K9 Detection Collaborative

04/09/2025

Thoughtful Thursday: We need to learn to play

The last couple of days I've had several conversations with handlers from all over the nation about their dog not wanting to do the work. Diagnosing things over the phone is actually quite hard and as soon as someone invents that handy teleportation machine, I will be first in line to buy it. In order to do this, I ask a lot of probing questions, listen a lot, ask more questions, then listen, then ask some more questions.

Usually, I like to get my hands on the dog if they are agreeable. And most of the time, I also end up getting my hands on the handlers. I have to FEEL what the dog is telling me. Through the feedback of the toy, through how they are taking the food, through the small things they are doing with their body language.

Here's the thing I have usually figured out. The human doesn't know how to play in such a way that the dog wants to play with them. Yes, there are play seminars out there. The good play seminars that are being offered do NOT teach a dog how to play. They teach the human end of the leash how to play with their dog. I encourage everyone to take one!

Often in the working dog world, we select for dogs that want to possess a 'thing' so much that any dope can hold onto the other end of the toy and the dog will be fine. Most of these dogs have to be built. When you start a lot of puppies you learn that. And, what if you don't have one of those dogs? How do you nurture it, how do you approach playing with your dog in such a way that it is fun for both of you? With the joy of a child? Exploring HOW to play with each other?

I spend a lot of time with my puppies first learning HOW THEY want to play. Then taking that and teaching them HOW I want to play, using how they want to play as the reinforcement for how I want to play. This is 'teaching my dog to play.' Yes, I use food. Because the animal dictates what is reinforcing.

Trainers and handlers should always be working on their mechanics. Play mechanics are some of the most crucial.

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K9Sensus is now offering chicken workshops to help with Mastering Your Mechanics! https://www.k9sensus.org/chickenworkshops

02/09/2025

I was lucky enough to hang out with Howard Young and Rich Hardin over at the Working Dog Depot Podcast the other day! We talk about all sorts of things from disaster dogs to breeding. There's some blunt talk about common myths in dog training.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2065325/episodes/17671861

01/09/2025

May everyone have a safe and relaxing Labor Day!

28/08/2025

Thoughtful Thursday: Being a Lifelong Learner

The end of seminar season always brings about a time of reflection for me because I am usually pretty exhausted. I've seen a rash of new students, new dogs, new and old training challenges, and in general spent a lot of time training lots of dogs and coaching people on the fly. This year I'm also spending a lot of time training puppies.

I'm also watching. I'm watching people train dogs. I'm watching people teach dogs and teach people to train dogs. I'm watching how they do it. I'm watching how people have discussions about training dogs. I'm listening to the language that people are using.

I'm watching as to whether people who are claiming to be inclusive are actually BEING inclusive by who is being invited to be speakers or trainers. I'm watching to see if those instructing are really open to new ideas from students or if they dismiss what students are asking.

Because I can learn a lot from others if I listen. And I listen really carefully and then I think about it. I've even found myself seeking out trainers who I may not agree with their training philosophy as a whole, just to listen to them to see where they are at.

Do I adopt their training methods.
No. Do I listen? Yes. As objectively as I can.
And then I sit with the science and usually a cup of coffee (or a beer and some gummy worms) and think about when and why it might work.

And the usual answer is, it depends.
On the dog. On the situation. On the timing. On the desired result. On the history of the training of the the dog.

And my training toolbox expands. Because having a very large toolbox makes me a much better trainer. Not all of my dogs, or my students dogs, are one size fits all. And it is not fair to them as learners to limit the tools that I have in my toolbox.

In the end, I believe providing our learners with clear reinforcement for correct responses and clear consequences for incorrect responses provides clarity. It is our responsibility to set up the learning environment and have a clear plan in our own mind.
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Be a Lifelong Learner with K9Sensus next year! Check our our learning opportunities on the website.

27/08/2025

Episode 145: Download from Intentional Handling and Hide Setting 2025

“Distraction Camp and Intentional Handling and Hide Setting are always one of my small joys on being able to see people really grow, and I’m very appreciative of the trust and faith they put in us.”

Our hosts, Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing, do a deep dive into their recent Intentional Handling and Hide Setting camp where, during a sweltering week in Iowa, seventeen detection dog teams discovered how unconscious body positioning can make or break a search!

The breakthrough moment came on Thursday during an outdoor search. A handler, diligently following instructions to avoid "going full frontal" on hides, had positioned herself away from the actual hide, directly facing an odor pool instead. Her dog searched frantically in that pool, unable to solve the problem.

