In dog sports the dog can’t be an equal teammate because the human is fully in charge. But a dog can be treated like a partner or they can be treated like a tool, and it is important in either case to know what your values are and stick to them. Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup2026.com Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Jun 09, 2026•14 min
Throughout all the worked up material the mantra is repeated: calm down first, feel better second. But dogs don’t need to be calm all the time, and calmness is relative. So what does that actually mean, and how do we teach it? Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup2026.com Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Jun 02, 2026•22 min
Mental or cognitive flexibility is a vital skill to navigate life and big feelings. But we deliberately breed dogs with inflexible minds and it is our job to teach them how to bend so they do not break. A little breakdown, and some practical skills, and you’ll be off to the races to help your dog and yourself be a little more flexible. Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup2026.com Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon...
May 26, 2026•15 min
Some dogs are just “full of bees”--meaning they are buzzing with energy. What does sensory integration therapy have to do with dogs? It turns out, kind of a lot. If your dog is a little bit too much providing them with sensory outlets–especially the outlets they tend to seek themselves–is not only necessary for progress but vital for good welfare. Learn all about releasing the bees in this episode. NEW WEBINAR: https://cogdogclassroom.mykajabi.com/offers/m4yqk2cM Attend a Worked Up workshop this...
May 19, 2026•9 min
Partnership skills go way beyond the basics of training. To be truly in partnership with your dog you need to be able to tell them how to take a reward, they need to be able to ask you if they can have a reward, and you also need to be adept at handling the dog physically in space. But in addition to those dog training skills (which should be, but are not often, commonplace) you need the skill of emotional attunement. Your dog already has that skill, in spades, so its time for you to learn, too....
May 12, 2026•13 min
If you have heard or even used the phrase “over arousal” in reference to a dog, this one is for you. Join Sarah in her explanation of the circumplex model of emotion and what it has to do with our dogs. Should we respond to an angry dog the same way we respond to an excited one? Why is it easy to get frustrated when highly aroused, but not easy to feel joy in the same mindset? Do we have to calm down to feel better, or can we feel better by getting activated? All this and more. Attend a Worked U...
May 05, 2026•8 min
The name “Worked Up” is ten years old now, but the material Sarah teaches under that label has undergone a major evolution. From the 1.0 days of managing dogs’ feelings with food so that handlers had time and space to improve their skills, to the 2.0 material that focused on the dog training that was needed in order for dogs to manage their own feelings, to the current era that draws from neuroscience, somatics, and yes, good dog training. Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup202...
Apr 28, 2026•8 min
Fear of airplanes, failure to get along with another dog, whether or not a head collar is better than a prong collar, and how to fulfill hunty dogs. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Apr 23, 2026•18 min
Aversive interventions are sometimes necessary, and sometimes the right answer. But within the R+landia space we often don’t discuss them, and it’s time to. Join Sarah as she rehashes her old thoughts from the first episode she did about this four years ago, revises her criteria, and shares new ideas about aversive consequences in dog training. https://sarahstremming.com/podcasts/replay-punishment-within-lima/ https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/talking-punishment-with-guest-sarah-stremming/id...
Apr 21, 2026•17 min
Play has a powerful role in our dogs’ lives (and in ours). It is vital to all development, and it allows the mindbody to repair and restore in ways that rival sleep. So what the hell is it, and how can we make sure our dogs are doing it? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Apr 14, 2026•13 min
Have you ever labeled a dog distracted after or during a session? Were you sure that the dog was just distracted, or might the dog have been uncomfortable? How would you know, and are there ways to respond in the two scenarios? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Apr 07, 2026•11 min
What quadrant is this? Or even, “is this punishment?” can be worthwhile questions. Or they can be minimizing questions that fail to keep the full spectrum of relationships and emotions front of mind. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Mar 24, 2026•7 min
Dog trainers are often tasked with helping dogs feel less afraid of things in their daily environments. This can be loud noises, it can be strangers, or it can even be slick floors or novel sights. The well known stimulus-stimulus pairing approach trainers call counter conditioning is not as effective as it has been made out to be, and this complex emotion requires more nuanced planning. Be sure to check out episode 373, “When Your Dog is Afraid” as well! Sign up for courses and join the members...
