Taking you and your dog to new heights!
About Stacy Barnett & Scentsabilitiesabout
Stacy Barnett
Stacy Barnett is both a sport and working dog trainer. She is a top nosework competitor and trainer, and the first handler to put multiple Summit titles (16 so far) on 3 dogs (Judd SMTx3, Brava SMTx7, Powder SMTx6) in the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW). Stacy has also trained, certified, and deployed with her dog, K9 Prize, for Wilderness Search and Rescue. Stacy has recently joined Missouri Task Force 1 as a US&R Canine Search Specialist and is currently pursuing federal level disaster certification with Prize. She has been a faculty member at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy since 2015 and is an international clinician for seminars worldwide. She is a licensed Judge for for AKC Scent Work where she was also retained in an advisory position for the AKC Scent Work program for 2 years. Stacy is the founder of Scentsabilities Nosework and has delivered over 250 educational webinars since 2017. Stacy also co-hosts the popular podcast, K9 Detection Collaborative with Robin Greubel.
Stacy has been a Nosework competitor since 2013 and has competed with 6 different dogs. Although she is most known for handling her high-drive Labradors, one of her favorite successes was taking her extremely environmentally sensitive Miniature American Shepherd, Why, to NACSW Elite Champion with many search placements. She has experience with all breeds and drive levels, and prides herself on bringing out the best in each.
Stacy’s blend of education, skills, and experience is unique in the world of Nosework trainers. She uses her Chemical Engineering degree to support her deep knowledge of airflow and scent theory. Stacy also draws on her experience with working dogs to enhance her sport-dog instruction in ways that make sense to the dog, building skills through a clear breakdown of behaviors while supporting the dog’s motivation and confidence.
Stacy’s approach to training goes beyond just setting Nosework hides. She takes an approach that cares for both the emotional and the cognitive aspects of the dog in order to help bring out the dog’s full potential. Her approach is not only reflected in her own dogs’ successes but also in her students. Stacy truly finds joy in tapping into a dog’s desire to search and to communicate with the handler.
Stacy loves helping others and her enthusiasm for the sport is contagious. Even greater than her love for the sport is her love of teaching. She prides herself on being a highly creative, enthusiastic and caring instructor, easily able to teach all levels of Nosework students. Stacy loves seeing teams flourish in the sport and enjoy what has become an extremely popular outlet for all dogs.
Key Career Accomplishments
First FDSA Team to achieve NW3 Elite
2nd dog to ever to achieve ELT3 in the Nation
Placements in 2017 NACSW National Invitational
Third Overall for the Entire Event at the Second Annual Turner Trials 2018 in Altadena, CA. First Overall on the First Day, Third Overall on the Second Day
Third Overall earning the title SMT (Summit Title) with Judd at the first Summit Trial in the Midwest in Sandwich IL.
Second Overall earning third Summit Title (SMTx3) with Judd in Montrose, CO
Earned NW3 Elite with three passes (Brava), first pass was Pronounced!
Top 5 Overall Finisher including earning the top two positions in Advanced Detection at the very first Titan Dog Games
Second Overall earning the title SMT (Summit) with Brava in Appleton, WI
First handler to put multiple Summit titles on multiple dogs
First handler to title three dogs at the Summit level
Winner and Reserve Overall at the First Detection Dog Trials Event in the US in Ocala, FL
High in Trial at Montrose, CO Summit with Powder earning SMTx2
Second Overall at Centreville, MD Summit with Powder earning SMTx3
High in Trial at Cumming, GA Summit with Powder earning SMTx4
Trained and Certified K9 Prize in Wilderness Air Scent SAR
High in Trial at the Cumming GA Summit with Brava earning SMTx6
Faculty at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy since 2015
Licensed AKC Scent Work Judge at all Levels
First Labrador to achieve ELT-CH, 13th dog in Nation (Judd)
Top 5 Finisher in all Summit Trials entered with Judd (Titled 3 of 4 tries)
Second Overall in the First Annual Eukanuba Performance Games and Inaugural AKC Scent Work trial
Many HIT’s in NACSW, UKC, AKC, SDDA at all levels
Fifth Overall at the first Summit Trial in the country in Califon, NJ
Earned second Summit Title (SMTx2) with Judd in Kennebunkport, ME
Achieved Overall Pronounced at all levels NW1 through Elite. Twice at Elite!
