Caroline Oldham | Make the Journey the Priority

What does it actually take to become an AKC Scent Work judge? Dylan Kyle from Marysville, Ohio and I both got our provisional approvals on the same day. Him for excellent, master, and detective. Me for novice and advanced. We had the conversation so you don’t have to wonder anymore.Dylan also shared a framework he picked up from Tony Gravley that quieted the noise in his head at detective level. And when I asked him what he loves seeing from a team even when they don’t Q, he gave me three words I’ve been unpacking ever since.What we talk about:What it takes to become an AKC Scent Work judge, from first apprenticing to provisional approvalWhy apprenticing with as many judges as possible builds a better toolbox than doing the minimumThe search evaluation forms, trial chair sign-offs, and what the provisional process actually looks like in practiceWhy “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” is the advice that stuck with him mostWhat Dylan does when a hide isn’t working the way he plannedDuncan’s 41 detective Qs, what the journey looked like, and why the pressure shifted after the titleThe Tony Gravley detective framework Dylan uses, and why it quieted the noise in his headWhat happens when Dylan gets in his head during a searchMale competitors and judges in Ohio and why Dylan is a first on two counts for this podcast“Be fair to your dog,” what Dylan means by it, and why it stuck with meSeven questions with Dylan, including his dog’s favorite reward, the compliment that made him feel great, and a Sheltie moment that made him laugh mid-search

When you go to a scent work camp or an all-day seminar, how do you get the most out of it? What stops people from fully committing to new ideas? And when you leave with a notebook full of things to try, what do you actually do with all of it?This episode was recorded live on the last day of the Penny Scott-Fox Scent Work Camp at Galway Downs in California. I'm joined by Penny and fellow instructor Jeff McMahon. In addition to how to get the most out of an experience like this, we talk about three of the exercises from camp, what they were designed to teach, and what else people took away from the exercises.What we talk about:What stops people from fully committing to new ideas at camp, and why it's more complicated than just being resistant to changeThe difference between going in with a competition mindset and going in with a learning mindsetProjecting onto your dog, and what it really means when you say you want your dog to have a positive experienceBreaking old habits and building new ones, and what self-awareness has to do with itTrade expectation for appreciationThe breed genetics distance challenge, dogs off leash 70 feet from a hide, and what each breed did with thatThe lesson inside the lesson, what Scot took away that had nothing to do with breed tendenciesThe "What-if Game", where it came from, what it teaches, and some of the scenarios from this campWhy nose work should probably be called nose funThe 80 box challenge, the spiral grid pattern, and what being a teammate has to do with finding the hideWhat to do with a notebook full of ideas when you get homeWhat lights Penny and Jeff up when they see it happenFind Penny:scott-foxdogtraining.comFind Jeff McMahon:https://k9noseworkblog.blogspot.com/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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

If the journey with your dog in this sport is the priority, success can fall into place for any team. And Caroline Oldham puts a lot of effort into focusing on the journey. And doing so helps both the dog and handler achieve their goals.She also talks about her crate-to-crate ritual and why she does it, what your dog's breed group tells you about how they search, building handler grit, and a start line tip she thinks will make a difference for most teams.What We Talk AboutCaroline's pack, Timber the Welsh Springer, Kate the Malinois who made her a planner, and Rebarre the yellow lab she planned a year before she got herWhat training a Malinois teaches you that no other breed willBreed groups and what they tell you about how your dog searchesThe dog is always learning whether or not you're teaching, and what Caroline did with that idea the first hour she had RebarreYour dog is perceiving odor, not just smelling it, and why that reframe changes how you handleThe toy basket mistake and why all good things should come from youClarity, no gray days, black and white rules that hold even when you don't feel like trainingThe one treat that is only for the discovery of odorCrate to crate, what the ritual looks like from the hotel to the search area to the car ride homeWhat success looked like with the first dog and what it looks like nowTwo stories about what it looks like to drive home from a trial and call it a success even when you don't do as well as you wantedHandler grit and what it takes to keep your rituals in place when everything is falling apartThe self-care coach on her training team and why the handler is half the partnershipSeven questions with Caroline, including her signature distractor, the start line tip she thinks will make a difference for most teams, and what her dog would say about her in one wordLinks and ResourcesFind Caroline:Facebook: Caroline OldhamFacebook group: Scent Work TexasSouthern DFW Scent Training seminars: [email protected]! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