Mar 17, 2026•17 min
SAR K9 training, chronic pain, a follow up question about off leash skills, and more! Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Mar 12, 2026•12 min
You taught your dog not to pull on leash, and mostly they are good about this rule. But occasionally they still do, so what gives? Why does this behavior have such a strong tendency to resurge and what should you do about it? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Mar 03, 2026•11 min
If you find yourself asking “when do I actually get to train dogs?” in your role as a dog trainer, you are not alone. There is a place for Dog Training in the world of behavior, but it comes after welfare interventions. The best professionals are good at both, and the excellent ones know what to do, when. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Feb 24, 2026•11 min
One of the biggest buzzwords in dogdom is “arousal.” Join Sarah and guest Megan Foster for this special crossover episode with the Fostering Excellence in Agility Podcast to discuss what arousal is, what behaviors are actually driven by it, and what to do if you believe your dog to be “wrongly” (or “over”) aroused. www.fxagility.com Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Feb 17, 2026•58 min
If there is a quicker or easier way to get somewhere, why not take that route? So often in dog training we hold ourselves to an unnecessary standard. If the shortcut doesn’t require extra work, doesn’t cause anyone distress, and allows you to get the desired outcome faster, then take it! Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Feb 10, 2026•13 min
Dogs want to remain in attachment to us; so when they have a hard time participating in our sports or games sometimes training is the culprit but not always. What if the dogs we label “soft” are actually sick? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Feb 03, 2026•10 min
A young dog that is chasing cars, how to shape a tighter radius on walks, a puppy who isn’t decompressing around other dogs, and more! Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Jan 29, 2026•11 min
It is common for fear, anxiety, and a general lack of confidence to be confused in both the professional and guardian space. Understanding the difference between these three, and therefore how to treat them, is vital to addressing these welfare-threatening mindsets our dogs experience. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Jan 27, 2026•12 min
Did we throw useful stuff out with the dominance theory bathwater? A vital shift in dog behavior occurred when trainers and behavior consultants everywhere, from all walks, threw out the outdated and debunked theory that dogs are always striving to dominate us. But when we stopped thinking about dogs as living in packs with humans we also stopped talking about them as living in family units with humans, and that is a mistake. So what’s the difference between a pack and a family? What does it mea...
Jan 20, 2026•16 min
For the final four episodes of Cog Dog Radio in the year 2024 we are focusing on overlooked or misunderstood areas of healing in the world of dog behavior. Unsurprisingly these are concepts our society and culture could stand to better embrace. For the first in this series we will explore adult friendship, whether dogs need friends or not, and what it might mean to decide for them that they don’t. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://ww...
Jan 13, 2026•14 min
We live in a fast-paced society and therefore, so do our dogs. As a consequence of selective breeding, training, and just plain captivity, our dogs do not access “calm” states well. We all need a little slow school from time to time. So take a deep breath, sit down, and listen to this one. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Jan 06, 2026•17 min
The research is clear: being outside is good for us. And it is good for our dogs, too. When we know this to be true–with or without empirical data–why do we still find it so hard? Are there solutions to this? Is this actually worth doing? Isn’t a quick stroll around the block better than nothing? Vow in 2025 to go outside more with your dog; you will not regret it. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music b...
Dec 30, 2025•12 min
Disordered eating is normalized in our society and it is normalized in our dogs, too. Dogs should want to eat. Their GI should function normally. These are not radical statements, and yet most dogs Sarah sees in her private behavior work have some kind of damaged relationship to food. Dig into why this happens and what we can do about it. Then eat, drink, and be merry yourself on this holiday. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.pa...
Dec 23, 2025•16 min
There are essentially three ways to be with a dog in the human world. You can regiment them either physically or mentally, or they can be free. They want to be free, but the situation, the dog’s skills, the dog’s mental stability, and the human’s skills all need to be taken into account. When should we choose physical regimentation over mental or vice versa? When can they actually be free, and what is true freedom? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on P...
Dec 09, 2025•11 min
Have you heard the rule “never punish a growl”? Dog training has come a long way since the yank and crank days, but some of the adages birthed from the changing tides, like “never punish a growl,” deserve a deeper look. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Dec 02, 2025•8 min
In the episode about border collies Sarah referenced the concept of the “mental prison.” In this episode she elaborates on that thought, on what dogs get trapped in prisons of their own making, and on ways to help them escape. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay
Nov 25, 2025•17 min
In this crossover episode with the Functional Breeding Podcast Sarah and friend of the pod Dr Hekman discuss a recent paper revealing some interesting differences between the brains of herding dogs and “normal” dogs, particularly Sarah’s beloved border collies. The paper is "Genomic evidence for behavioral adaptation of herding dogs." and you can find it here: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.adp4591 Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on P...
Nov 11, 2025•1 hr 18 min
