What to listen for:

“So I think dog training is almost 90% thinking and preparing, and 10% working with your dog.”

Two of our three hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett sit down for part 2 with Adee Schoon, an expert in the detection field with over three decades of experience, to explore her diverse and groundbreaking projects.

What happens when man's best friend becomes a vital ally in solving sexual crimes? Together with Amsterdam University and a local fertility clinic, Adee and team faced numerous challenges, from acquiring diverse samples to ensuring ethical evidence handling. Discover how these canine detectives are transforming forensic investigations, enhancing accuracy, and speeding up case resolutions.

Adee and our hosts dissect the intriguing ways in which a dog's natural tendencies—whether they're quick to alert or more methodical—affect their performance. Comparing high-pressure training scenarios like mine detection to more relaxed, recreational approaches, they highlight the importance of tailoring training strategies to individual dogs. By understanding and adapting to each dog's unique behavior, trainers can maximize both effectiveness and safety for the canine and its handler.

Adee recounts stories of dogs identifying fungus-infected wood under extreme conditions and even tackling complex tasks like recognizing different types of vanilla scents. This episode also offers a glimpse into the broader implications of using dogs for natural substance detection and the crucial need for validated studies to ensure reliability. All this and much more in this episode of K9 Detection Collaborative!

Key Topics:

• Working with Sexual Crime Dogs (0:31)
• Using Dogs to Locate and Analyze DNA Evidence (04:59)
• Training Dogs with Individualized Approaches (17:23)
• The Methods Behind Detecting Fungus in Trees (22:43)
• Detecting Bed Bugs and Spotted Lanternfly with Potential Applications in Pest Control and Forensic Work (28:00)
• Training Dogs to Detect Vanilla and Other Scents (36:47)
• The Concept of Cognitive Testing and Predicting Dog Performance (42:48)
• Adee’s Dream Project if the “Research Grant Fairy” Were to Visit (45:20)
• Takeaways (49:25)

Resources:

• Training Dogs To Use Their Nose, A Blueprint (by Adee Schoon)

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here at CB K9 and here at Evolution Working Dog Club. Also, check out her Functional Obedience Class here.
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com

What to listen for:

In this episode of K9 Detection Collaborative, Our hosts Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett sit down with Adee Schoon, an expert in the detection field with over three decades of experience, to explore her diverse and groundbreaking projects.

Prepare to be fascinated by Adee’s incredible journey, from her early days researching scent identification with the Dutch police to her current role as a leading consultant. Robin, Stacy, and Adee delve into her international collaborations, including de-mining efforts with Apopo, detecting rust in the oil and gas industry, and groundbreaking cancer detection initiatives. Adee passionately discusses the importance of scientific validation and the ethical considerations in training and maintaining the well-being of detection animals.

In this episode, you'll also gain valuable insights into the techniques and challenges of training detection dogs and African pouch rats. Learn about the crucial role of motivation and reinforcement and the meticulous strategies needed for effective scent detection. Don't miss part two of this conversation next week!

Key Topics:

• Detection of Corrosion in the Oil and Gas Industry (04:30)
• Detection Dogs and Mine Detection (10:38)
• Balancing Motivation and Nutrition when Using Food as a Motivator (17:47)
• Training Dogs for Landmine Detection (24:19)
• Training Dogs and Rats for Search and Rescue Work (29:08)
• Training Rats to Detect Landmines in Tanzania (33:08)
• De-mining Techniques and Guidelines for Detecting Landmines (38:22)
• Small Odor Profiles, Including Electronics Detection and De-mining (41:20)
• Adee’s Book and its Immense Value in the Detection World (49:12)

Resources:

• Training Dogs To Use Their Nose, A Blueprint (by Adee Schoon)
• Animal Training 101 (by Jenifer A Zeligs)

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here at CB K9 and here at Evolution Working Dog Club. Also, check out her Functional Obedience Class here.
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com

What to listen for:

Today, Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing address a common concern among handlers: what to do if your dog is having trouble finding the source of an odor during a training search. First thing’s first: “Your dog is just giving you information. It’s not personal. They don’t have it out for you!” Fixing this problem starts, our hosts say, by approaching trial searches from a place where you’re judging neither yourself nor your dog.

Listen in and learn the steps you need to take when your dog is struggling during search training, from troubleshooting problem points to creating a search environment catered to your particular dog’s strengths and skills. Is an odor not presenting itself the way you intended? “If the odor is not available,” say the Dames of Detection, “the hide might as well not be there.” In which case, you might not have a training problem, but a handling problem. Our hosts break down the art of hide placement and optimizing your training space.

They also discuss how to identify behaviors that indicate frustration in your dog during the search and, from there, how to eliminate variables to get to the root cause of that frustration. They stress the influence of your body language on your dog’s ability to operate, and how to troubleshoot the so-called “eight indicators'' that can help keep your dog within a productive pattern of work during a search.

Key Topics:

• Odor Availability and Hide Placement Best Practices (01:44)
• It’s Not Personal: Addressing Your Dog’s Frustrations Objectively (10:00)
• Troubleshooting Your Training Space (20:26)
• Identifying Patterns, and Frustration Behaviors in Your Dog (22:38)
• How Your Body Language Influences Your Dog’s Performance (27:19)
• Odor Availability and Breaking Patterns (33:27)
• The Eight Indicators (45:09)

Resources:

• K9 Detection Collaborative Episode 111: The Importance of Setting Hides
• K9Sensus: What Do I Do with this Dumpster Fire?
• Stacy Barnett: NW190: Training a Thinking Nosework Dog using a Cognitive Approach
• Thousand Hour Eyes: Reading Scenting Dog Behavior w/ Scott White

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here at CB K9 and here at Evolution Working Dog Club. Also, check out her Functional Obedience Class here.
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com