What to listen for:

“You’re putting so much pressure on yourself, and that’s impacting your dog.”

Today, our hosts Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing chat about what they’ve been up to lately, including their recent experience at the Muscatatuck Open, a high-level canine detection seminar known for its complex scent theory drills and immersive training.

They discuss how the seminar’s intense setups—with full-body donor work, long-term odor problems, and unique hide placements—challenged both handlers and dogs in ways that left a lasting impact.

Robin juggled certification tests and a 10-week-old Labrador while Crystal flew straight from early retirement into the dog training world’s version of a dream tour!

The Dames of Detection reflect on the Muscatatuck seminar: a high-level, all-inclusive training camp that delivered not just technically, but mentally and emotionally, as well.

Muscatatuck was a series of complex challenges—from scent voids and convergence hides to managing large source odors. It was, as one student put it, transformational.

Crystal, still raw from leaving her teaching career, shares how her pressure-sensitive dog Radish mirrored her inner state, teaching her the value of emotional regulation in handling. Stacy, working a freshly postpartum dog, found reassurance in her dog’s ability to locate a full-body aid, critical for live-find dogs deployed in unpredictable search-and-rescue scenarios.

Key Topics:

• Postpartum Puppy Drama & Emergency Care (04:36)
• General Impressions of Muscatatuck (10:15)
• Using Full Body Donors to Train Live-Find Dogs (22:30)
• Muscatatuck’s Multi-Day Scent Theory Challenges (25:34)
• Favorite “Aha” Moments from Instructors & Students (32:19)
• Competitive Searches, Training on Burned Fields, and Real-World Aids (43:43)

Resources:

• Save the Date for K9Sensus @MUTC 2026 -- May 28-Jun 1, 2026
• Suncoast Forensics
• Link to the Study about human scent
• Episodes featuring Lauryn DeGreeff
• Distraction Camp Episodes

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Detection Dog Trainer Academy
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing (CB K9) can be found here!
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com