Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you have a puppy, you've probably heard that your pup needs to socialize with other puppies and dogs. But what does that mean exactly? How much play is enough or too much for your puppy? Does it mean playing with all other puppies and dogs? We're looking at critical guidelines and tips for success with puppy playtime, so it's safe, builds confidence and grows your relationship. In the episode you'll hear: • How socialization through play helps puppies with life ski...
Dec 15, 2021•15 min•Ep. 127
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I'm often asked how to start a dog training plan, and no matter what the behaviour, my answer is always the same. We need to begin with the end in mind. Knowing how we want a behaviour to finish will create confidence and clarity for our dogs. We're looking at how back-chaining can bring you and your dog joy together in training. In the episode you'll hear: • How I taught my friend to ride a bicycle. • Some of the behaviors people train without thinking of the end. • ...
Dec 10, 2021•16 min•Ep. 126
Visit us at shapedbydog.com In education, what the teacher is teaching, and what the learner is learning might not be the same thing. It's the same when we are training our dogs. If what our dog does is not what we have trained, we need to look at our training to see where that might be flawed. Often it comes down to the reinforcement process, and today we're going to fix that. In the episode you'll hear: • The elements of the reinforcement process in dog training. • How to fix the way you are r...
Dec 08, 2021•16 min•Ep. 125
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There's a good chance that most of us have been hurt by words at some stage in our life. And it's not just the meaning; it's the energy surrounding the words we choose to use. I recently did two weeks of live streams focusing on one word each day because words have power. We're venturing into the woo of dog training! In the episode you'll hear: • What kind of feelings words can conjure. • About the positive energy of words. • How words can help our connection with our...
Dec 03, 2021•14 min•Ep. 124
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever wondered what the best gift is for a dog owner or someone about to become a dog or puppy owner? We can probably all agree that the surprise gift of an actual puppy or dog is the worst idea because life is not like TV or the movies! I might have a little bit of an obsession with dog beds, toys and leashes, but I don't believe they are the best gift for a dog lover. So, what will see someone respond to your thoughtfulness with "this is the BEST GIFT EVER!"...
Nov 18, 2021•14 min•Ep. 123
Visit us at shapedbydog.com What three words would you and your dog pick to describe your dog training? I'd like to think my dogs pick the words fun, kind and clear. The late Wayne Dyer influenced my dog training mantra, and I believe that our dogs are doing the absolute best they can with the education we've given them in the environment that we are asking them to perform in. If you embrace this, it's the gateway to having not only the best relationship with your dog but to the best trained dog...
Nov 16, 2021•17 min•Ep. 122
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How do I get my dog to stop jumping up on people? Wanting to know how to train a dog to greet people calmly is a question we see often. There are three simple steps to get your dog to never jump on anyone again. It starts with knowing why dogs jump up in the first place. In the episode you'll hear: • The reason dogs jump on people. • Why jumping up is rewarding for dogs and why they seek our face. • The tactic that I'd never use when dogs jump up. • About creating a n...
Nov 12, 2021•13 min•Ep. 121
Visit us at shapedbydog.com The rhythm you have with the dog in your life reflects the connectedness you have with your dog. Connectedness can be defined in the moments when things don't go the way you expect. Rhythm can range from peaceful and easy through to chaotic and is part of all our relationships. We're looking at how we can use everyday life to build a relationship of connection and trust with our dogs. In the episode you'll hear: • About the rhythm of all our relationships and conversa...
Nov 10, 2021•17 min•Ep. 120
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever wondered how to end a dog training session so that your dog knows it's over? We're looking at the rhythm of training and how a session's beginning, middle, and end can bring your dog success. Having a clear finish to training time will help you avoid giving your dog a time out and help your dog understand what's "dog time" and what is not. In the episode you'll hear: • How training always starts with a plan. • Why a session begins with engagement. • The ...
Nov 05, 2021•18 min•Ep. 119
Visit us at shapedbydog.com In the big picture of dog training, how important is it to be consistent? Does everyone who spends time with our dog need to follow the same rules and maintain the same criteria? If they don't, will that hurt our reinforcement based dog training? Does maintaining criteria mean we are control freaks? These questions are ones we see frequently, and in this episode, we're covering how it's your relationship with your dog that matters. In the episode you'll hear: • About ...
