Niffler's Story

Our editor is on vacation, so we're taking a look back at some of our favorite episodes! This episode, all the way back from 2021, Kayla Fratt speaks with Dr. Nathaniel Hall to talk about lengthy searches for conservation dogs!Discussed in this Podcast:How does a dog’s sensitivity to scent affect their work?All sensory systems are learned behaviors, so there will be genetic differences and learning history differences. Because of this, what one dog smells will not be the exact same as what another dog smells.It depends on the concentration of the odor on how sensitive your dog will be to the odor. Their threshold of detection of a certain scent will increase if the concentration is reduced over time.Motivation for long searches?Performance is strongly dependent on the frequency in which targets appearReinforcing “all clear” signals can help with motivation in the event that there aren’t going to be a lot of targets for them to find.It is important to not over-reward for “all clear” because then “all clear” can start to become more rewarding than finding the scent.Make your “all clear” as equal effort as an alert responseIf your dog is pre-prepared for not finding targets over a long period of time, it can help avoid an extinction burst and frustrationLinks Mentioned in the Episode:The Canid Genome - 2012 PaperWhere to find Dr. Hall:Canine Olfaction Lab | FacebookYou can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists.K9 Conservationists WebsiteGo Fund Me

This week, we’re sharing the full backstory of fan-favorite detection dog Niffler! Kayla chats with Anne Hong about Niffler’s complete life, sniffs, and adventures. From pandemic puppyhood and bat fatality surveys to Guatemalan jaguars, turtle searches, and the training bumps they tackled along the way.Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara FangtonSci-comm intern: Evelyn CombsGuest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Website: Meg du BrayPatreon: Madison David

How does breakfast affect a detection dog's performance? In this episode, Kayla takes a deep, deep, deep dive into the 2026 paper, "The breakfast effect revisited: Dogs’ scent detection performance before and after a meal."Kayla breaks down the research team's key findings, and why understanding the math behind the data matters just as much as the results themselves.Read the original paper here:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023969026000883Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara FangtonSci-comm intern: Evelyn CombsGuest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Website: Meg du BrayPatreon: Madison David

In this Research Review episode, we’re joined by Dr. Charles van Rees to dive into a groundbreaking 2026 paper from Oregon State University (published in Molecular Ecology Resources). We break down how single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels and non-invasive scat samples (many located by detection dogs!) are allowing researchers to identify individual prey animals consumed by carnivores. Join Kayla and Dr. Charles van Rees for a crash course in genetics, filtering out mixed DNA samples, and what this means for understanding predator-prey dynamics in the field.Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara FangtonSci-comm intern: Evelyn CombsGuest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Website: Meg du BrayPatreon: Madison David

In today's mini episode Kayla Fratt discusses how she prepares her dogs to work with all kinds of different people on and off the field. Starting from dog selection and the steps she takes to insure her dogs are confident around new people.Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara FangtonSci-comm intern: Evelyn CombsGuest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Website: Meg du BrayPatreon: Madison David

Join us for a fantastic conversation with Lauralea Oliver of k9inSCENTive about the art of selecting rescue dogs for detection work. With over 25 years of professional experience, Lauralea brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, having selected and placed numerous working dogs with handlers and conservation projects across the country. She has mastered selecting the traits that make a shelter dog excel in the field- and, crucially, knows exactly when to walk away. The core theme of this episode is simple but vital: "Say no to the maybes" and only move forward with a dog you are absolutely sure about.Check out K9inSCENTive herehttps://k9inscentive.com/ Also check out "Built for the field". Use code K9POD26 for 20% off!https://k9inscentive.com/built-for-the-field-online-course/Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara FangtonSci-comm intern: Evelyn CombsGuest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Website: Meg du BrayPatreon: Madison David

Important updates on Barley (King B), the K9Conservationists crew, and the podcast going forward. As always, thank you all so much for you support. If you would like to make a donation to Barleys lymphoma treatment you can do so here:https://donorbox.org/barley-lymphoma?t=donor_wall#infoIf you want to learn more about the King Barley's legacy and other ways to support, check out this awesome website made just for celebrating Barleyhttps://k9c-barley.my.canva.site/long-live-the-king

Connect with Melissa McCue-McGrath!https://melissamccuemcgrath.com/ Melissa McCue-McGrath gets humped and peed on professionally more than she thought she would in this line of work. She has written two books. The first, "Considerations for the City Dog" was written for her clients in Boston who needed support for living with dogs in an urban setting, and the second, "Misadventures of the World's Okayest Dog Trainer" is for people who are curious about what it's like behind the scenes working with clients and dogs.Melissa paved the way as the first American resident certified by the British Animal Behavior and Training Council, thanks to the Professional Association of Canine Trainers, also based in the UK. She's a Victoria Stilwell Academy faculty advisor, a trainer for Grisha Stewart's dog training academy, and was part of a nationwide study to see if pet dog trainers, like Melissa, could train pet dogs - like many of your dogs at home - to find an invasive species. There were six dogs in Melissa's cohort two years ago, and this year, the year the invasive Spotted Lantern Fly is predicted to be in her home state of Maine, Melissa has a total of 22 dogs at the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk Maine who can find the invasive spotted lanternfly...in a controlled setting :)

In this episode, Kayla Fratt sits down with legendary Alaskan wildlife ecologist Dr. John Schoen to explore the past, present, and future of the Tongass National Forest.With nearly five decades of boots-on-the-ground research, John’s groundbreaking work has reshaped our understanding of how logging practices directly impact black-tailed deer, salmon, and the broader temperate rainforest ecosystem. John dives deep into the complex history of timber politics, the vital distinction between old-growth and second-growth habitats, and why forests hold profound intrinsic value far beyond just timber and venison.We also highly recommend checking out John’s book, Tongass Odyssey, to not only go more in depth on what's discussed today- but to also see some fantastic side by side photos of old growth and new growth forests to appreciate the drastic distinction between the two.

Kayla Fratt chats with Liza Rothkoff- a 3rd year PhD student at Texas Tech in the K9 olfaction lab- about her most recent paper, "A preliminary study on the impacts of exercise intensity and duration on gastrointestinal temperature and odor detection performance of dogs". They discuss dog selection, study design, results, and what Liza hopes handlers will be able to take from the study. Read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159126000614Host: Kayla FrattEditor: Sara FangtonSci-comm intern: Evelyn CombsGuest logistics: Brooke Schoeder Website: Meg du BrayPatreon: Madison David