Visit us at shapedbydog.com Today's episode comes from a suggestion by one of our listeners, and it's on the topic of becoming a professional dog trainer. More specifically, the path that led me to dog training as a career. In the episode you'll hear: • What I wanted to be when I grew up. • Why it's not just training dogs. • The things I had to learn. • My evolution to dog training. • Why to take care about where you learn. • How much your passion should matter. • The importance of the science o...
Oct 14, 2020•18 min•Ep. 37
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How do you pick a puppy? Even if you are not selecting a puppy, a lot of these concepts apply to a rescue dog. I've just raised a litter of puppies, and one will stay with me as my next dog, so I'm covering my tips, plus how my puppy chose me! In the episode you'll hear: • How our rescue dog Tater feels about living in a family of Border Collies. • The considerations about what sort of dog is best for you. • How Tina the Poodle came into our family when I was a kid. •...
Oct 09, 2020•24 min•Ep. 36
Visit us at shapedbydog.com When I am training, my dog is engaged and excited and attentive. The connection with my dogs is vital in all we do together. You might think getting your dog focused entirely on you is ninja-level dog training, but it's possible for everyone. Today I'm sharing with you one of the most important things you could be doing that will hurt engagement and connection with your dog, and how you can easily fix it. In the episode you'll hear: • What being at a party has to do w...
Oct 07, 2020•18 min•Ep. 35
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Chances are you are familiar with the concept of "time outs". A time out is something you will hear of being used for kids, puppies, and dogs. The bottom line about a time out is that it is punishment. Should a time out be part of life with our dog? Are we using a time out due to our inadequacies as a trainer for our dog? In the episode you'll hear: • Lessons I learned about using time outs. • The science of time outs. • About the three different forms of time outs. •...
Oct 02, 2020•18 min•Ep. 34
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If your dog is getting on the table or counter and stealing food, you are not alone. The topic of counter surfing is one that I get a lot of questions about, and it's frequently requested for me to cover on my podcast. Your dog taking things from the counter is a big frustration, and we're looking at how you can turn this around. In the episode you'll hear: • The three ways you could deal with a dog who surfs the counter. • Why dogs start stealing food, and the gradua...
Sep 30, 2020•21 min•Ep. 33
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If someone comes to me with a behaviour problem, one of the first questions I ask is "how much exercise does your dog get?". There is often a definite link between the mental and physical stimulation a dog receives and the amount of trouble the dog gets into. Exercising your dog or puppy can be easy and done within your home. The games I'm sharing are great ways to engage your dog's brain and body if you can't get out, or you have an injury that means you can't go for...
Sep 25, 2020•17 min•Ep. 32
Visit us at shapedbydog.com You can make your dog training a lot more effective, and a lot more efficient with the effective use and placement of rewards. It does not matter if you are just starting or have been a dog trainer for years, using my pro tips about where and how to place reinforcement will see you get results faster, and supercharge your training sessions. In the episode you'll hear: • How every behaviour is a transfer of value. • What our mechanics have to do with dog training. • Ho...
Sep 23, 2020•20 min•Ep. 31
Visit us at shapedbydog.com In this episode, I am talking about one of my favourite things to train. If you love your dog, I'm asking you to listen with an open mind, because we're talking about comfort with confinement, a topic inspired by a note from one of my online students. In the episode you'll hear: • Why should you care about crating your dog. • About the importance of safety for your puppy or dog. • The one thing that makes comfort with confinement essential for your dog's well being. •...
Sep 18, 2020•21 min•Ep. 30
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Today's topic covers the serious issue of reactivity and aggression in dogs. If you have a challenge with your dog, I strongly advise that you seek out the help of a Certified Veterinary Behaviorist who is equipped to deal with these issues in a reinforcement-based program. Seek the help of a qualified professional who will, where needed, use pharmaceutical intervention to help create a different reality for your dog, so your dog does not go through life feeling the n...
Sep 16, 2020•18 min•Ep. 29
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever thought about why we own dogs really? What is the main benefit? That's on my mind, and your reasons might be like mine … dogs are companions and make our lives better. We have a relationship with our dogs. So why do we call the way we relate to our companions "training"? We don't think of our relationships with the people in our life as "training", so why do we "dog train"? In the episode you'll hear: • The way I look at my relationship with my dogs. • M...