Nov 03, 2021•14 min•Ep. 118
Visit us at shapedbydog.com For dog agility, we have a start line, and that is where our dog stays until we release them. The start line is a given for my dogs, and I know they will stay, but getting dogs to wait in any position can be very challenging for many. We're covering what I do that allows me to take it for granted my dogs will stay no matter what. Plus, we're taking a quick detour to discuss the use of the word no in dog training. In the episode you'll hear: • Why we are always dog tra...
Oct 29, 2021•17 min•Ep. 117
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I get a lot of questions about my dogs, and we're covering some of your most popular. Have you ever wondered why our rescue Bulldog mix, Tater-Salad, is the "fall guy"? Or which one of my dogs is the smartest (the answer is NOT who you might think it is)? Do you wonder how to select a dog training class or what to do when you have a male dog and your female dog is in season? I'm answering those questions and more! In the episode you'll hear: • About Tater's secret lif...
Oct 22, 2021•13 min•Ep. 116
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Dog training is like a conversation between two friends. Have you ever travelled somewhere where you don't speak the language? It can get problematic. And sometimes, our dogs have a similar experience with us. Is your communication with your dog clear enough for a two-way conversation? In the episode you'll hear: • Why our dogs might have difficulty with our communication. • What studies show about how our dogs process our words. • Why driving in a blizzard might not ...
Oct 15, 2021•15 min•Ep. 115
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I got my reputation as a professional dog trainer primarily through excelling in the sport of dog agility. I've been teaching and competing in agility for over 30 years and have achieved over 30 National and World Championships. There are three big mistakes that I see people make when training for dog agility and these are the same three things that make it difficult or easy to train for any sport or to have the most amazing family pet possible! In the episode you'll ...
Oct 06, 2021•15 min•Ep. 114
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Sit, down and come are three cues many people use to prompt their dogs to do something. But what happens when your dog can't hear those words? They might be a distance away or have hearing loss. Enter the physical cue! People can really mess up their hand signals when training their dog, but physical cues can be easy to teach once you know the process. In the episode you'll hear: • What a physical cue is and how the training can get messed up. • How physical cues over...
Oct 01, 2021•18 min•Ep. 113
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Has your dog ever done something suddenly and without warning? A growl, snap, bite, or behaving in a way that is of character? Sudden behavior change could be the result of trigger stacking. Stacking triggers is your dog accumulating stress. All the small stressors become a big thing, and that last trigger in the stack is the equivalent of the straw that broke the camel's back. We're looking at stress reduction and trigger stacking prevention to help dogs have a long ...
Sep 24, 2021•20 min•Ep. 112
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you heard of the term "anchor dog"? It's a term I coined for a dog who helps other dogs become more confident. In ancient times, the symbol of an anchor represented safety. Dogs pick up the emotions of people and also of other dogs. If you have a dog who is not confident, an anchor dog can assist you by reducing overwhelm in overcoming challenges. In the episode you'll hear: • How I am helping my puppy This! with an anchor dog. • Why different can be alarming for...
Sep 22, 2021•12 min•Ep. 111
Visit us at shapedbydog.com High drive dogs are the most misunderstood group of dogs on the planet. High drive dogs are often intentionally bred for work like protection or herding, and they are motivated and focused. In many instances, high drive dogs are created, and the label of "over-aroused" is applied to a dog who is over-faced and misunderstood. In the episode you'll hear: • How I have misunderstood high drive dogs. • Why we can't change who our dogs are, but we can help them. • Why our t...
Sep 14, 2021•24 min•Ep. 110
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Does your dog greet you, or anyone at your door, over enthusiastically? Does it seem like your dog might have excessive greeting disorder? You might love your dog's exuberance but wish it would only show when appropriate. Help is at hand for you, your visitors, and your dog to create calm greetings. In the episode you'll hear: • About your daily routine, when it's dog time and when it's not. • How dogs pick up patterns of reinforcement quickly. • My routines and the r...
Sep 08, 2021•14 min•Ep. 109
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Everything I train dogs to do, I do in the form of a game. We have a mantra around here that "work = play and play = work." You can minimize the time you need for dog training by keeping this mantra in mind and noticing what your dog loves! In the episode you'll hear: • About Tater's love of watermelon and being in the sun. • What my Terrier Twister would do on a chair. • How dogs do what is reinforcing and show us where the value is for them. • What Tater does going ...
