Episode
Vicky Lovejoy | Productive Parking Lot Chatter, Fun Searches, and Inclusivity in Scent Work
- Podcast
- Alert! Scent Work
- Published
- Feb 9, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2212
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.alertscentwork.com
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Summary
Vicky Lovejoy was there at the very beginning — before formal trials existed, before organizations formed, when a group of enthusiasts in the Los Angeles area were just figuring out what this sport could be alongside founders Ron Gaunt, Amy Herot, and Jill Marie O'Brien. She has been competing and judging across AKC, NACSW, UKC, NASDA, and more ever since. In this episode, Vicky brings a perspective on scent work that very few people can offer — she has seen it from just about every angle, as a competitor, a judge, a trainer, and someone who was there when the sport was invented. Her dogs, by the way, all have an aviation theme. Beryl Markham, the pilot. Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega. Bessie the Fire Horse. Gaston — said with a French accent. And Phoenix, the outlier. What we talk about: Vicky's origin story — from a shepherd with elbow dysplasia to being one of the first people to compete in what would become organized scent work What hooked her — and why she describes the sport as the dog teaching us rather than the other way around How breed and individual tendencies shape how dogs search — including why her shepherds would catalog hides and check the perimeter before committing, and why herding dogs often go to the back of the search area first How judging has influenced how she competes — and a story about forcing a false alert at the end of a long trial day that she still thinks about What makes a search fun — not just technically challenging, but genuinely enjoyable for dog and handler together How she thinks about setting hides and what she hopes competitors take away from her searches The parking lot conversation after a low Q rate — and how to turn post-search analysis into something productive instead of just venting Cherish the engagement — what she means…