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 Barnes

https://www.instagram.com/detectionforgood/

Paul Bunker

https://www.instagram.com/chironk9/

Host: Kayla Fratt

Editor: Sara Fangton

Guest logistics: Brooke Schoeder

Intern: Evelyn Combs

Website: Meg du Bray

Mentoring group: Madison Davis