What to listen for:

Our hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett, explore how drive, motivation, arousal, and focus work together as an integrated system—rather than isolated traits—to create elite performance.

Using a car engine metaphor, Robin explains drive as the engine size or “genetic horsepower” a dog is born with. It’s fixed hardware that defines inherent desire for the work. Motivation is the fuel, built through reinforcement history. Even the biggest engine won’t run without gas, and Stacy stresses that fuel quality matters: powerful, varied reinforcers outperform “cheap” rewards, while poisoned reinforcement can stall performance entirely.

Arousal is the fuel’s octane—too high and the engine overheats, too low and performance lags. Robin describes arousal mobility as training dogs to work across a wider range, smoothly transitioning between high excitement and calm control without corrections.

Focus and engagement are the steering wheel and pedals. Without them, balanced drive, motivation, and arousal just mean “going fast into a wall.” Engagement channels intensity into productive teamwork.

Examples like drive-capping passive alerts versus drive-leaking bark-and-hold behaviors show how training strategies must adapt to balance these elements. The takeaway: performance problems aren’t about lacking drive alone, but about managing the full system.

Key Topics:

● The Car Engine Metaphor (02:15)

● Arousal Mobility: Widening Performance Range (13:30)

● Passive Trained Final Response as Ultimate Drive Cap (20:16)

● Fluency Reducing Arousal Sensitivity Over Time (26:38)

● Powder's Comfortable Arousal Range Theory (29:11)

● Sport vs. Working Dog Arousal Requirements (32:02)

● Takeaways and Events + Workshops (35:55)

Resources:

· Stacy’s class – How to Handle a Rocket Ship

· Upcoming Events

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!
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com to enjoy the freebies, and tell your friends so you can keep the conversations going.
• And don’t forget to check out the YouTube Channel!

What to listen for:

Our hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett, announce the opening of signups for the 2026 Distraction Camp and Intentional Handling and Hide Setting. Signups begin on January 4 at noon Central Standard Time. Christi Raak, who has been on the podcast, will lead the Distraction Camp, focusing on engagement, focus, arousal, and mobility. Lily Strassberg, currently in Israel, has given a tentative yes to co-teach Intentional Handling and Hide Setting. Both camps are expected to sell out quickly, with past camps selling out in 45 minutes and 24 hours, respectively.

The Dames of Detection wish you a Happy New Year and hope to seeya soon at an upcoming event!

Resources:

• K9 Detection Collaborative Upcoming Events!
• K9 Detection Collaborative Episode 83: Kickin Back with Christi Raak
• Christi’s New Venture: DogWizard.com
• Lily Strassberg

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!
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com to enjoy the freebies, and tell your friends so you can keep the conversations going.
• And don’t forget to check out the YouTube Channel!

What to listen for:

Our hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett, welcome veteran USAR handler Bob Deeds, whose journey from compulsion-based training to positive reinforcement transformed both his career and the field itself!

His career trajectory spans volunteer search and rescue in the early nineties through Texas Task Force One, where he deployed to the World Trade Center with his partner, Kenzie.

The devastating loss of Kenzie in a 2007 training accident nearly ended his career until his friend Sonja Heritage called at 2 AM with a powerful message: quitting meant Kenzie died for nothing.

Bob credits Bob Bailey's chicken workshops as the single most transformative experience for his training mechanics. The fast-paced chickens force observational skills development whether trainers want it or not. Those mechanical skills translated directly to his dogs: when his Malinois Remy would nip holes in Bob's shirt from frustration over poor timing, Karen would smile knowingly.

The dog was using positive punishment to remind Bob to pay attention to delivery, timing, and curriculum!

Now teaching directionals to pet dog owners and planning chicken workshops with Robin in Iowa, Bob teaches that directional control isn't about perfect patterns, but recovery.

As handler Shirley Hammond told him after his first FSA certification, disasters aren't perfect, and recovery from mistakes matters most!

Key Topics:

• Transition from Compulsion to Positive Reinforcement Training (01:33)
• Loss of Partner Kenzie and Nearly Quitting (04:13)
• Bob Bailey's Chicken Workshops and Mechanical Skills (11:50)
• Chickens vs. Dogs: Speed, Visual Cues, and Pecking Behavior (17:03)
• Directional Training Philosophy and Real-World Applications (26:43)
• Arousal State Management and Food Drive Testing (40:58)
• Recovery Over Perfection in Disaster Work (46:16)
• World Trade Center Emergency Stop Example (50:51)
• Takeaways (53:53)

Resources:

• Chicken Workshops:
• 3/16/26 Option
• 3/23/26 Option
• Deeds Canine Connection
• Shirley Hammond’s Book: Training the Disaster Search Dog
• Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

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!
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com to enjoy the freebies, and tell your friends so you can keep the conversations going.
• And don’t forget to check out the YouTube Channel!