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 evilCARAT, the Suzanne Clothier assessment tool that changed how Joanne sees every dog she works withThe over-aroused Doberman and the start line routine she built around himThe terrified rat terrier who went from scared of a box to knocking them across the roomJudging philosophy, fun and fair, not trying to trick you or your dogHow the environment dictates the difficulty of the hides she setsThe 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 runThe blind hide exercise that builds your ability to read your dogWhy your one step after finding a hide might be costing you a convergingTrusting your dog and sharing the responsibility of the searchAre you trying to trial today or for the next 10 yearsThe mantra she takes to every start lineSeven questions with Joanne, including who in her pack keeps her humble, the wedding line, and what her dog would say about her in one wordFind Joanne:www.furbetterfurworse.comFacebook: Fur Better Fur Worse Dog TrainingAlert! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

Melissa Sowa has been judging since buried hides had to be placed using a drill. She's competed through Summit in NACSW and detective in AKC, and judges for AKC, C-WAGS, and USCSS. When she talks about what works and what doesn't in this sport, she has seen it from just about every angle there is.And a lot of what she comes back to is the same idea. Take your time. At the start line. Covering your search area. Moving up the levels. Paying your dog. It shows up everywhere in this conversation and in everything she sees as a judge.We also spend a lot of time on the handler side of things, because in scent work we talk a lot about training the dog but there is just as much to work on as the human half of the team.What we talk about:Detective search coverage, what covering an area really means, and what Melissa does before she calls finishOne hide syndrome, why it's real, what causes it, and what to do about itHow competing at Summit changed how detective search areas feel to herMemory as a skill, she said she has a horrible memory and walked us through exactly how she trained herself out of itHow you start the search is how it's going to goWhat organizational psychology taught her about rewarding her dogThe pay discrepancy between training and trialing and what to do about itDon't rush the levels, why staying and getting more practice can make a real differenceWhy you might pay for a lack of nos at the lower levelsWhat she sees handlers do that costs them Qs, things that have nothing to do with the dogInfluencing your dog, her thoughts, and how she idiot proofs her own dogs in trainingUSCSS and the stupid handler trick, yes this is a real competition elementTwo judge stories, one involving a metal detector, one involving a monsoonSeven questions with Melissa, signature distractors, what her dogs would say about her, and what happened when she played a kitten meowing and frogs chirping as audio distractors at trialsFind Melissa: vforcedogtraining.comFacebook: VForce Dog TrainingAlert! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

Dianna Santos came to scent work through a dog-aggressive Doberman who needed a reason to be a dog. Zeus couldn't go for walks. He couldn't be around other dogs. His world was shrinking, and so was hers. What happened when he started searching changed him. It also changed how she thinks about this activity: who it's for, what it can do, and why she believes every dog with a nose deserves to play it.She went on to build Scent Work University and produce over 140 episodes of the All About Scent Work podcast. When I asked her to distill all of those conversations down to some themes that keep coming up, she landed on odor will humble you and focus on the dog. What she said about the first one felt like she'd been following me around with a notebook. The second is a good paradigm for all of us to remember.We also get into something many competitors wrestle with: how much involvement the handler should have, and what that balance actually looks like in a search.And if you have a reactive or dog-aggressive dog, Dianna has a lot worth hearing that might help you.What we talk about:The two themes Dianna keeps hearing from the best in the sport and what they mean for the rest of usThe universal handler journey, why it looks the same for almost everyone, and why understanding it helps you push through the hard partsWhat focus on the dog really means when something is going wrong in a searchHow much involvement should a handler have, and what finding that equilibrium actually looks likeZeus, a dog-aggressive Doberman, and what scent work gave him that nothing else couldThe choice point, what it means for any dog to choose the work over whatever else is pulling at themWhat scent work surfaces about your dog during training and how to address it outside of a search so it stops costing you in the ringDogs with challenges, reactive, fearful, dog aggressive, and what perspectives and approaches can actually helpHow closed off a handler's life can become around a difficult dog, and what starts to open upScent work as the activity, not just the sport, and why Dianna will go to her grave defending every dog's right to play itSeven questions with Dianna, including what still delights her, the most rewarding thing someone has ever said to her, and the piece of advice that stuckFind Dianna: scentworku.com All About Scent Work podcastAlert! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

