Conversations from the scent work community, hosted by Scot Singpiel
At its heart, Alert! Scent Work is a passion project built on a simple but powerful idea: to celebrate the people, the dogs, and the connections that make this sport so incredibly meaningful.
Through honest, curious, and often surprisingly funny conversations, host Scot Singpiel brings you into the lives of scent work competitors, judges, trainers, and enthusiasts from every corner of the sport. Whether you're an experienced handler or just wondering what all the sniffing is about, this podcast is a space to feel inspired, supported, and included.
We believe in making scent work more accessible and welcoming. That means highlighting diverse voices across organizations—AKC, NACSW, UKC, CWAGS, DDT, and beyond—and diving into real stories: victories and struggles, trial day triumphs, emotional breakthroughs, and everything in between. We’re not here to give you a formula; we’re here to celebrate the wonderfully different ways we all play the game.
Because at the end of the day, scent work is a community. A wildly passionate, sometimes nerdy, always enthusiastic community that grows stronger when we share what we’ve learned, what we’ve tried, and what surprised us most.
Our Scent Work Journey
It all started with Murphy.
Murphy came into our lives as a supposedly “quiet” Australian Shepherd 6-month-old puppy, but that didn’t last long. On his very first morning with us, after breakfast, he confidently marched into the living room, planted himself, and started barking his little head off while we were just trying to enjoy our coffee. He wasn’t being difficult; he was saying, “Do something with me!”
We quickly discovered that Murphy thrived on challenges, especially mental ones. Nose games lit him up in a way nothing else did. Before long, dinner became a search mission, and Christmas brought our first odor kit. With absolutely no plan, I introduced Murphy to a tin with a birch-scented Q-tip, hid it, and watched in amazement as he found it. He loved the game. And I loved watching him play it.
From Backyard Searches to Our First Trial in a Haunted House
In April 2021, we enrolled in our very first scent work class, where I formally learned how to imprint odor. Over the next two years, we played the game in the house and the backyard.
Then, in February 2023, we entered our first official trial, held in a haunted house. Murphy ran beautifully and somehow snagged a 2nd place finish out of 25 dogs. I thought, “That must’ve been a fluke.” But the ribbons kept coming. One trial turned into many, and a game we played at home became an obsession.
More Than Ribbons
The titles and placements are great, but they are only a part of the reason I love this sport. What truly hooked me was the community I found along the way. I’ve met people who inspire me with their patience, their humor, and their dedication to growing with their dogs.
Some folks love the challenge of competition. Others focus on building their dog’s confidence, or just enjoy the beautiful process of searching together. There’s no single reason people do scent work, but every one of them is valid, and every one of them adds something irreplaceable to the sport.
Why This Podcast Exists
I started Alert! Scent Work because I couldn’t stop talking about scent work. I wanted to hear more stories. I wanted to know what other handlers had learned, what judges wish we knew, what trainers see that we might be missing. I wanted a space where people at all levels could come together, share what they love, and learn from each other.
This podcast is my way of giving back to a sport that’s given me so much. It’s a celebration, a conversation, and a community hub.
Thanks for being here. I can’t wait for you to meet the amazing people and dogs who make scent work so ridiculously fun, endlessly fascinating, and incredibly worth doing.
Scot (Murphy and Keeva's dad)