{"podcast":{"title":"Alert! Scent Work","slug":"alert-scent-work-7421909","podcast_index_feed_id":7421909,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/alert-scent-work/","website_url":"https://www.alertscentwork.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/62de190b-1822-41ed-a3d2-c1c9e35f9f02/IIIgDeQvT2zt8bjwAH51D97V.jpg","author":"Alert! Scent Work","episode_count":26,"summary":"Alert! Scent Work is a podcast for everyone who's fallen down the scent work rabbit hole — and loves it there. Scot sits down with judges, competitors, and community builders from AKC, NACSW, ASCA, UKC, and beyond for the conversations you've always wanted to have but never had time for on trial day. We talk nose work and scent work training philosophy, competition mindset, and the perspectives that shape how we think about this dog sport. We celebrate the wins, laugh at the disasters, and dig into origin stories — because how did any of us end up here, completely obsessed with watching our dogs use their noses? Whether you're trialing every weekend or just discovering K9 nose work and scent work for the first time, this show is about the whole scent work life — the sport, the dogs, and the community that makes it all worth it.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-07T00:22:25.148447+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/alert-scent-work-7421909"},"episode":{"title":"Jill Kovacevich | Pathways to Odor","slug":"jill-kovacevich-pathways-to-odor","published_at":"2026-01-19T12:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/alert-scent-work-7421909/jill-kovacevich-pathways-to-odor","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/alert-scent-work-7421909","url":"https://www.alertscentwork.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/44088879-8184-4c8f-8bbc-3601ad2e683c.mp3","summary":"I almost skipped the Box Mania. Containers sounded boring. But during the session, Jill started narrating the searches and the behavior she was observing. And she talked about pathways to odor. That was one of the moments that split my scent work journey into before-and-after. I almost skipped, and I haven't seen a search the same way since. From clear interstates straight to source, to faint hiking trails that disappear into the overgrowth, Jill explains how dogs collect information long before they reach source — and why searching is a process, not a moment. She also talks about tendrils: the smaller threads of odor that branch off the main pathway, sometimes connecting back, sometimes breaking off entirely. We also dig into how NACSW judging and certifying official roles differ from AKC, how judges determine a yes versus a no in a search — and what happens when a judge realizes mid-trial they got it wrong. Plus the challenge of wearing multiple hats at a trial without letting those roles bleed into your own searches. What we talk about: Pathways to odor — why this framing changed how Scot reads his dog in a search The difference between an interstate to source and a hiking trail that disappears into the brush Odor tendrils — the smaller threads that branch off the main pathway and how they help explain pooling and trapping Ron Gaunt's influence on Jill — collection of information, the conversation the dog is having, and why Ron hides were set the way they were Why scent work made sense to Jill when other dog sports didn't — and what it means to be on even ground with every other dog trainer when a sport is new The difference between a certifying official and a judge in NACSW — and why AKC combines both roles How NACSW works toward consistency across regions so that…","meta_description":"I almost skipped the Box Mania. Containers sounded boring. But during the session, Jill started narrating the searches and the behavior she was observing.…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1592,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/alert-scent-work-7421909/episodes/jill-kovacevich-pathways-to-odor/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/alert-scent-work-7421909/jill-kovacevich-pathways-to-odor.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}