Second Overall earning Brava's second Summit title (SMTx2) in Alexis, IL
Scored 100 pts with a perfect score and High in Trial at the Moncure, NC Elite trial with Powder
High in Trial at the Gunnison, CO Summit with Powder (SMT)
SMTx3 with Brava at the Cannon Falls, MN Summit
SMTx4 and Third Overall including 7 Pronounced and perfect searches with Brava at the Laramie, WY Summit
SMTx5 with Brava at the Peru, MA Summit Trial
High in Trial at St. Paul, MN Summit with Powder earning SMTx5
Third Overall at Green Lane, PA Summit with Powder earning SMTx6
Second Overall at Centreville, MD Summit with Brava earning SMTx7
Training People & Their Dogs Worldwide
One of Stacy’s strengths in Nosework is trial preparation. She is able to evaluate the needs of the dog and develop a plan for setting the dog up for success. She’s an experienced Nosework competitor and judge and knows what it takes to succeed in this exciting sport. She is able to take her competitive experience and translate her success in a way that helps her students. Stacy is also an operational SAR K9 Handler which brings a perspective that has enhanced how she trains her own dogs for sport as well as how she teaches her students.
Stacy has trialed six of her own dog in Nosework… dogs with a variety of drive levels and styles of searching… A little about her partners….
Judd came to Stacy as an urgent pull from a high kill gassing shelter… together he and Stacy became bonded partners who ultimately carved their way into sport detection. Judd himself was by nature a timid, soft dog and Stacy was able to transform him into a highly competitive Summit Level dog. Stacy and Judd garnered many High in Trials in both the US and Canada. Together they competed in NACSW, AKC, and SDDA (Canada).
Stacy and Judd competed at the NACSW Summit Division Level where they were ranked among the top teams in the country, achieving 3 Summit Titles in only 4 trials… placing in the Top 5 in every Summit Level trial that they competed in. Stacy and Judd also competed successfully with placements at the 2017 NACSW National Invitational.
Judd placed in the top 3 overall at many Elite Division Trials. Judd was the second dog in the country to achieve ELT3 and the first Labrador to achieve Elite Champion (ELT-CH). At the very first Summit trial in the US, Judd placed 5th place. He then went on to earn his first official Summit Title (SMT) at the first Summit Trial in the Midwest with a Third Overall. Judd earned his second Summit Title (SMTx2) in Kennebunkport, Maine and his third Summit Title (SMTx3) with a Second Overall in Montrose, Colorado! Judd also has the distinction of earning Second Overall at the very first AKC trial at the 2018 Eukanuba Performance Games. Judd passed away on Nov 3, 2019 from complications due to cancer.
With Brava, Stacy crafted a high arousal, high drive puppy into a young, winning dog. Brava debuted in NW3 in April 2019 and earned her first title with High In Trial and Overall Pronounced designation at the tender age of 2 years old! 2 weeks later, she earned her second pass in NW3. Brava completed her NW3 Elite in September 2019 with a perfect 3 for 3 passes – 3 trials, 3 titles! Brava frequently scored over 90 with HIT and Overall placements in Elite. She has earned Overall Pronounced at the Elite level twice! Brava earned her first Summit (SMT) title with a Second Overall when she only had her ELT3, and wrapped up her Elite career with her ELT-CH with Overall Pronounced. Brava earned her second Summit (SMTx2) title with a Second Overall in Alexis, IL and her third Summit (SMTx3) in Cannon Falls, MN. Brava earned her fourth Summit (SMTx4) title with a Third Overall in Laramie, WY and went on to earn her fifth Summit (SMTx5) title at the Peru, MA Summit. Brava was High in Trial at the Cumming, GA Summit trial to earn her sixth Summit title (SMTx6). Brava was Second Overall at the Centreville, MD Summit earning her seventh title (SMTx7). Brava’s strengths are speed in decision making and close proximity hides.
Powder, Brava’s half sister, hit the ground running and has helped Stacy to understand how to work a dog with very high working level drives. Powder is both very high arousal and very high drive and pushed Stacy’s skill in observation and response in handling. Powder has an extreme amount of motor and sailed quickly through the lower levels and into Elite. Elite highlights include earning High in Trial and a perfect score of 100 points at the Moncure Elite. Powder then went on to earn her ELT-CH with a second consecutive High in Trial, again finding all the hides in the trial. Powder debuted in Summit just a week after earning her ELT-CH and earned her first Summit title (SMT) in Gunnison, CO also with a High in Trial. Powder went on to earn her second Summit title (SMTx2) with another High in Trial in Montrose, CO! Powder earned her third Summit title (SMTx3) in Centreville, MD with Second Overall. Powder was once again High in Trial in Cumming, GA earning her fourth Summit title (SMTx4) and again High in Trial in St. Paul, MN for her fifth Summit title (SMTx5). Powder earned her sixth Summit title (SMTx6) in Green Lane, PA. Powder’s strengths are dismissing odor pools, decisive sourcing, and a rock solid nose freeze on containers.