Kristi Murdock might be the most appreciated person in AKC Scent Work. She built wesmellbetter.com, a free site that tracks every qualifying score, title, placement, and fastest-in-trial result in the sport. I talk to Kristi about the site's origin, what she thinks is the coolest feature more people need to know about, and how people use the site to increase their enjoyment of scent work.But this episode is also about Kristi as a competitor. We talk about why, at first, her dog didn't seem to like nosework, what she's learned about being a better handler, and why she considers herself a smellevangelist.What we talk about:The origin of wesmellbetter.com — holiday complaining, a visiting brother who knew how to scrape websites, and Doug deciding to learn PythonWhat other competitors say about the site.The alerts feature — Kristi's current infatuation and why you probably want to sign up for themThe Trial Finder, the achievement section, and the NQ tracking most people don't know aboutHow the site changed the way Scot thinks about titles, and why Kristi blames herself for his new spending habitsThe story of Kristi's first nose work dog — and what she figured out years later that explains everythingNose work as rehabilitation — how it became the right tool at exactly the right momentHandler challenges — living in the moment and what Kristi calls odor gogglesWhat coaching finally taught her about her job as a handlerStress management for dog sports — Hélène Lawler's curriculum and what it actually addressesSeven questions with Kristi — including her dog's favorite reward, what her dog would say about her as a handler, a very specific strategy she had for dealing with a very unique distractor in a Detective search.Find Kristi: wesmellbetter.com — sign up for a free account and the alerts featureFacebook: We Smell BetterAlert! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

I ran under Karen Allen at a detective trial and didn't Q. What stayed with me wasn't the result, it was the feeling walking away. She was rooting for us. That's who she is as a judge, and it's a big part of why I wanted to have this conversation.One of the threads running through this whole conversation is how much we impact our dogs without realizing it. Body chatter. Disappointment going down the leash. Turning away at the wrong moment. Not opening your body to give permission. A lot of us are probably in that same place.We also both got into something we're each actively working through — what happens when your dog stops searching and starts asking you questions.And inaccessibles. What makes them challenging, and she and Scot talk about how their dogs each handle them.What we talk about:Karen's origin story — a cattle dog rescue who was hard to do activities with, and how scent work became the thing that finally workedWhat changed in Aspen after scent workNewton, who is deaf in one ear and very sound sensitive — and Larkin, who can shut down easilyHow Karen plans a search — the Cirrus tool, the yes zone, and videoing search areas before trial daySniff and dismiss — and why patience matters more than most competitors realizeCollection, false alerts, and nerves — why it's more complicated than it looksWhat Karen loves to see in a team when she's judging — and what she admits she's still working on herselfHow much we impact our dogs without realizing it — what Karen sees as a judge and what Scot admitted about MurphyWhat counts as a win when you don't get the QThe boundaries — what newer competitors get wrong about themWhen your dog stops searching and starts asking you questionsInaccessibles — why they're hard to call and why we don't practice them enoughEscential Nosework ABCs — Karen's new business and what it focuses onSeven questions with KarenFind Karen: AKC Judges Directory — search Karen AllenEscential Nosework ABC: noseworkabcs.comAlert! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

