Visit us at shapedbydog.com Success in dog training is about taking action. But if you are frustrated or overwhelmed or not sure you are doing the right thing, taking action can be challenging. We're looking at how to put barriers aside and find the fast track on the path ahead. In the episode you'll hear: • About the epiphany I had when cycling and going through gates on the trail. • Why I focus on the path and not the obstacles. • How people can get wrapped up in focusing on the things they do...
Jul 21, 2021•18 min•Ep. 97
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you have ever wondered why I don't teach my dogs to "watch me", how I end a training session, or my thoughts on treat bags, today is the day. I'm answering some of your popular dog training questions! We're also looking at how to avoid puppies chewing up their beds and training dogs who don't like food or toys. In the episode you'll hear: • Why I have attention from my dogs without training "watch me" or "look at me". • How "watch me" can be misused and why that re...
Jul 16, 2021•15 min•Ep. 96
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Are you the type of dog owner who loves to play with your dog or puppy? It's a great way to have fun, teach your dog life skills, and can help reduce fear. The tips we're covering today are essential for all dogs, and if you have an interest in dog agility, I'm also sharing how this applies to dog sports and confidence. Changing just one element of the way you play will have a big impact on how your dog learns and help to decrease fears and phobias. In the episode you...
Jul 14, 2021•20 min•Ep. 95
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever watched a really well-trained dog, like a police dog, world champion agility dog, or service dog, and noticed that they seem to be working without getting any food or toy reward from their handler? You might have tried the same with your dog, but your dog said, "no reward, no thanks!". We're looking at why some dogs appear to work brilliantly with no reinforcement. In the episode you'll hear: • The confusion out there about how reinforcement works. • How...
Jul 07, 2021•18 min•Ep. 94
Visit us at shapedbydog.com An old adage in dog training is that the best time to fix a problem or behavior challenge is before it happens. And though that may be true, it does not help when you have a problem or training challenge! There's a systemic approach that I've laid out for myself and my students for any challenge we have with our dogs. In the episode you'll hear: • A long list of problems presented by just one dog who was a bit over a year old. • How that dog was thrown out of 3 Day Ca...
Jun 16, 2021•20 min•Ep. 93
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There is one difference between very successful dog trainers and the average pet owner in the way they feed their dogs. That one thing is responsible for a better relationship with your dog and the dog being easier to train, having a long life, and fewer health problems. That one thing is easily achievable by everyone and will also help with a dog's picky eating. In the episode you'll hear: • The ways people feed their dogs. • What free choice feeding or graze feeding...
Jun 07, 2021•18 min•Ep. 92
Visit us at shapedbydog.com As someone who has been educating dog owners on having a well-behaved dog and an amazing relationship with that dog, I think it's important to share my failures. Learn, walk, listen and train ItsYerChoice with me as I talk about my big blunder that happened last week, the impact of judgement and critical questions we need to ask ourselves. In the episode you'll hear: • My mistake at the grocery store and why I went straight to judgement. • Why to get curious when you ...
Jun 04, 2021•21 min•Ep. 91
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Has your dog ever been so overexcited they just can't seem to listen, and it's frustrating for you? Dogs who want to go swimming, for a car ride, or a walk might be so intent on what they want they might not even sit when you ask, and you know they know how to sit! There are tools to fix the challenge, and you can use what your dog loves to do. We're looking at the science of the Premack Principle and how you can transfer the value for what your dog loves to you. In t...
Jun 02, 2021•24 min•Ep. 90
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Tug of War, which is tugging with a dog using a toy, is one of the most basic and fun games we can play. Yet, some authorities will give a list of reasons why dogs should not tug. We're looking at those reasons, what dogs should not tug, and the five most common mistakes people make with tugging. For most dogs, not only is it okay to play tug, but it's also critically important. In the episode you'll hear: • Why some dogs should not be tugging. • How tugging can help ...
May 28, 2021•17 min•Ep. 89
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Has your dog ever experienced barrier frustration? The frustration can escalate to aggression, and something like fence running can turn into fence fighting. The leash being on a dog can result in restraint frustration as the lead creates a barrier. Or perhaps your dog barks at other dogs when in the car? When our dogs are frustrated, they are expressing an emotion and we cannot ignore their excitement or anxiety. We can help our dog by creating a different emotional ...
