In episode 43, we go over some very important advice to take with you into the new year: don't try to do it all at once. Start small… as always, we are shaping behavior after behavior. For full show notes, visit: www.wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/43
Jan 09, 2018•25 min
We're rounding out 2017 by forecasting 2018. On this episode, I explore 5 key concepts for 2018 with Ryan Cartlidge, the founder of Animal Training Academy. For the full show notes, visit www.wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/42/
Dec 31, 2017•43 min
In episode 40, we discussed Motivating Operations. This week we are going to zoom in on a particular type of Conditioned Motivating Operations - the reflexive version, or CMO-R. For full show notes, visit: www.wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/41
Dec 18, 2017•37 min
This week…..well, I hope you'll bear with me. If you thought previous episodes were extraordinarily geeky, this one may set a new standard. For full show notes, visit: https://wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/40/
Dec 12, 2017•41 min
In dog training circles, motivation is - well - kind of a hot topic. It's a big concept and we care a lot about it because, of course, reinforcement drives behavior. So, it's worth spending some time unpacking, and this week I had the ridiculous good luck of unpacking it with Dr. Susan Friedman! For the full show notes, visit: www.wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/39
Nov 22, 2017•1 hr 8 min
To be most effective in our shaping, we want to strive for continuous incremental progress. When we are doing it at our very best, we increment every rep, but in such small increments that the dog is always winning. Easier said than done! For the full show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/38
Nov 14, 2017•20 min
Traditionally, we say that a reinforcer is something the learner wants. But it's not that simple. It's never simple is it? It's important to remember that reinforcement is a process defined by the results. For the full show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/37
Oct 31, 2017•32 min
In this conversation, Lindsay Wood Brown and I attempt to unpack the concept of the Conditioned Emotional Response (CER) as applies to dog training. In addition to running through (and utterly confusing ourselves with) the terminology of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus, etc, we also talk about practical application. For the full show notes, visit: https://wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/36/
Oct 24, 2017•26 min
Today's podcast guests, Elsa Blomster and Lena Gunnarson, are the authors of Retrieving for All Occasions, which is, in their own words, the kind of book they would have liked to read when their first dogs were puppies. This book dives into basic training for retrieving and flushing dogs and offers concrete advice for helping readers understand where the exercises lead. For full show notes, visit: https://wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/35/
Oct 17, 2017•1 hr 18 min
In this episode, we talk about finding a balance between providing structure for our dogs and also letting them make choices. As usual with, this was a very REAL conversation. Unfiltered. Unedited. Sorry/not sorry. For full show notes, visit: https://wonderpupstraining.com/podcast/34/
Oct 10, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Fluency is, in many ways, another word for mastery of a skill or behavior. Which is, of course, what we want for our learners. But there are a LOT of factors and moving parts that all have to work together to build that fluent behavior and that can be a lot to keep track of as a trainer. For complete show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-33-better-faster-stronger-fluency
Oct 03, 2017•39 min
In this episode, we also talk about the factors that can affect latency, and somethings to think about in your training if you want to improve the latency of your behaviors. For full show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-32-training-word-day-latency
Sep 19, 2017•32 min
This week we are sitting down with Emelie and Eva of Carpe Momentum (remember these guys from episode #23?) and talking about the idea of choice in our training session, and working with "Start Button" behaviors. For the full show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-31-start-button-behaviors-emelie-johnson-vegh-and-eva-bertilsson
Sep 11, 2017•1 hr 11 min
How much information does the stimulus, or combination of stimuli, convey? The better the information, the more likely the brain is to attach it to an action. We pay attention to reliable information. Both dogs and humans! For the full show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-30-stimulus-control-freak
Sep 07, 2017•43 min
Am I the only one who has a deep love affair going on with whiteboards? If you can't relate to this obsession of mine- you might want to tune out. If whiteboards get you going, too, then by all means - tune in! For complete show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-29-whiteboard-love
Aug 29, 2017•23 min
This week through the magic of the internet, I got to talk with Swedish dog trainer, Fanny Gott and we discussed a rather hot topic in dog training circles - No Reward Marker. For the full show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-27-no-reward-markers-fanny-gott
Aug 08, 2017•1 hr 35 min
