This episode’s question is about fear periods. “What are the critical fear stages in puppies from 8 weeks on? Is it best to keep up their socialization during these periods or back off for a few days and then resume?” In this episode I discuss: How to recognize fear periods as opposed to general fearfulness. The evolutionary reasons that puppies have fear periods Navigating fear periods in puppies and dogs Visit our website madcapradio.com for further reading....
Mar 18, 2025•21 min•Ep. 38
This episode’s question is about preventing dog-to-dog resource guarding: “Can’t seem to find it in the video; what is the protocol to work against food aggression within the litter? We have been doing marrow bones and resource guard training with people, but a few puppies are showing aggression to the other puppies at meal times. Any info appreciated, thanks!” In this episode I discuss: Why protocols for dog-to-dog resource guarding are not as effective as protocols for dog-to-human resource gu...
Feb 26, 2025•22 min•Ep. 37
This week’s question is about whether doing Puppy Culture or any other early socialization program can guarantee good outcomes for puppies. “…I was talking to a breeder about Puppy Culture and I told her that if she would just adopt the program, she would eliminate any temperament issues with her puppies. Am I right about this? Isn’t Puppy Culture a guarantee that puppies will have good outcomes?” In this episode I tackle: Re-thinking the line between nature and nurture The partnership between b...
Dec 10, 2024•26 min•Ep. 36
This week’s question is about whether you’re supporting or interfering when you help mom with her neonate puppies: “…I've noticed that you lay in the box with Velvet and provide significant assistance to her. Among many groups of breeders, there is a faction who strongly advise to essentially let Mom alone in the first days as she has instincts and knows what to do, and that the presence, participation, and assistance of humans may be bothersome to her. So, I'm wondering if this is breed depende...
Nov 12, 2024•14 min•Ep. 35
This is part two of my podcast, answering many questions one of our fans sent in about raw feeding puppies. In this episode I cover: AAFCO’s “Complete and Balanced” designation and why it’s relevant to kibble but not relevant to you if you feed a varied raw diet. Safety suggestions for feeding, sourcing, and handling raw dog food. Special considerations when feeding raw diets to puppies. Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading....
Oct 29, 2024•33 min•Ep. 34
This week’s episode is a fan request on feeding puppies a raw diet: My breeder uses and recommended Puppy Culture as a resource for my partner and I in preparation for our Toy Poodle pup that we'll be picking up in a week or so. We've completed your Puppy Owners Course, the Puppy Culture and Attention is the Mother films, and have started binging your podcast- love your stuff! I'm wondering if you could make an episode on feeding dogs raw food. We plan to feed our pup raw (the breeder currently ...
Oct 22, 2024•22 min•Ep. 33
This week’s conversation is the result of an interview that I did with Jean Donaldson a few weeks ago . In it, Jean mentioned that it’s now a “thing” not to offer puppy play groups for puppies. The thought is that allowing puppies to play will make them less likely to pay attention to their owners. This raised a big discussion in the Puppy Culture Discussion Group , with many pet owners, breeders, and trainers coming down hard on the side of not taking puppies to puppy play groups. What I found ...
Oct 08, 2024•29 min•Ep. 32
This week’s question asks what the earliest is that breeders have observed consistent personality traits in a puppy: “Out of curiosity, how early have you noticed personality traits developing in your litters that did stick around until the time they went to new homes or even beyond? (Caveat: I know a puppy's personality truly doesn't settle until they are much older which is why temperament tests aren't predictive of adult temperament as we learn in PC. This is just for fun / curiosity and beca...
Oct 02, 2024•24 min•Ep. 31
This week’s podcast is a fan request about the concerns one breeder has about the “corporate takeover” of veterinary medicine and how that is affecting her puppy owners: “What information and resources do you use to help your puppy buyers, especially new/first time dog owners, screen and select a veterinarian? In the past couple of years, and seems like more lately, I get these questions from my puppy buyers that their vet told them something that ranged from harmless but not really accurate to ...
Sep 26, 2024•20 min•Ep. 30
This week, my guest, Jean Donaldson, chats with us about how to be a smart dog training consumer. We delve into both practical and ethical questions when it comes to finding a puppy class, and Jean shares the answers to her three questions you should ask any dog trainer: What exactly will happen if my dog gets it right? What exactly will happen if my dog gets it wrong? Are there less invasive/aversive alternatives to what you propose? Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading....