May 26, 2021•17 min•Ep. 88
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Do you have a fitness program for your dog? It's not something that is just for canine athletes and dog sports! Every dog will benefit from conditioning exercises for their health, well-being and longevity. A fitness program is also a fun way for you and your dog to spend time together and easy to start. In the episode you'll hear: • Why fitness for dogs should include more than walks or chasing a ball or frisbee. • How dogs can have an imbalance in their body leading...
May 21, 2021•13 min•Ep. 87
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Are there times your dog just does not want to train? Or perhaps your dog is so distracted that you can't get their focus on you or the training? The reason a dog will seem so obsessed with something that you can't get their attention or do not seem motivated comes down to their emotional state. The good news is that you can help get your dog into the zone for peak performance, and when you rehearse success, it becomes easier and easier. In the episode you'll hear: • ...
May 19, 2021•16 min•Ep. 86
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Learn, walk and train with me! We're focusing on your dog's "sit". I'll be giving you prompts during this episode for when you are with your dog so we can be dog training together. We're also covering the 12 things that I consider fundamental for all dogs. Mastering the fundamentals will make anything you want to do with your dog so much easier. In the episode you'll hear: • Understanding your dog's sit. • The criteria of speed and latency. • Why to note how long it t...
May 14, 2021•18 min•Ep. 85
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever had disappointing results in your dog training, in sport, or life in general? One of the toughest things that any of us have to do is recover from disappointment. I'm joined by my friend, Olympic gold medallist Greg Louganis, for a conversation centered on overcoming disappointing results in sport as well as in life. Greg has been called both "the greatest American diver" and "probably the greatest diver in history", but he is also one of the best expert...
May 12, 2021•25 min•Ep. 84
Visit us at shapedbydog.com "How many hours a day do you spend training your puppy or dog?" is one of the most common questions I get. So, we'll look at a typical day in the life of my dogs. What happens might surprise you as I don't spend as much time training as many would think. What is important is the training between the training. In the episode you'll hear: • Why the interactions with your dog are the relationship. • About a typical day in my life with my dogs. • How I get the training do...
May 07, 2021•19 min•Ep. 83
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Imagine if your cute, cuddly puppy suddenly turned aggressive on you. You might think your puppy is trying to dominate you or acting out to spite you, but that is not the case. We're looking at what is going on with aggression in puppies and what to do about resource guarding. As scary and unimaginable as it may seem, a puppy showing aggression over resources is normal, and there are things that you can do right now to help. In the episode you'll hear: • How resource ...
May 05, 2021•31 min•Ep. 82
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you experienced sudden onset aggression, fear or behavior change with your dog? Imagine if I could give you a pill to solve any behavior challenge. Now, in some cases, there might actually a pill that can help. We're looking at what you need to know about your dog's thyroid. In the episode you'll hear: • About my dog Stoni and her sudden lunging at another dog. • What I learned from Dr. Jean Dodds about sudden onset fear and aggression. • About the importance of ...
Apr 30, 2021•13 min•Ep. 81
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Many dog owners wonder, "does my dog love me?". We'd all like to think our dogs love us, but how can we tell? It could all come down to the relationship you have with your dog and how that impacts the way you train your dog and communicate. There are three different sorts of relationships, and our interactions might have elements of each. It's not dissimilar to the relationship a child has with a parent or relationships in the workplace. We can demand, dominate, and c...
Apr 28, 2021•16 min•Ep. 80
Visit us at shapedbydog.com The best thing we can do for our dogs is to protect and grow confidence. But what does that really mean? What is a dog who is worried, or fearful, or growling, or showing aggression telling us? Why do our dogs change depending on where they are and what is around them? When we have a baseline and know what our dog is saying to us, we can start confidence building exercises to help our dog in all situations. In the episode you'll hear: • What my friend Greg Louganis ta...
Apr 23, 2021•18 min•Ep. 79
Visit us at shapedbydog.com When you bring a rescue dog into your family, you want your dog to settle in and be home for life. There are five key things you can do to set your new rescue dog up for success. These tips apply to all dogs! Often rescue dogs might have behavior issues, but you can help with good training and by creating clarity and structure for the new member of your family. In the episode you'll hear: • The biggest mistake you can make with a rescue dog. • Why we want to change pa...
