One of the first AKC Scent Work judges and an AKC Scent Work Expert Judge, Sandra Tung is also a trainer and high-level competitor who has been in the sport since before AKC even had a scent work program.

Much of our conversation revolves around the job of the handler in scent work — which Sandra reinforces with t-shirt-worthy sayings like "be a hot date to your dog," "pay a dog a CEO salary for flipping burgers," and "your dog is the subject matter expert, and you are the manager."

If you've ever watched a Sandra Tung student at a trial, you already know these sayings. Her reputation precedes her. We also dig into how to balance honoring your dog's choices with being a good partner, her lazy trainer philosophy for building drive and confidence, and what she actually looks for when she's judging a team — whether they Q or not.

What we talk about:

• Sandra's origin story — from her first Shiba Inu and rally obedience to becoming one of AKC's first scent work judges
• Why the dog is the subject matter expert and the handler is the manager — and what that actually means in a search
• Be a hot date — what it means, where it came from, and why it matters more than finding the perfect high-value treat *The difference between a good team and a top team — and why it almost always comes down to the handler
• How to read whether your dog is in a productive area versus an unproductive one
• Why odor doesn't care about boundaries — and what Sandra tells her students about letting their dogs go outside the search area
• Her lazy trainer philosophy — training with purpose, keeping sessions short, and why simple hides in new environments will take you further than complicated puzzles
• How running Shiba Inus made her a better handler and trainer
• Teaching dogs to move on from a hide on their own — and why she didn't realize that was a skill until dog number five
• Memory systems for remembering where you found your hides at higher levels
• What Sandra looks for when she places hides — and why she loves testing teams on things they don't expect
• Seven questions with Sandra — her dog's favorite reward, advice for her beginner scent work self, how she bounces back from a tough trial day, and the best compliment she ever received at a trial

Find Sandra:

AKC Judges Directory — search Sandra Tung to bring her to your trial

Alert! 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.com

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