Aug 09, 2024•35 min•Ep. 29
This week’s podcast is about puppies and owners who can’t seem to bond with their owners. The original question is long, so here’s the gist of it: “Functionally Mac is excellent. Crate/House training/Obedience excellent…He sleeps through the night. He is great at puppy classes...He is good with other people and dogs…He was good at the vets. No problems so far with loud noises or anything like that…The problem is that we have been unable to build a relationship with him. He doesn’t respond to af...
Jul 30, 2024•27 min•Ep. 28
This week’s topic is the significance of trainer certifications: “Will knowing a trainer’s certification help you find the “Best” trainer?” In this episode, I discuss: The significance of different training certifications Why finding the “best” trainer should not be your first priority Why puppy class is fantastic, but not a requirement Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading....
Jul 02, 2024•17 min•Ep. 27
This week’s question is about marrow bones: “Looking for advice and information on giving puppies bones. I've heard so much conflicting information about the benefits and risks, but I'm thoroughly confused. A dog dentist once told me not to give my dog anything to chew on that I couldn't dent with my thumbnail. Yet here I see hooves and raw meaty bones being offered. Thoughts?” In this episode, I lay out: The risk and benefits of giving your puppy or dog marrow bones The relative risk for differ...
Jun 18, 2024•12 min•Ep. 26
This week’s question is about your changing relationship with your puppy through his teenage months: "I was talking with a very respected breeder about my ten-month-old Bull Terrier and she told me that this is the age where I need to start being ‘firm’ with him. What does she mean by ‘firm?’" In this episode I explain: What we mean by “firm” Your process for deciding when and how to be “firm” as your puppy matures. Why being “firm” is important as puppies mature into teenagers, but inappropriat...
May 14, 2024•21 min•Ep. 25
This week’s question is about Breeder-Puppy Buyer contracts: Our puppies are 7 weeks old now and will be going to their new families in 3 weeks. I have been following along each day and this experience with the puppies has been incredible. Thank you for "holding my hand" throughout. We are getting to the part that I just feel I am not prepared or knowledgeable enough....THE CONTRACT. I, too, want to keep it simple.....feed healthy, train in a positive way, and bring back the puppy if something c...
May 01, 2024•22 min•Ep. 24
This week’s question is about using temperament testing to help match puppies with owners: Temperament Testing: I have someone interested in our litter and training the pup for a potential therapy dog. They want to train him to do deep pressure therapy for her anxiety. She grew up helping train hunting dogs and they have trained rescues, so I know she can do this if we get her a good match. So how do you find someone to do temperament testing? In this episode I explore: The origins, benefits a...
Mar 20, 2024•26 min•Ep. 23
I feel like there is a general need for a new kind of dog professional. Don't you feel that many puppy owners could use something like IN PERSON "puppy parenting coach?" So not dog training per se, more like a breeder-mentor for puppy owners. It just seems like puppy owners throw a lot of effort agains things that are not really problems, but they don't know those things are not problems because they don't have someone with enough wisdom and experience to point that out. Someone who has raised 1...
Mar 13, 2024•31 min•Ep. 22
This week’s question is about puppies who growl when restrained: "Hey everyone! We're raising our first litter, English Setters, nearly 7 weeks old. All have lovely temperaments and have been going through the PC process like little pro's. One thing we've noticed over the last week is, if they want to hop down when a puppy family or friend is holding them, they'll do little frustrated growls or barks (I hesitate to say growl, though I'm sure you'll understand – it's just a "let me down!" kinda t...
Feb 29, 2024•23 min•Ep. 21
Magda Chiarella joins me for this week’s podcast and, if Magda is here, you know we’ll be talking about canine nutrition! This week’s question generated a lot of interesting comments that we discuss in the podcast: “Hi I found a recipe for a dog Slushy for pregnant females. Its ingredients are baby kale, baby Spinach, coconut water and flaxseed meal. All ingredients according to Google are safe but kale. Says new studies show it can cause kidney and bladder stones. Any advice please? I'd love t...
Feb 22, 2024•23 min•Ep. 20
This week’s question is about when puppies should go to their new homes: “I've known breeders who keep their pups till 8 weeks, and some till 10 weeks. Some even until 12. What are the deciding factors in how long pups stay with the breeder? Does it depend on breed, the specific litter, or does it just come down to breeder preference?” In this episode, I talk about: Optimal age for placing puppies. Factors that go into determining what that optimal age is. Extenuating circumstances that influenc...