Sep 11, 2020•17 min•Ep. 28
Visit us at shapedbydog.com What you are about to hear could well be a paradigm shift. In dog training lingo, we call the rules we have for our dogs "criteria". For a dog to have an amazing life there needs to be some training, and your understanding of criteria is going help your dog find joy in all that you do together. In the episode you'll hear: • How your dog's behaviour impacts his life. • The breakdown of the criteria you need for your dog's understanding of "sit". • What WACC is and how ...
Sep 09, 2020•17 min•Ep. 27
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Today's podcast topic comes from you! One of the questions I'm often asked is "how do I get my puppy to stop waking me up?". Another is "how do I stop my dog waking me earlier and earlier?". These are common problems, and there are three main reasons it happens, with the most likely being that you have been 'shaped by dog'. I've got tips to help you. There are four things that you can put into action right now to ensure you get some sleep. In the episode you'll hear: ...
Sep 04, 2020•20 min•Ep. 26
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We all have an important role to play in reducing the number of dog bites, in particular dog bites to children. Recent statistics on dog bites show that 77% of biting is by the family dog or a friend's dog. It's up to us to protect children, anyone who comes into contact with our dog, and our dog. I've got actionable strategies for you, and it all starts with how to R.E.A.D. a dog. In the episode you'll hear: What recent studies on dog bites tell us. How to use the ac...
Sep 02, 2020•20 min•Ep. 25
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Distractions! How do you get your dog's focus in the face of a distraction? That's what we're talking about, and I'm giving you my formula to help your dog and have training success. Cats, squirrels, chipmunks, bicycles, kangaroos, children, birds, balls, food. The list of your dog's distractions will depend on your dog, and many can be used to your advantage. In the episode you'll hear: • About response cost and how it relates to you drinking water. • How many of you...
Aug 28, 2020•19 min•Ep. 24
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Things have been a little weird around here because six days ago we welcomed a litter of four puppies. One of these puppies will be my next dog, and it got me thinking about how I identify myself and how that relates to my dogs. And it is the same for you. Your identity matters for you and your dog. In the episode you'll hear: • The importance of how you identify yourself. • Why our dog is always getting trained either through conscious effort or our dog's experimenta...
Aug 26, 2020•16 min•Ep. 23
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We're talking about pressure and dogs. It's not the sort of pressure to make sure your dog's leash matches the collar, or for your dog to be looking good in front of your friends. It's the bubble of pressure that surrounds all dogs. This sort of pressure is essential to understand for your dog's comfort and everyone's safety around dogs. It will also help you become a great communicator with every dog you meet. In the episode you'll hear: • My explanation on how the i...
Aug 21, 2020•15 min•Ep. 22
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We all have vivid childhood memories, and one of mine involving my friend's dog Chuka had a lasting impact. In all my dog training, I look to grow confidence and capability for dogs in any environment. I do that using the model of my 5C Pyramid. Now, you might already be familiar with the 5C Pyramid for Success, but I've got a couple of tweaks to the layers you'll want to hear. It all starts with our connection with our dogs and knowing the questions to ask, so we can...
Aug 19, 2020•17 min•Ep. 21
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you are here, chances are you have an interest in how to train a dog without punishment or blame. When you are moving away from training with physical corrections, intimidation, or verbal corrections, you can fall into what I call "the gap". If your dog is digging in the garden, has paws on the counter, has jumped in the pond or is chasing a cat, you freeze. The old lessons come to your head telling you to "stop the dog and punish". You want to leave that behind an...
Aug 14, 2020•17 min•Ep. 20
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We all have pet peeves, and one of mine is the misuse of dog training cues. Cues have power, and it is important to maintain our dog's clarity and understanding. Most cues are verbs because we want our dogs to do something. It's vital not to dilute a cue as that will create uncertainty in our dog about what we really want him to do. In the episode you'll hear: • How dogs don't understand past tense. • The reason we should never say "good sit" or "good down". • The imp...
Aug 12, 2020•17 min•Ep. 19
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There are four games you can play right now that will help expedite learning for your puppy or dog. I'm sharing each game plus why and how to play so you can start immediately. We're also going over how toy selection can increase or decrease how often you get bitten and busting some myths about tugging with a pup. You'll also learn what to do if your puppy or dog touches your skin or clothing with teeth when you are playing. We've also got a journal for you to downloa...
