Karen Allen | How Much We Impact Our Dogs Without Realizing It

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/