Feb 13, 2024•22 min•Ep. 19
When it rains it pours, and this week it’s pouring puppies who bite fingers when taking treats. We got FOUR posts on this topic this week! The questions came from both puppy owners and breeders, and in this episode, I give you a fresh perspective on this “problem”: Why puppies take treats roughly from hand What you should do about it Tips for working with puppies or dogs in groups Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading....
Feb 06, 2024•16 min•Ep. 18
Today’s question comes from a breeder, but it’s a topic that is applicable to anyone who owns a puppy or dog: “How much frustration should a puppy have before changing the game a little to make the session successful? Did the barrier challenge for the 1st time today...he was continually going to the wrong side to a closed section...At the 3-minute mark, I pulled the food bowl so a small portion went beyond the barrier, then placed him back at the starting point again. He was able to complete t...
Jan 30, 2024•19 min•Ep. 17
Today’s question is about puppies who terrorize adult dogs: “Does anyone have experience with a pup obsessed with chasing the older dog (Labrador pups adult GSD). The GSD runs from him and has turned and bark/snarled at him, but he won’t leave her alone when he sees her. Suggestions?” In this episode I cover: Is this a normal puppy behavior? What to do about it. What the long-term outlook is for this situation. Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading....
Jan 23, 2024•16 min•Ep. 16
Today’s question is on dams who refuse to eat when pregnant: “Ok friends, I’m having a REALLY difficult time getting my girl to eat… I have mixing pumpkin purée, we currently have three different dog foods that I have been trying different combinations of. She was eating Badlands Ranch and Orijen really well, before that it was Royal Canin, but all of these she eventually has stopped eating. I have freeze dried medallions I break up and mix in, I have canned (Royal Canin) I try mixing in…anyth...
Jan 16, 2024•31 min•Ep. 15
Today’s question is a fan request for an episode on teenagers: “I wonder if you could do a podcast covering what you have learned works best regarding how to frame the adolescents mind and some general guidelines around training and general standards we should be aware of at this time in her development. You know, like with the puppies at their different stages.” “Adolescent dogs” is a huge topic spanning several developmental periods, but in this episode I’m throwing out some big, universal lan...
Jan 09, 2024•35 min•Ep. 14
This week’s star question is from a puppy owner who’s puppy is drooling and throwing up in the car. They’re wondering, is it general anxiety or carsickness? It’s very troublesome because these puppy owners have lots of big plans for travel with their pet and it’s important that their puppy ride well in the car. What can they do to fix this situation? In this episode I answer these questions and look at: The evolutionary reason we experience motion sickness How to treat and manage carsickness Car...
Jan 01, 2024•20 min•Ep. 13
Today’s question comes to us from a breeder who’s having a large litter and wondering how she’s going to get everything done: “Help, I am actually freaking out…just confirmed 11 via x-ray…have got a really bad feeling that I am going to be short on time for individual work. How do those of you who have big litters work?” In this episode, I talk about: My Five key tips to save time when working with litters Great time savings suggestions submitted by our followers Prioritizing what’s most importa...
Dec 26, 2023•34 min•Ep. 12
Today’s question comes from a viewer who has a puppy that wakes up at 5AM and screams her head off. They’ve been ignoring the screaming but it’s not going away...what should she do? This is a common problem that both puppy owners and breeders regularly write in about. In this episode I cover: Why puppies scream at seemingly odd hours of the morning What you should do to stop “early risers” from screaming How to effectively look at the total picture to see why your puppy is screaming and if it’s ...
Dec 19, 2023•28 min•Ep. 11
Today’s question comes from a person who’s thinking about taking in rescue litters. She’s thinking that a good early start could help rescue puppies, but she’s wondering if she’ll be able to use Puppy Culture. She’s worried that, because the dams are stressed, she might not be able to do some of the protocols. What should she do? Are there any special considerations for doing Puppy Culture with a rescue litter? Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading....
Dec 12, 2023•17 min•Ep. 10
Today’s question comes from a viewer who’s wondering how early puppies need to be separated from their littermates to avoid the dreaded “Littermate Syndrome.” In this episode, I tackle that question and discuss key issues around “littermate syndrome.” Is littermate syndrome a real thing? Is it ever a good idea to keep two littermates? If you do keep two littermates, how can you successfully raise them together? Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading....
Dec 05, 2023•21 min•Ep. 9