With Why, Stacy’s Miniature American Shepherd, Stacy has conquered much of his significant environmental issues. When Why first started training, he couldn’t search 3 boxes in the front yard. Why earned his NW2 with a Third Overall with Overall Pronounced designation. With time he became a confident and enthusiastic Elite dog and has recently earned his Elite Champion (ELT-CH) at the age of 13 with many Elite level search placements. Why’s super powers are overcoming environmental sensitivity and channeling joy of searching.
With her Standard Poodle, Joey, Stacy learned how to build motivation in a lower drive dog with no appreciable food or toy drives — Joey earned Third Overall at his NW1, High in Trial at his NW2 and Third Overall in his NW3. Joey passed away due to cancer at the age of 14.
Stacy’s partner, Prize, is living up to her name. Prize introduced Stacy to training and handling working dogs by smoothly transitioning into a working dog career. Stacy trained and certified Prize with both the Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council (PSARC) and the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR Type 2) as a Wilderness Air Scent Search and Rescue K9. Stacy was a member of Northeast Search and Rescue (NESAR) and deployed with Prize to find the lost and missing. Stacy and Prize join Missouri Task Force 1 in 2026 as a Live Find Urban Search and Rescue team in training. Prize’s strengths are her unrelenting focus and desire for target odor and arousal mobility.
Stacy’s newest partner, Jackpot, is a Prize son and is in training as an HRD K9 (human remains detection).
Stacy welcomes Polaris to the pack! She will be a working dog… job is TBD!
Stacy’s dogs
Judd
ARCHMX URO1 NE NC JB Windjammer “Judd”
SMTx3, ELT-CH, L1E, L2C, L2I, L3V, BN, RA, SWE, SIEE, SCM, SEM, SHDE, CD-CCH, CDX-CCH, RL1-AOE, RL2-AOE, RL3-AOE, RL1X7, RL2X5, RL3X3, TD (ASCA), RATI, RATO, SD-E (Canada), CL1, CL2-H
9/1/09 (approx) – 11/3/19. Gone but never, ever will be forgotten.
Joey
ARCH Zorcon Smokin’ Hot Java “Joey”
NW3, NW3-C, NW3-E, NW3-V, NW3-I, L1V, L1E, L1C, RN, TKN, CGC, RL1X3, RL2X, RATS, SWA, SEE, SIE, SCE, CL1-R, CL-H, CL1-F, VCX
10/9/07 – 6/18/22. Miss you little buddy. You were an incredible teacher and friend.
Brava
Maranatha’s Standing Ovation at Windjammer “Brava”
SMTx7, ELT-CH, ELT-P, L2E, L3V, L3C, L2I, SWNE, SCAE, SIAE, SWM, SCME, SHDM, OA, OAJ, OF, ACT2, ACT2J, TT, DMX2, HDSA, ASA, CAA, DCAT, RATI, RATCH, CZ8S, SD-A (Canada)
Overall Pronounced: NW3, Elite (twice)
Why
ARCHX URO1 NV NI NC Why Ewe Flye So High “Why”
ELT-CH, L3C, L2I, L2E, L2V, RI, SWA, SCE, SBE, RL1X2, RL2X, RATI
Overall Pronounced: NW2
Powder
Maranatha’s Gunpowder and Lead at Windjammer “Powder”
SMTx6, ELT-CH, ELT-P, L2I, L3E, L3C, L3V, SWA, SEM, SIM, DSA, DMX3, CAA, DCAT, RATI, RATS
Overall Pronounced: NW1
Perfect Score of 100 pts in Elite
Jackpot
DDA Windjammer’s Triple Seven Jackpot “Jackpot”
HRD SAR K9 In Training
K9 Prize
Maranatha’s Hit the Lotto at Windjammer “Prize”
Certified and Operational Wilderness Air Scent SAR K9 (PSARC and NASAR Type 2)
FEMA USAR Live Find K9 In Training
Polaris
Maranatha’s North Star at Windjammer “Polaris”
Future K9 Superstar!
