Conservation Dogs Collective

Ernie’s functional behavior repertoire is quite something. During his conditioning appointment today, his therapist stepped out of the room for a moment to get him some water, and Ernie - on his own - put himself on the front and rear foot targets. What a smart boy!

🎉🦮 New Project Announcement🦮🎉

I’m so excited to announce another project partnership, involving a fuzzy face some of you may recognize - Finder Bronty! Bronty and his human, Heather, will be working alongside the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Northern Michigan University, and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community on their moose project starting this month. Their job will be to assist in searching for moose stillbirths and kill sites, and will be providing on-call services.

After years of hard work, I'm SO happy for Heather and Bronty to lend their talents on a conservation project in the U.P. Their talents will help better understand moose health and reproduction, movement, and mortality, and will help guide future conservation and management decisions.

Please join me in wishing them safe and successful sniffing and be sure to follow their field adventures!

A huge thank you to the Forest Preserve District of Will County, Illinois for helping us kick off our 2026 conservation detection season last week!

After an afternoon training session with some tagged turtles, Ernie & Betty White joined their team in the field to survey for ornate box turtles for a few days. The turtles were playing it coy (canine AND human searchers came up empty 😄) during our deployment, although the dogs did find a few areas of "stinky interest," that indicate the possibility of turtle presence. Regardless of the outcome, every data point collected matters and goes toward building a clearer picture for future monitoring of this species.

And the field had plenty of surprises to offer! We spotted several snakes (including a very cool hog-nosed snake), a wild turkey nest, and Ernie & Betty White flagged several potential early-season bumble bee nesting sites along the way, which meant they got to have a cheese party for a job well done!

So grateful for partners who care as deeply about this work as we do. Here's to a great season ahead! 🐢🐾

🐢 Turtle sniffing is underway and the dogs’ faces explain everything. They. Are. Very. Happy!!

🐢 Hey, ornate box turtles, there's a new nose in town! 🐾

Back in 2022, Conservation Dogs Collective teamed up with Polk County Conservation and Drake University for ornate box turtle surveys. This spring, we're doing it again, and we could not be more excited!

But this time, we're bringing some new energy to the field. We're SO thrilled to welcome Finder Onyx and Keeper Madison of Destination Canines to the extended Conservation Dogs Collective family! This dynamic duo is traveling all the way from California to join us for surveys this season — and trust us, you're going to want to follow along for what comes next.

Ornate box turtles are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Iowa, and it takes a village — committed partners, sharp noses, and dedicated handlers — to do this work well. Stay tuned as Onyx and Madison get trained up and deployed!!

You're invited to our first ever Odor Bathing Retreat 🐾🌲

We're thrilled to introduce an incredible opportunity we've been working on for months: The Odor Bathing Retreat with Finders Ernie & Betty White taking place from July 17-31!

This exclusive 14-day immersive experience takes you deep into the northwoods of Wisconsin to truly slow down and connect with nature through scent — led by two dogs who have dedicated years to this very practice.

What's included:
- Guided odor awareness walks by Betty White who will show you where to put your nose.
- Sunrise scent meditation by Ernie who is more than happy to wake you up at 5am each day.
- Gourmet farm-to-trail snacks served al fresco.
- Your own personalized odor assessment from Ernie & Betty White themselves.
- Unlimited olfactory enrichment rain or shine.

Additional details and registration at:

Odor Bathing Retreat 2026 | Conservation Dogs Collective Join us for a 14-day immersive Odor Bathing Retreat with Finders Ernie & Betty White! Guided scent walks, woodland odor immersion, and two expert Finders who will absolutely not let you miss a single smell.

🐾 NINE YEARS OF ERNIE! 🎂

Happy 9th birthday to the dog who started it all — our O.G. Finder, the one and only Ernie.

Nine years of constant companionship. Nine years of putting his nose to the ground to learn more about invasive and threatened species. Nine years of stealing hearts in every field work deployment, classroom, and community we've had the privilege of serving.

Since that wiggly 10-week-old pup first arrived, Ernie has been trained on 8 different species, traveled across states for critical conservation work, and delivered more educational moments than we can count. But more than any of that — he's shown us what it means to truly love the work.

This dog has a gift, and he gives it every single day. 🐕💚

Drop a birthday wish for Ernie in the comments! He'll be spending today exactly as he deserves — special treats, all the belly rubs, some sniffing, and a lot of time carrying his food bowl around.

If you want to give Ernie something meaningful on his big day, consider joining his Patreon family. Your support keeps him doing the good work he was born to do — in the field and in the community. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/conservationdogscollective

Photo by Anne Readel.

💪 SPRING TRAINING IS UNDERWAY!

Before every canine conditioning session, training, or field work outing, Ernie & Betty White and I run through this quick 3-part warm-up & cool-down routine developed by the Penn Vet Working Dog Center. I especially love it because all you need is your dog, some treats, and 2 minutes. No special equipment required!

1️⃣ FIGURE 8s
Your dog weaves between your legs in a figure 8 pattern (6–8 reps).
🐾 Why it works: Gets the body warmed up and ready for lateral movement and side-to-side bending.

2️⃣ PAWS UP
Dog places both front paws on your forearms and stretches vertically while rear feet stay on the ground for ~ 15 seconds.
🐾 Why it works: Targets the lower back, hips, stifles, and shoulders — priming those key areas for explosive activity.

3️⃣ BOW
Dog bows with elbows down to the ground while the rear end stays up for ~ 15 seconds.
🐾 Why it works: Stretches the shoulders and lower back in the opposite direction from Paws Up, and also opens up the hamstrings — the perfect finishing move.

Check out Betty White and Ernie doing their warm-up and cool down here: https://youtu.be/speIeZbn54w

Three simple exercises, tons of benefit — and the dogs love it. It's become one of my favorite little rituals with these two!

Credit: Penn Vet Working Dog Center

Safety Tip: As always, check with your veterinarian prior to starting the exercises. If your dog is reluctant, DO NOT force them into position. As always, see your veterinarian if you notice any abnormal behavior or discomfort signs in your dog.

Warm up & Cool Down Routine for Dogs Before every canine conditioning session, nose work, or field work outing, Ernie & Betty White and I run through this quick 3-part warm-up & cool-down routin...

🌸 Spring, we are getting ready for you! 🌸

Hi friends, Ernie and Betty White here! Our mom Laura has been kicking our canine conditioning into high gear now that warmer days are on the horizon — and honestly? We're here for it (especially because there is A LOT of cheese involved).

Today was professional conditioning day at CORE Veterinary Rehab. Ernie crushed his land-based exercises (look at that extension!) and Betty White? Oh, she hit that treadmill like the absolute primo athlete she is.

Think you know how fast this girl was moving today (all while licking cheese off a licki mat)? Drop your guess in the comments!

Spring sniffing, we can’t wait to smell you soon!

— Ernie & Betty White 🐾🐾 (dictated but not read, because of our fuzzy feet)

🍎🥦🍅🥚🥗 Winter offers me (Laura) the opportunity to adjust and prepare for the upcoming warmer weather and the increased physical demands that both Ernie and Betty White experience during fieldwork. Earlier this month, I reached out to Jody at Spot On Canine Nutrition to "amp" up Betty White's diet. As she ages (she's turning 7 this year😭), I want to do more to help maintain her energy and athleticism while keeping her breed and current dietary needs in mind. The fresh food additions Jody created for Betty White are very easy to prepare and super flexible—they work perfectly as treats or as a daily addition to her food bowl. Thank you, Jody!