Sep 03, 2021•18 min•Ep. 108
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Trying to cut a dog's nails can be one of the most difficult jobs for many dog owners. When I asked who was interested in the topic of consent in dog training for nail trimming on my last podcast episode, there were many comments from people wanting help. So, we're going through the steps to help everyone clip their dog's toenails so that all dogs can enjoy a pedicure. In the episode you'll hear: • The 5 categories of feelings dogs can have about nail trimming, from t...
Sep 01, 2021•24 min•Ep. 107
Visit us at shapedbydog.com The idea of getting consent to train your dog is growing in popularity for a good reason. It is something I have been doing for many years. But consent is also misused, misunderstood, and misapplied, which can cause massive setbacks for dogs and their owners. So, what is consent really, and how does it benefit our dogs? In the episode you'll hear: • Where consent in animal training comes from and why cooperative care is important. • About the "game on" position that I...
Aug 27, 2021•19 min•Ep. 106
Answering your dog sport questions! Even if you don't do dog sports, many of the questions relate to dog training in general. My voice is a bit raspy as we're just wrapped up a first ever global four day agility camp entirely through Zoom. In the episode you'll hear answers covering: • Connecting with your dog better when running an entire agility course. • Giving motivation a boost when competing. • How often my dogs do fitness training. • Preventing arthritis in sports dogs. • Building value f...
Aug 25, 2021•23 min•Ep. 105
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Has your dog ever done something unexpected that is the opposite of what you want? And you just want your dog to stop, but you don't know what to do while remaining a reinforcement based dog trainer? We're looking at naughty dog behaviours and how to take appropriate action when things don't go to plan. In the episode you'll hear: • The three responses of tolerate, manage, or train. • Why to know if what your dog is doing is stress related. • About the needs of belong...
Aug 20, 2021•21 min•Ep. 104
Visit us at shapedbydog.com When you feel emotional, are you at your best? Do you make good decisions? It's the same for our dogs. We're talking about the emotions dogs experience and what happens when a dog gets too emotional to respond. In the episode you'll hear: • A story from my past that is still vivid about the fear that had me running. • What happens to our physiological system when we are afraid. • The emotional capabilities of dogs. • How dogs don't feel guilt or spite. • About the cyc...
Aug 13, 2021•14 min•Ep. 103
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How do you move from punishment based or balanced dog training to being a choice based trainer who uses positive reinforcement? That's a question one of our YouTube viewers asked. If you have the same question, you are not alone. Three keys to help make lasting change in how you train your dog are knowing your why, having a plan, and giving yourself grace. In the episode you'll hear: • Why we notice the bad and how that can is evident on social media. • About the ABC'...
Aug 11, 2021•18 min•Ep. 102
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you have ever wanted to ask a professional dog trainer questions about puppy training or living with puppies, then this episode is for you! We're covering the topics that you want to know about to help your puppy. In the episode you'll hear answers to questions about: • When to spay or neuter a puppy. • Recalling a distracted puppy. • Dealing with puppies who like to hump. • How to combat the Puppy Blues. • How to tell if a puppy growl in play is excitement or frus...
Aug 04, 2021•19 min•Ep. 101
Visit us at shapedbydog.com After 30 years as a professional dog trainer, I've learned a lot of things. The most important thing makes dog training far less frustrating. Setting our dogs up for success can set us up for success in many areas of our lives. In the episode you'll hear: • How our dog's behaviours give us all the information we need. • Why I think who we become when we train a dog is as important as who our dog becomes. • What my husband John noticed about me when I was teaching work...
Jul 28, 2021•17 min•Ep. 100
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Reinforcement based dog training almost sounds too good to be true. Being able to have the dog of your dreams without ever physically correcting your dog or yelling or telling your dog "NO" sounds amazing. But what happens when your reinforcement does not work, and you end up living with what appears to be a four-legged monster? In the episode: • About one of my student's dogs, Riko, who seems to be out of control. • Why I believe our dogs are doing the best they can ...
Jul 26, 2021•20 min•Ep. 99
Visit us at shapedbydog.com It's completely normal to feel some apprehension about leaving a puppy alone. But there are things that you do that contribute to the chaos or calm you find when you return home. I'm covering the formula that I use to ensure a happy life with a puppy and how to prevent separation anxiety. In the episode you'll hear: • Why to see a Veterinary Behaviorist if you have a dog experiencing separation anxiety. • About how we can help our puppy look forward to confinement. • ...
Jul 23, 2021•18 min•Ep. 98