When I started out in scent work, I thought it was simple: place a hide, dog finds the hide, call alert. Judith Guthrie started pulling that apart the first time I sat down near her at a trial. What she was saying about odor behavior and how handlers were impacting their dogs blew my mind. Judith brings together a deep understanding of odor theory, dog psychology, and handling strategy all in one place. I didn't even know they were three separate things.In this conversation, she shares her 100 rule — a framework for balancing environment, airflow, hide complexity, and time to create level-appropriate challenges. Understanding it makes you a smarter competitor and a better trainer. She also talks about independence and hunt drive — what to do when your dog isn't in odor right away and how to train for it. And we talk about why not every search should be run the same, and why getting out of your local bubble and showing under judges you've never seen is one of the fastest ways to grow.What we talk about:Judith's origin story — SAR dogs, retired police dogs, horses, protection sports, and how Buddha brought it all into focusWhy scent work was such a powerful tool for a genetically reactive dog — and the important caveat that goes with thatWhat made Buddha and Judith such an effective team — and how she built that foundation from five weeks oldRon Gaunt's thumbs up / thumbs down feedback method — frustrating and brilliant at the same timeThe 100 rule — Judith's judging framework for creating level-appropriate challenges, and how competitors can use it to better understand what's going on in a searchHow time pressure fits into the 100 rule — and why a short time limit isn't what you think it isIndependence — the number one lesson from professional detection work, and why it matters in sport tooHow to build hunt drive in a dog that goes flat when there's no odor at the start lineRegional trends in scent work — why you should be putting yourself in front of judges from outside your areaThe names judges give to odor puzzles — and how closeness and inaccessibility work as modifiersWhy two hides of the same odor close together is not the problem your human brain thinks it isShrimp, demo dogs, and why training a dog to show you the whole odor picture can become a competition problemSeven questions with Judith — including what it means to honor the dog, her signature distractor, and why her dog would call her annoyingFind Judith: Facebook: Nose Dogs Detection Services Scent Work University: scentworku.com — search Judith Guthrie for classes and webinarsAlert! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWorkSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/

In scent work, we talk a lot about odor theory, training, and handling technique. But there's something else affecting your performance, your dog's performance, and your experience of the sport that doesn't get nearly enough attention — pressure. Penny Scott-Fox has been watching what it does to competitors, dogs, clubs, and judges, and she wanted to talk about it.Before we get to the main topic, we start with her recent 2 minute and 14 second detective run. I had to ask how that was even possible. What followed was a conversation about how to better train for detective, how to build a dog that drives to odor, and two very different handling philosophies based on the dogs we each have. I think a lot of people will see themselves in this conversation.Then we get into the main topic, pressure in scent work. Through the conversation, we uncovered ideas that will help competitors, trial committees, and judges alike succeed and enjoy the sport more fully.What we talk about:The 2:14 detective run — what made it possible, and what it reveals about foundation training and building a dog that drives to odorWhy dogs that have sailed through the lower levels sometimes hit a wall in detective — and what to do about it in trainingTwo different handling philosophies for detective — Penny's and mine — and why the dog you have shapes everythingPenny's 40th detective Q — and the bronze, silver, and gold detective titles her club awards that AKC doesn't recognizePressure on the dog and how it impacts your partner in scent workPressure on the handler and what both of us do to take the edge off, including Penny's ritual to reduce pressure in obedience (works for scent work too)Why pressure on the handler almost pushed me out of the sport, and the two rules that made it fun againPressure on clubs. What the growth of scent work is doing to trial quality, and how clubs can best serve competitorsPressure on judges, why the push to be the judge that sets sexy hides isn't always good for dogs or competitors, and a conversation about what really makes the sport fun for competitorsFind Penny at scott-foxdogtraining.comAlert! 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.comFollow along: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlertScentWork Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.alertscentwork.com/newsletter/