What to listen for:

Our hosts Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett explore generalization as the foundation of reliable detection work.

Together, they reveal generalization as extending far beyond simple obedience across locations. It encompasses odor variability, environmental context, behavioral chains, and handler presentation.

They explain how explosive and narcotic sources vary like chocolate-cake recipes: different manufacturers, cutting agents, and absorption materials create distinct odor profiles.

Dogs trained on limited sources may fail to recognize the "same" target odor prepared differently. That’s why handlers must expose dogs to diverse training aids and seek out other teams' materials.

Next, they talk behavioral generalization. Does "search" mean the same thing in a familiar training field versus a novel parking lot, rubble pile, or aircraft? Robin and Stacy stress that context cues (vehicles, wilderness, buildings) and environmental distractions require deliberate proofing so dogs maintain focus regardless of setting, weather, or ambient noise.

Robin describes her area-search class methodology, which emphasizes that handlers can proof refind behaviors solo by generalizing the chain across handler positions. You could even do jumping jacks or lie turtle-like after falling into a hole.

The goal is stimulus control, which means the cue triggers the behavior everywhere, every time.

Our hosts warn against training disengagement by repeatedly working in overly distracting environments (woods full of "trail mix") without first building a clean chain in controlled settings like big-box stores with clean floors.

If dogs routinely self-employ or search lackadaisically, handlers must assess whether hides exceed the dog's skill level, reinforcement is insufficient, or engagement was never properly conditioned.

Their green-eggs-and-ham framework captures the essence of generalization: master the skill (row your boat), then generalize it everywhere (here, there, everywhere).

Key Topics:

• Odor Generalization Across Sources and Absorption Materials (01:41)
• Training-Aid Availability and Pairing New Sources (04:56)
• Directionals and Platform Generalization (FEMA, Rubble Piles) (12:40)
• Training for Test vs. Application (Go-Outs, Distance, Body Language) (16:51)
• Area Search, Refind/TFR and Robin's New Class (18:50)
• Search Cue Stimulus Control in Blank and Novel Areas (20:45)
• Context Cues, Vehicles, and High-Likelihood Targets (23:38)
• Distraction Management and Clean Behavior Chains (37:45)
• Green Eggs and Ham: Progression Plans for Young Dogs (42:56)

Resources:

• Study about the need for generalization in Explosives Detection Dogs
• Episodes with Dr. Lauryn DeGreeff
• Robin's Area Search/Wilderness Dog Class
• Stacy's course on Reading Pre-alert Behavior
• Make sure to register for Stacy's upcoming term!

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com

What to listen for:

“[Being a part of] this podcast terrified me. Putting myself out there was so vulnerable, and I felt like it was such a big risk for you guys, as well. I’m so thankful. I’m glad you made me, but I’m also going to say I’m glad that I did it because in the end, I had the final say in buying the microphone and the headset.”

After 151 episodes, Crystal Wing says goodbye (or rather, seeya later) to the K9 Detection Collaborative family, and lets us know the exciting things she has in store in the very near future! In her final episode on the pod, Crystal, along with co-hosts Robin Greubel and Stacy Wing, reflect on growth, gratitude, and the courage required to embrace terrifying change.

Crystal shares how the podcast stretched her beyond comfort, teaching her that her voice didn't need to be perfect to be powerful. She thanks the community of listeners, guests, and especially her co-hosts for building confidence she never knew she possessed.

It also helps that the ADHD brain that once made her curiosity feel like a burden found a home, and a tribe, on the pod!

The Dames of Detection also talk about doing scary things as a catalyst for growth. Stacy offers an inspirational quote she borrowed: "Confidence doesn't come from preparation, it comes from survival." Which basically means that moving forward before feeling ready is precisely what builds capability!

Crystal also announces her new project: a short-form podcast tentatively titled "What's On Top.”

She thanks Stacy for teaching her about odor behavior and vehicles, and Robin for seeing potential she hadn't recognized in herself. The lily pad metaphor comes to mind, where teachers provide stepping stones that students eventually leap from, not destinations where they remain forever.

Crystal signs off with the reminder that, if something terrifies you while simultaneously tugging at your purpose, that fear signals you're on the right path!

Key Topics:

• Crystal Announces Her Departure After 151 Episodes (01:30)
• Introducing "What's On Top": Crystal's New Solo Podcast (08:09)
• "Do It Nervous, Do It Anyway" (14:51)
• Gratitude for Specific Lessons and Opportunities (17:45)
• The Lily-Pad Metaphor: Teachers as Stepping Stones (19:00)
• Key Takeaways (29:12)
• Not an Ending, Just a New Chapter (32:41)

Resources:

• Keep up with Crystal’s Goings On!

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

What to listen for:

Our hosts, Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing, break down how time, airflow, and placement reshape detection dog work!

They kick things off by describing a week of hides left up to 96 hours, the longest-out scenario that reveals how odor pools migrate and change. Drawing from this experience, our hosts brainstorm creative ways to design hides that can better help your dog read scents.

Central is the concept of "odor availability", which explains why surface area, sealing, and enclosure control whether a source itself (and not merely source size) ever presents to a dog.

Using a paint-flow metaphor, they explain how multiple sources age and send "tendrils" of scent through a structure, forcing dogs to sort overlapping plumes to find dominant streams.

They stress that short-set hides (minutes) produce different search behaviors than long-set hides (days), and that sport trials, which run many teams, may not reflect operational realities.

Robin, Stacy, and Crystal urge handlers to read odor-pool cues, practice sourcing through mixed plumes, and intentionally vary hide age and intensity so dogs learn robust, transferable detection skills across environments.

Key Topics:

• Why Replicate Longer Set Times and How to Mimic Aging (00:47)
• Defining “Odor Availability” (Surface Area, Sealing, Enclosure) (03:21)
• Paint-Flow and Tendrils Metaphor for Overlapping Sources (07:20)
• Odor Pools, Building “Breathing” and the Effects of Doors and Venting (11:46)
• Q-Tip Preparation, Dropper Size and Concentration Variability (19:51)
• Practical Hacks to Mimic Long Sets (Cent-Transfer, Freezing, Mixing) (36:14)
• Short-Set (Minutes) vs Long-Set (Days) and Sport vs Operational Hides (42:46)
• Upcoming Workshops (50:01)

Resources:

• Sniffer dogs tested in real-world scenarios reveal need for wider access to explosives, study finds (article)
• K9Nosework Source
• SciK9 Graphic
• K9Sensus Detection Dog Trainer Academy
• K9Sensus Next Years Schedule
• Fenzi DSA Link

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