Aug 07, 2020•21 min•Ep. 18
Visit us at shapedbydog.com The number one question anyone with a puppy asks is "how do I STOP my puppy biting me, my feet, my hands, my kids, my clothes, my face". It's important to understand that it is necessary for puppies to bite. What you do in response is going to set your puppy up for life success. If you don't have a youngster, there is still a lot of great dog training to be learned from puppies, and you might even discover that you could be the reason your friend's puppy bites. In the...
Aug 05, 2020•21 min•Ep. 17
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There is one question you can ask yourself to solve virtually any dog training problem. If your dog is jumping, digging, chewing, biting or doing something else you want to fix, you need to know "the thing before the thing". In the episode you'll hear: The four most common naughty behaviors in dogs. How to use the ABC's of dog training to fix anything. What the antecedent of a dog's behavior could be. How the consequence could be contributing to the problem. Two ways ...
Jul 31, 2020•16 min•Ep. 16
Visit us at shapedbydog.com In a multi-dog household, it's important that all dogs have confidence and be comfortable. I'm sharing my biggest tips for intentional household harmony. In the episode you'll hear: When I realized that comfort and confidence for all dogs is vital. How to be present to what your dogs are telling you. The CSI of a multi-dog home. How I prevent resource guarding before it starts. The guidelines and house rules that set everyone up for success. Resources: Podcast Episode...
Jul 29, 2020•18 min•Ep. 15
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you live with more than one dog or want to live with more than one dog, this episode is for you. We need to be intentional about creating harmony for multi-dogs in our homes for everyone's comfort and safety. In the episode you'll hear: The advantages of having one dog. What needs to change when your household becomes multi-dog. My "5 Stages of Togetherness". What to do, and what not to do, when bringing in a new dog. How I intentionally set my dogs up for success....
Jul 24, 2020•18 min•Ep. 14
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Our dog's name says a lot about our dog and a lot about us. There are many considerations to naming, and many ways to go about choosing a name. In the episode you'll hear: Ideas for picking a name for your puppy or dog. What to consider that might not be immediately obvious. What to avoid when choosing a name. About the energy attached to your dog's name. If you should change the name of a rescue dog. How I choose names for my dogs. Resources: Shaped By Dog Podcast Ep...
Jul 22, 2020•13 min•Ep. 13
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We all love our dogs and want to help them, but sometimes that help has the opposite effect of what we intend! That's what I'm covering in this episode, so you can get the behaviour you really want. Learn how letting go of control will have your dog buy-in to your training and create a relationship of mutual happiness. In the episode you'll hear: About triggers, opposition reflex and drive. What self control really is, and how our control is an illusion. How games are...
Jul 17, 2020•15 min•Ep. 12
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Harnessing the power of permission in dog training is the secret of my success. It's how I can train dogs to the highest levels without the use of intimidation or physical punishment. Sometimes is anytime for a dog, and permissions make the anytime work for us. And it's not just for training our dogs. We all want our relationships to have equity and trust. In the episode you'll hear: The where, why, and what of permission in dog training. What teenagers driving a Lamb...
Jul 15, 2020•16 min•Ep. 11
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Do you know anybody who is thinking about getting a new puppy or a dog? Maybe it's you! There are things to know before you add a canine family. Every dog deserves a great life, and every human being deserves a life with a great dog in it. In the episode you'll hear: Things to know before you get a puppy or dog. Where you can save money and where you should never cut costs. Why time is vital for your new family member. What to research before you get your puppy. Resou...
Jul 10, 2020•17 min•Ep. 10
Visit us at shapedbydog.com When do you consider your dog trained? That's what we're talking about in this episode. We're also looking at why I think "dog training" might be misnamed and what all great relationships have in common. Plus if you ever find yourself furious with your dog, I've got one big tip to help! In the episode you'll hear: My answers to the two most common dog training questions asked of me. What owning a car has to do with dog training. What all great relationships have in co...
Jul 08, 2020•14 min•Ep. 9
Visit us at shapedbydog.com In this episode, I'm sharing one simple and easy psychological trick so you and your dog can get in the belief loop of awesome. Tune in for how this one thing can make life for you and your dog dramatically better! I have been using this for years, and it works. In the episode you'll hear: How a child went from always being in detention and disruptive, to an engaged and cooperative student. It only took one change! How the belief loop can work for you easily. Understa...
Jul 03, 2020•18 min•Ep. 8
