the species
Challenges in data collection
Biases in both humans vs dogs

Dogs have less of a visual bias than humans as they rely on olfactory vs sight to find data

Important to consider if the questions you are asking from the data are going to be worth it to have dogs involved.

Sample size: you have to have enough data in order to be able to work with the data

Trying to collect data in a cost effective way

You can’t control the data you collect
What happens to the life-cycle of data?
Analysis

Publishing

FAIR principles

Meta-analyses and reviews

Policy!

Or if not, advocacy! Action! Management!
What are ways to collect data?
Conservation detection dogs

Radio collars

Camera traps

eDNA

Drones

Audio surveys

Netting
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
Mirror test (Kayla got this slightly wrong - dolphins spent extra time head circling, which may indicate recognition)

Dogs self-recognition with scent

Wolverine Way book
Where to find Charles: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Nature Guys
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
...more
50min
November 02, 2021Data Nerdfest with Dr. Charles van Rees (Part 1)
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 learning things

Data doesn’t necessarily “teach you things” but it helps you learn an answer to something you’re looking for
Examples of data for conservation science
Occurrence data: evidence of the occurrence of a species in a specific area

Abundance data: identifying and counting every individual of every species in a given sector

Time series data: a series of data points indexed in time order

Monitoring: the process of watching the changes and patterns in the species
Challenges in data collection
Biases in both humans vs dogs
Dogs have less of a visual bias than humans as they rely on olfactory vs sight to find data

Important to consider if the questions you are asking from the data are going to be worth it to have dogs involved.

Sample size: you have to have enough data in order to be able to work with the data

Trying to collect data in a cost effective way

You can’t control the data you collect
What happens to the life-cycle of data?
Analysis

Publishing

FAIR principles

Meta-analyses and reviews

Policy!

Or if not, advocacy! Action! Management!
What are ways to collect data?
Conservation detection dogs

Radio collars

Camera traps

eDNA

Drones

Audio surveys

Netting
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
- Mirror test (Kayla got this slightly wrong - dolphins spent extra time head circling, which may indicate recognition)
- Dogs self-recognition with scent
- Wolverine Way

Whatever thing you were talking about at 22 minutes, gulo?
Where to find Charles: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Nature Guys
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
...more
45min
October 26, 2021When Your Dogs are Your Coworkers - And Work is Hard
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 Kayla if you’d like to volunteer with helping put together a scentwork course!
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
None
Where to find Marissa: Website | Book | Podcast | Connection Summit | Instagram | Facebook
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
...more
1h 1min
October 19, 2021Selecting a Conservation Detection Dog
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 help which type of dog works best for you. This can be anything from breed type, grooming requirements, size, etc. You should also make a list of “nice to have” and “bonus points”. These are types of things that aren’t a must have, but are still of some importance to you. These are usually aesthetic type desires.

You also need to consider your work lifestyle, whether your dog can handle being off leash around wildlife, water, other dogs, people, etc.

Consider if you’d want to do outreach work at events with your dog. Would a social dog be more ideal, etc.

Travel is something to consider. A dog that thrives on routine may not be best for conservation work.

Most trainers in this field prefer dogs that have a high drive for toys

Consider what kind of dog you like to work with; high drive, low drive, preference for food reinforcement, preference for toy reinforcement, low energy or high energy personality, etc.

Consider the detail level of the work you want to do

It’s very important to consider your skill set and experience with dog handling
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
Pandemic Puppy - Where to Get a Puppy

Pandemic Puppy - Picking a Breeder

Pandemic Puppy - Picking a Puppy from a Breeder

Pandemic Puppy - Picking a Shelter Puppy

Test for Detection Dogs
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website
Go Fund Me
...more
38min
October 12, 2021Off-Leash Etiquette and Ethics
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 leash, there’s a reason for it

When you arrive at a trail, observe your surroundings
Are there lots of cars indicating lots of people? Do the cars have bike racks? If so, is your dog reliable around bikes?

When in doubt, use a long line

Not only do you have to think about the safety of other people and dogs, you also have to think about the environment

Your dog should not chase any wildlife; even if they don’t catch it, that is undue stress on wildlife

Do research on what animals live in the environment you’re in to ensure yours and the wildlife’s safety
Links Mentioned in the Episode:
None
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website
Go Fund Me
...more
26min
September 28, 2021Too Much "Structure" Compromises Your Working Dog's Welfare
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 not to build up an obsession with the reinforcers to best avoid desperation and deprivation

Welfare is appropriate food, enrichment, exercise, and anything that would meet the dog's needs. Just because your dog is working doesnèt mean they shouldn’t get these needs met. They still need to “just be a dog”.

“If your dog doesn’t want to work anymore just because you’re giving them a good life off duty, you need to reassess both your training plans and your welfare plans for your dog.”

Modifying incentives isn’t bad, structure can be important to your dog’s health and safety
Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Cog Dog Radio - Drive, Deprivation, and Desperation
Dr. Susan Freidman Episode
You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.
K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
A HUGE thank you to an anonymous donor who donated enough to cover the remainder of the van repairs! Thank you to ALL of our supporters who donated, shared, and supported K9 Conservationists through this time!
...more
21min

FAQs about K9 Conservationists:

How many episodes does K9 Conservationists have?

The podcast currently has 222 episodes available.

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