This week I want to pick up where we left off last week talking about splitting, because one one of the things that helps me a lot when I think about how to split behavior and develop my training plan, is to consider the behavior in terms of a movement cycle. But in order for that to be helpful for you, you have to understand what a movement cycle is. For complete show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-26-movement-cycle-and-loopy-training
Aug 02, 2017•29 min
In this episode, we talk about where to look for "splits" when training a behavior. For the full show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-25-breaking-hard-do-splitting-committed-lumpers
Jul 31, 2017•22 min
Have you ever felt the pressure of getting a new puppy and felt totally frozen, not wanting to screw that puppy up? Me too. On this episode, we are diving into all the feelings of that pressure with Laura VanArendonk Baugh. In the end, you'll have real-life tips you can use to raise a fearless puppy! For the complete show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-24-raising-fearless-puppies-laura-vanarendonk-baugh
Jul 18, 2017•58 min
I hope you appreciate the several, unintended, Dr Who references in this episode. If that's not enough to keep your interest, you might want to unsubscribe (just kidding!). Listen on for more from Emelie and Eva (and me) on creating structure and flow in your training sessions and dealing with errors when they come up. For full show notes, visit :http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-23-dealing-errors-emelie-johnson-vegh-and-eva-bertilsson
Jul 12, 2017•1 hr 13 min
So what exactly *is* stimulus control? We're pondering (and attempting to answer that) on this episode featuring Kathy Sdao. For show notes, visit: http://www.wonderpupstraining.com/blog/podcast-22-pondering-stimulus-control-kathy-sdao
Jul 03, 2017•44 min
Why plan at all when it could all change? Planning does the thinking and deciding in advance. It simplifies information, by acting as a filter… for you and for your clients. This episode goes in depth on why you should bother with training plans.
Jun 27, 2017•24 min
Founder of Smart Dog University and Faculty member at Karen Pryor Academy, Laurie chats with me about mistakes we made when first learning to teach people how to train their own dogs, why we really CAN teach pet owners to use a clicker successfully and how we break down the necessary skills to make good training accessible. Also- do scientific theories really matter? Tune in to find out!
Jun 19, 2017•50 min
Ever feel like life gets away from you and you just don't have time to train? Me too. All. The. Time. It's a super common problem we all face. Professional trainer or avid amateur, we all have constant demands on our time and attention that make it hard to make training a priority. In this episode, we'll talk about strategies to help us MAKE time to train, even when time is tight.
Jun 13, 2017•18 min
This week we got to hang out with The Ken Ramirez! (I know! Squeeeeee!) Ken is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he helps oversee the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization. With over 40+ years of experience in animal care and training, Ken is an accomplished author, biologist and animal behaviorist who has an impressive resume working and consulting with training centers, aquariums, ...
Jun 06, 2017•34 min
We talk about classical conditioning in dog training circles a lot, and I've been hearing the term CER more and more frequently in larger conversations, which is AWESOME. Most people know that classical conditioning is one form of associative learning that makes up part of what we call learning theory. And most recognize the name Pavlov, and know that he did some experiments a long time ago that involved some bells and some food and some drooling dogs. But I think we can do a little bit better, ...
May 31, 2017•31 min
We've all seen and experienced displacement behavior... but what does that mean? Displacement behavior is most likely to be exhibited when you (or your dog) are faced with tough choices... conflicting sources of motivation. Should I stay or should I go? If it's an easy decision... maybe staying is super amazing and going is very sad, no problem! But if both decisions are fairly equivalent (on either a good or bad scale), then we feel tension. Displacement behaviors show up right in that spot. Sc...
May 23, 2017•29 min
#15 - "Force Lite" with Shade Whitesel by Hannah Branigan
May 16, 2017•38 min
If you've ever been guilty of overthinking your training, struggling with ring nerves, or generally freaking out about dog stuff… you'll definitely be interested in our guest this week - Andrea Harrison! Andrea describes herself as an educator who is passionate about all species, including both dogs AND humans! Having lived with dogs her whole life, Andrea was an early convert to positive training for people and dogs. She has years of experience working with all different kinds of people, and no...
May 10, 2017•51 min
Have you heard that positive reinforcement doesn't work? WAIT what? Of course, positive reinforcement works. It's pretty damn effective and we have decades of scientific evidence behind the concept. Positive Reinforcement isn't even a technique, it's a naturally occurring process. It's a naturally occurring process, like gravity. Operant conditioning is just a way of describing what is naturally occurring in the world. The concept of operant conditioning is that behavior is a function of consequ...
May 04, 2017•19 min