"I want you to go full frontal on the hide," Robin instructed, breaking her own rule. Without saying another word to the dog, the handler simply shifted her feet toward the actual hide location. The dog immediately moved to source and alerted.

This demonstration crystallized the camp's core philosophy: intentional handling means making conscious decisions about every movement.

As Stacy explains, "It's about purposeful handling in a way that supports the independence and autonomy of the dog, but in a way that's also making the search effective and efficient."

Crystal's Six C's framework provided the mental component. When handlers move with purpose, dogs search with confidence. But intention goes beyond physical positioning. It also shapes how handlers approach each search mentally.

The camp's structure reinforced these lessons through repetition. Aged hides, left for 24-36 hours, produced disconnected odor pools that challenged even experienced teams. One hide in a hay field, placed nowhere near any landmark, forced dogs to use pure scenting ability rather than visual triangulation.

By week's end, handlers learned to track coverage areas while reading airflow patterns, leaving their dogs free to locate odor.

21/08/2025

Thoughtful Thursday: What promises are you making?

Over the last several months I've been out teaching and had over 50 students at the Foundation for various events. Now that the dust has settled, there has been the chance to sit and reflect, adjust my training, and think about many of the lessons I have learned. The interesting thing is most of them have not been about dog training. Okay, they are, but they aren't.

A lot of what I have learned is about how we are working with people, which relates to how we work with dogs. Before I was a full time dog trainer and human coach, I worked in the world of philanthropy and was lucky enough to go to large conferences where I saw some amazing speakers. One of them was Alex Sheen, the founder of Because I Said I Would. His story and use of Promise Cards was profoundly moving and inspired a lot of reflection. (Here is the history of that story: https://youtu.be/ob_VJYystJk). In fact, fifteen years later I still have the shirt, use it for pajamas, and think of it often. It was an incredibly moving keynote speech. I regularly look up the website and watch his TEDx speeches.

Why was it so moving?
One simple concept.
Make a commitment.
And keep it.
People want us to keep our promises.
Dogs want us to be consistent.

I often watch handlers talk to their dogs, constantly. Or tell me the behavior they want is one thing then cue something totally different when in the heat of the moment, sometimes even using a totally different word. Our mechanics are so important in dog training. If we do not have our mechanics squared away, how can we be consistent for our dog?

Every time we train we are writing a contract, not only with words but with actions. Our dogs read our body language so much better than listen to our words, so it's important for us to be body aware.

When you say you will do something, do it.
And know that we are making promises to our dogs.
And we need to keep them.
Because we said we would.

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You can find out more about the Because I Said I Would Foundation at https://becauseisaidiwould.org/

15/08/2025

If you want to get in on one of Stacy's classes this term, TODAY is the LAST DAY to register!!!

LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS TODAY....AUGUST 15!!

Get in on the action and get 24/7 access to clear lectures with sample videos and access to feedback.

N120S: NW120 – Introduction to NW Search Elements
Is your dog doing basic searches but you aren't sure how to get your dog confident in new places and you care about GOOD foundations? Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/14306

NW185: Green Dog Setups for Spectacular Skills
Is your dog already searching well but you want to make sure that you are building incredible foundations? Or maybe your dog is more experienced but you want to focus on the basics? This course keeps your hide setting from being stale. Register here:
https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/34837

NW440: Spectacular Sourcing Skills Soup to Nuts
This class fixes fringing and improves drive to source. Motivated sourcing and locating is the name of the game! Register here:
https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/30600

All classes start at only $65 for 6 weeks (with feedback!). And experience matters... I have been there and been successful, and I have worked with all breeds and teach all levels. I can help round out your current education and classes. All breeds and training backgrounds welcome.

14/08/2025

Thoughtful Thursday: Big Journeys Start with Small Steps

This is very true for all of us.

I was working with a new student the other day who was just starting their detection dog journey. Their first step was the evaluation of their dog, to make sure it was suitable for the work.

The dog would hunt for its toy in an unknown environment for over five minutes and could care less about my livestock or me. I am pretty much on board with this dog doing detection work.....

For this person, it was a big step for them to reach out to me to have their dog evaluated. But this was a small step in their big journey into the world of detection work. I gave them all sorts of options as to whether they wanted to pursue sport, SAR, or professional detection. Because to be honest, it depends on their passion, time commitment, and their why.