Apr 21, 2021•22 min•Ep. 78
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Does your dog sometimes seem to be out of control? Do you sometimes think your dog is untrainable? Does your dog not appear to listen to you? I believe that dog training is like having a conversation with a friend. The challenges with that conversation happen if we don't like the answer our friend is giving us, and we end up trying to change the question. In the episode you'll hear: • The conversations we have with our dogs. • Why we might keep saying to our dog, "sit...
Apr 14, 2021•17 min•Ep. 77
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I'm sharing games to help improve your dog's loose leash walking that will help turn your dog's focus to you when there are distractions ahead. It starts easily at home with Perch Work, and you can transition to walking in the real world using the simple tips. Remember to celebrate your progress with your dog! In the episode you'll hear: • How to grow the foundations of Perch Work for walks with your dog. • Games to improve your loose leash walking. • The importance o...
Apr 07, 2021•18 min•Ep. 76
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Car sickness in a dog or puppy can be heartbreaking. My puppy has been getting car sick, and I've been documenting what I've been doing to help her. If your puppy or dog is drooling in the car, refusing to get in the car, hates car rides, throwing up or foaming at the mouth when travelling, or showing any other sign of motion sickness, you are not alone. In the episode you'll hear: • The signs of car sickness in puppies and dogs. • How I helped my puppy This! initiall...
Mar 31, 2021•19 min•Ep. 75
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you are like most people, you take your dog for a walk for exercise or for a potty break. Surprisingly, one of the questions I get asked frequently is when and how I walk my dogs. There are five main reasons I walk my dogs, and the walking is always intentional. Those reasons are for elimination (toilet breaks), relationship building, to give my dogs a chance to sniff (read the pee mail), exercise, and sometimes to socialize. In the episode you'll hear: • The types...
Mar 24, 2021•18 min•Ep. 74
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you'd like to train your dog to walk beside you on a leash without pulling, you are in the right place. There is one mistake that most people make when they are training walking on lead, and that is overwhelming their dog. In dog training lingo, we call it "lumping". Once you understand how to split a behaviour down, you will have success and quickly stop your dog from pulling on leash. In the episode you'll hear: • What it would be like to learn how to juggle whil...
Mar 19, 2021•11 min•Ep. 73
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Safe, structured introductions for a new rescue dog or puppy will set everyone up for success. When you have two or more dogs, your wish as a dog owner is that they all get along. But sometimes, that just does not happen. Living with multiple dogs should be intentional. We can help by implementing "Project Togetherness" to condition dogs to like and look forward to seeing each other. In the episode you'll hear: • When to see a Veterinary Behaviourist. • The times to p...
Mar 12, 2021•18 min•Ep. 72
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There is one thing that you can do easily to help overcome any dog training challenge you might have. That one thing is something I've been talking about and doing for 30 years. It's record keeping! Keeping a journal for your dog is not as hard as you might think, and it will fast track your success. In the episode you'll hear: • What labels can do to our dogs. • How I journaled This!'s resource guarding and why it helped fast track success. • What to keep track of wh...
Mar 10, 2021•18 min•Ep. 71
Visit us at shapedbydog.com The first day with your new puppy is a critical start your relationship. When a puppy comes into your home, they are fully capable of learning the moment they arrive. It's super important to be intentional about how your puppy goes about life from the moment they join your family. In the episode you'll hear: • The essential things to do during your puppy's first 24 hours at home. • What to avoid doing with puppies in the first few days. • Why to talk to your puppy's b...
Mar 03, 2021•20 min•Ep. 70
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How do you decide when to use a clicker and what to use it for in dog training? That's a question recently asked on my Instagram and what we're covering in this episode. Is a clicker a good choice for your dog, or you as a trainer, or for the behavior you want to train? In the episode you'll hear: • About using clickers, markers and what conditioned reinforcers are. • The four things you can do when using reinforcement in your training. • The verbal markers I like to ...
Feb 26, 2021•22 min•Ep. 69
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We're talking about trick training for dogs; it's fun and easy! Can you remember the very first thing you trained a dog to do and how you went about training it? The first thing I trained a dog to do was to dance. It was when I was a kid with our family dog, Tina the Poodle. Training tricks with our dogs is something I consider important, and there are three favourite tricks that I think all dogs should learn. In the episode you'll hear: • About our feelings when we a...
Feb 24, 2021•19 min•Ep. 68
