K9 Conservationists

Kayla Fratt of K9Conservationists wraps up her Alaska fieldwork mini-series with a deep dive into life on the Island Wolf Project. She shares what a day in the field really looks like from loading the boat at dawn, hiking through temperate rainforests, relentless rain, and working with the Barley, Niffler, and Itooma across 25+ remote islands.Kayla answers Patreon questions about how she chooses search routes, when to work dogs on- and off-leash, how to stay safe around bears and wolves, and how to navigate the somewhat unpredictable logistics of boat-based surveys. She also breaks down what she packs, how her and the team collects data, and how the dogs’ different search styles shape the team. Barley’s veteran brilliance, Tooma’s breakout finds, and Niffler’s scat sprint days.And of course: wildlife highlights! Breaching humpbacks, puffins, swimming black bears, playful wolf pups on camera, and the thrill of finding fresh wolf tracks. Kayla also shares preliminary diet and DNA results from her 2024 samples. Then looks ahead to next season as Barley transitions to “professor emeritus” and her new dog Skipper begins his paw-pprenticeship to fill Barley’s big paws.Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara Fangton Guest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Interns: Evelyn Combs and Grace KoskiWebsite: Meg du BrayMentoring group: Madison Davis

In this episode of K9Conservationists, Kayla Fratt chats with Alison Pearce Stevens, author of Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species. They discuss the inspiration behind her new book, her experiences shadowing detection dog teams, and what it was like to bring the story to life.Alison’s websitehttps://apstevens.com/ Get a signed copy! Don’t forget you can personalize your copy, just put your desired personalization in the comment box when ordering.https://francieandfinch.com/ Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara Fangton Guest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Interns: Evelyn Combs and Grace KoskiWebsite: Meg du BrayMentoring group: Madison Davis

It’s time to bust some myths and challenge some hot takes of the conservation detection dog world! Join Kayla Fratt (K9 Conservationists), Paul Bunker (Chiron K9), and Meg Barnes (Detection for Good) as they tackle common claims and controversies that impact dogs, handlers, and the field as a whole. From “training your dog on Kong will ruin them”, to “good training can fix anything”, to “working a dog is unethical”. These seasoned professionals break down why these ideas persist, why they’re wrong, and what good, ethical, and evidence based training really looks like. Hot takes we BUST in this episode include: If you train your dog on Kong/essential oils you will ruin them!Detection dogs can’t do any other sports or it will ruin them!Good training can fix anything!Your dog wouldn’t do ___ if you were a better trainer!You should starve your dog to make them work harder!Confine your dog to a small kennel for days to “build their desire to work”!Making your dog work is unethical!!!You can’t train directional cues without an ecollar!Force fetch is the only way to teach a dog to retrieve!Our guests:Meg Barneshttps://www.instagram.com/detectionforgood/ Paul Bunker https://www.instagram.com/chironk9/ Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara Fangton Guest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Intern: Evelyn Combs Website: Meg du BrayMentoring group: Madison Davis

Join Kayla Fratt (K9Conservationist) for a enlightening conservation with Kyoko Johnson and Marlee Monahan (Conservation Dogs of Hawaii), Sally Dickinson (Virginia Tech), and Arden Lumenfall (New York-New Jersey Trail Conference) as we learn about how organizations across the USA are engaging with their communities and using the power of volunteer detection dog teams to help further research and initiatives. Come along as they discuss how volunteers have helped further their causes, how they select dogs, and some of the challenges of using volunteers in the field.This episode also features a science highlight on hard ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) and the effectiveness of detection dogs vs traditional tick drag survey methodshttps://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-024-06519-8 Sally Dickinson - Virginia TechSally’s publications https://data.lib.vt.edu/authors/Sally_Dickinson/11235291 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vtcals?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MW5kN2puMzY1MDQ2bg==  Kyoko Johnson and Marlee Monahan - Conservation Dogs of Hawaii Instagram https://www.instagram.com/conservationdogshawaii?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MTIyOTljbzF6bjJ3Yw== Website https://www.conservationdogshawaii.org/volunteer/ Arden Lumenfall - New York-New Jersey trail conference Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nynjtc_conservationdogs?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=YWQ5Y3VjcjlsdGs= Website https://www.nynjtc.org/conservation-dogs/ 

In this episode K9 Conservationist co-founder, Kayla Fratt, continues her story about her PhD research and Alaskan field season with a raw and honest look at what “ugly training” really means and why it matters. Kayla shares the realities of working detection dogs in unpredictable weather, adapting when field plans fall apart, and facing the heartbreak of realizing that not every talented dog is a fit for every project. From rough and rain-soaked boat rides to joyful breakthroughs in the field, this episode dives into the art of balancing research, intuition, and compassion in conservation detection dog work.