For our dogs, big journeys start with small steps. All of those small steps we do every day matter with our dogs. Just like this video of Jack (Stacy Barnett's super puppy) working on his footing in a new environment, he's learning to move through things in a fluid manner so when asked to hunt and find target odor later, he's not worried about his footing.

Building a detection dog candidate is coordinating a giant big journey with thousands of small steps. There are lots of things in life that are like that. In fact, most things in life are like that.

And often those small steps need to be repeated in many different environments, you know, that concept of generalization.

What big journey are you working on lately?

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This fall we are going to be having some of our own big journeys coming out that will result in new classes for next year! Students will also start big journeys of the K9Sensus DDTA in January. Make you you get your enrollment application filled out. We are going to start sending out confirmations in September!

12/08/2025

“We’re always inspired by the students and all the hard work that goes on. It blows my mind every single year.”

Today, our hosts, Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing, reflect on their recent experience at Distraction Camp 2025, where handlers and dogs from across the country gathered on Robin's Iowa farm to build deeper relationships through the chaos of real-world distractions.

This year's breakthrough came from an unexpected source: cats. The rallying cry “I like cats” (a Crystal original) turned into a reminder to not push your dog to engage but instead allow them to choose connection. When one handler kept insisting her dog play while the dog clearly felt overwhelmed, Crystal asked about her cats. As the handler described her Norwegian cat, her dog—suddenly ignored—began seeking attention, eventually jumping up with a playful “boop” as if to say, “Hey, I'm here too!”

Sometimes we need to step back and let our dogs actively choose us, rather than desperately pursuing their attention. Like cats, we can be interesting without being overly available, which means creating pull instead of push in our relationships.
Throughout the week, handlers learned to advocate fiercely for their dogs, making training decisions based on what each individual needed rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. Students chose different starting positions, modified exercises, and even sat out searches when their dogs weren't ready—something rarely seen at training seminars.

The diversity was something else: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels worked alongside Chesapeakes and Pomeranians, each requiring different approaches. One handler discovered her dog's love of bubbles could replace his obsession with "summer snow" (cottonwood fluff). In other words, a distraction was turned into a powerful reinforcer. Another handler learned to read her sensitive dog's signals through a ball-carrying ritual that communicated “I feel safe now.”

By week's end, the transformation was visible in both species. As one student suggested, they should rename it “Relationship Camp,” because when the handler-dog connection is strong, it’s easy to conquer distractions!

11/08/2025

You may know what we do, but do you know why we do it? Today, we’re offering a reminder of the mission that guides us:

K9Sensus serves working K9s by teaching trainers to decode animal perceptions and responses to stimuli. Our progressive, research-based training translates theory into practice, empowering people to truly collaborate with their K9 partners. We coach the human end of the leash.

There are various routes you can pursue training/education with us including:

K9Sensus Detection Dog Trainer Academy
Training & Seminars
Small Group Coaching
On Demand Webinars
Individual Coaching
Chicken Workshops
Knowledge Library

Information about all of these can be found at www.k9sensus.org

Does our mission resonate with you? We’re always glad to welcome others who are passionate about K9 trainer and handler education into our community of supporters. Reach out today to get involved or sign up on the website for our updates! 🌟

07/08/2025

Thoughtful Thursday: Seeking feedback

Last month there were 35 handlers on site that wanted feedback. The Dames of Detection (Stacy Barnett, Crystal Wing, and myself) hosted Distraction Camp and Intentional Handling and Hide Setting here at K9Sensus. All of these handlers/trainers trusted us with providing them honest and kind feedback.

It doesn't mean that it wasn't critical or didn't call them out on things. We did. Sometimes with not much tact. We had some long and often detailed conversations about their handling, training, and goals.

I specifically want to create a safe learning environment where people can feel comfortable to fail. In fact, a question I often get is, "Do I work this on or off leash?"

My answer...whichever makes you most uncomfortable.

Hands down, I prefer to work a dog off leash. It is my comfort zone.

I challenge handlers to do the uncomfortable while here. It's a safe environment, which I strive very hard to develop and maintain. Keep in mind, sometimes that safe environment also includes honest feedback.

And the opportunity for the handler/trainer to reflect on the feedback given, and then act appropriately.

What is some honest feedback you were given, that you might not have liked at the time, but was crucial for your growth?

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I'm launching a couple of new classes in 2026....stay tuned to the website for details. (Or if you want to do a little sleuthing, you might figure it out!)