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, co-founder Kayla Fratt speaks about her PhD research. This episode covers background on the Alexander Archipelago wolf, some past research done by other biologists, and how dogs fit into the picture. She then discusses dog selection, onboarding, and training for this project. This episode ends with Kayla and her field technician Grace missing the ferry to Alaska. Links mentioned in this episode:Genetic Gobeldygook with Ellen Dymit https://open.spotify.com/episode/5oIRUv2sGmVXUYifn7vKee?si=b1b871f994534492 Detection dogs afraid of wolf scat (Vervaecke et al., 2021): https://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/zootehnie/article/view/14092

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Ruan and Tina De Flamingh form Green Trax about incursion dogs.Links Mentioned in the Episode:Science Highlight: Domestic Dog Scent Marks Trigger a Behavioural Response in Wild WolvesWhere to find Ruan and Tina:   Website You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Crystal Wing about toy play to modulate arousal. Links Mentioned in the Episode:Previous Crystal Wing podcastThe Moving CanineScience Highlight: Wildlife detection dogs effectively survey a terrestrial amphibian, but differ among individuals, weather and habitatWhere to find Crystal: Linktree | FDSA You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Ryan Tate about Phytophthora and pigeons. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Evaluating scent detection dogs as a tool to detect pathogenic Phytophthora speciesScience Highlight: Should the cocktail training method cause a stir? Training frog generalist detection dogs with combined species samplesWhere to find Ryan: Website | Facebook | InstagramYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Sarah Jackson from New York-New Jersey Trail Conference about sticky sage.Links Mentioned in the Episode: NoneScience Highlight: Impact of variations in training schedules on dogs’ acquisition and retention of an odor detection taskWhere to find Sarah: Website You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Jo Laurens from The Force Free Gun Dogs about gundogs.Links Mentioned in the Episode: NoneScience Highlight: Switching to marine prey leads to unprecedented mercury concentrations in a population of coastal Alaska wolvesWhere to find Jo: Website | Force Free Gundog GroupYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Lauren Wendt from Momentum K9 about large search area strategy. Links Mentioned in the Episode: NoneScience Highlight: Comparison of mechanical sorting and DNA metabarcoding for diet analysis with fresh and degraded wolf scatsWhere to find Lauren: Website You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back for part two with Sage Gustafson and Tiff Shao about the challenging topic of life with high-energy, high-drive, and/or high-arousal dogs who are injured or sick or otherwise cannot physically perform the behaviors that their brains want without causing pain.Links Mentioned in the Episode: NoneWhere to find Tiff: Website | Instagram | FacebookWhere to find Sage: FacebookYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks with Sage Gustafson and Tiff Shao about the challenging topic of life with high-energy, high-drive, and/or high-arousal dogs who are injured or sick or otherwise cannot physically perform the behaviors that their brains want without causing pain.Links Mentioned in the Episode: Science Highlight: Benefits and limitations of using innovative tools like detection dogs, thermal imaging and drones to increase wildlife carcass finds during health surveillance and management effortsYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks with Brett Sweezy about spatial ecology and sharks.Links Mentioned in the Episode: Science Highlight: Efficiency and Bias in Strip and Line Transect SamplingWhere to find Brett: Instagram | BlueskyYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla talks about breaking into the field of conservation detection dogs. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Science Highlight: NoneYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Brenna Aizen from the Penn Vet Wildlife Futures Program about dogs sniffing out chronic wasting disease.Links Mentioned in the Episode: Science Highlight: Effect of rapid changes in environmental conditions on canine detection of methyl benzoateWhere to find Brenna:    Website | LinkedInYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla is back with Dr. Charles van Rees to talk about getting into grad school.Links Mentioned in the Episode: Science Highlight: Trail vs. thicket: Evaluating conservation detection dog performance in varied terrainWhere to find Charles:    Website | Lab Website | InstagramYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Tim Hofmann, the Scat Dog Handler, Research Manager and Research Coordinator at Cheetah Conservation Fund about his PhD research using detection dogs and other methods to study cheetahs in Namibia and beyond.Links Mentioned in the Episode: Science Highlight: None this week! Where to find Tim: Website | Facebook | InstagramYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website | Course Waitlist |  Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Paul Bunker and Meg Barnes about hot takes in the conservation dog training community. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Science Highlight: None this week! Where to find Paul: Website |Facebook |InstagramWhere to find Meg: Website |Facebook |Instagram You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon atpatreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists Website |Course Waitlist | Merch |Support Our Work |Facebook |Instagram |TikTok