Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you spend time on social media, you will have seen videos where somebody has a family dog and a young toddler or a baby in very precarious situations. It's unnecessarily dangerous as the dog is giving clear information with their body language on how they are feeling! If we live with a dog, we need to understand how they communicate their emotions. We're covering what to look for in canine body language, so you know what dogs are telling you. In the episode you'll ...
Jun 10, 2022•21 min•Ep. 157
Visit us at shapedbydog.com The best thing we can do for our dogs is protect them from unpleasant events. Fireworks displays can be beautiful for us but can be traumatic for dogs. It's not just dogs; many animals are scared of fireworks, including wildlife. We can help our dogs by preparing and keeping them safe, and I'm covering strategies that you can put into place right now. In the episode you'll hear: • The alternatives to fireworks and how we can start asking for change. • Why not to take ...
Jun 08, 2022•17 min•Ep. 156
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There's a good chance that you've seen how to train a sit by luring your puppy or dog with a treat above their nose. I teach a sit 10 different ways, and none involve a lure. I'm covering the details of the 10 alternate ways to train a sit, how I use them and why, plus the reason I am never in a hurry to put sit on cue. You'll be able to pick one of the 10 ways I'm sharing and start having fun training your puppy or dog to sit right away. In the episode you'll hear: •...
Jun 03, 2022•20 min•Ep. 155
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Do you take your dog on vacation or for road trips? It will help make your holiday great if you plan ahead and prepare your dog for car rides, consider safety for your trip, know where to take breaks along the way, and where to stay when travelling by car with your dog. In the episode you'll hear: • About planning so that your vacation is enjoyable for you and your dog. • Why to consider what your days will be filled with when you are away. • How to prepare your dog f...
Jun 01, 2022•20 min•Ep. 154
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Dog training games deepen the bond we have with our dogs, grow trust, build confidence and give our dogs beneficial skills for daily life. A life skill that is important for all dogs is wearing a muzzle. We want to create a positive conditioned emotional response to a muzzle for our dog. Fun games will help your dog LOVE wearing a muzzle and give you confidence if your dog should ever need one. In the episode you'll hear: • Why a dog might need to wear a muzzle, inclu...
May 27, 2022•28 min•Ep. 153
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We're now in part three of our series on dogs being able to respond when they are far away, and I've got a training plan for you. It's super important for your dog's safety that they can listen at a distance and come when called. A recall from something like deer or bunnies all begins with your dog being able to listen close by, and in part three, we're growing the fundamental skills to listening off leash and away from you. In the episode you'll hear: • The errors yo...
May 25, 2022•15 min•Ep. 152
Visit us at shapedbydog.com We can use food, toys, or activities our dogs love, like swimming or running, as rewards in dog training. To get an unbelievable transfer of value from that reinforcement, we can use words that tell our dogs what they are doing is correct, how they will be reinforced and where that reinforcement will be. We're covering Location Specific Reinforcement Markers and how to use them. It's possible for everyone to double the value of rewards and grow their dog's understandi...
May 20, 2022•17 min•Ep. 151
Visit us at shapedbydog.com One of my most favorite things to talk about is mindset because, to me, it's everything in life. Mindset is nothing to do with dog training, yet it has everything to do with how successful you will be. Dog training is an unregulated industry, and people can say or do whatever they want. There are many ways to train dogs, and dogs will learn despite what's being done. Each method of training a dog will impact us personally, so we need to consider who we will become. In...
May 18, 2022•21 min•Ep. 150
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Do you have superstitious behavior like wearing a lucky shirt or lucky socks? Dogs can have superstitious behaviors too, and often, we contribute! We don't want inadvertent or cheap behaviors to become part of what our dogs learn, so I'm covering what to look for and what you can do to avoid reinforcing superstition unintentionally. We're also looking at why you need to beware of the killer bees in dog training! In the episode you'll hear: • How B. F. Skinner describe...
May 13, 2022•16 min•Ep. 149
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There are two ways to work on your dog listening around distractions, but many people only learn one. The first way is to get your dog into a controlled position like a sit or down, and introduce distractions. We take it to the next level and do things differently! Let's face it; there are not too many bunnies who are doing to ask us to get our dogs into a sit before they run across the path. We need our dogs to listen no matter what and no matter how far away they ar...
May 11, 2022•18 min•Ep. 148
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How well does your dog respond to your cues at a distance? Would your dog sit or down when they are off leash and far away? It's a skill that can be life saving for dogs! It only needs a few minutes a day of engagement with your dog to create great behaviors, and it starts with your dog listening to you when they are close. In the episode you'll hear: • That a dog responding from a distance is just showing mastery of skills that they can do close up. • How to find tim...
May 06, 2022•20 min•Ep. 147
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Does balanced dog training really exist? Being a balanced trainer is part of my background in dog training. In many discussions about dog training methods, you will frequently hear about the four quadrants, so I'm going over what those quadrants are and how our experiences can tip the balance. We're covering the science of operant conditioning and how dogs actively learn. In the episode you'll hear: • How I started to learn about dog training from a book called "How t...
May 04, 2022•24 min•Ep. 146
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Teaching your dog to lay down on cue is a great life skill for many situations. There are 10 different ways to train your dog to drop. Having a dog who downs immediately when you ask will happen if your dog is engaged and having fun. Your dog obeying you does not need to involve submitting, and we're looking at how you can create a joyful instant drop on cue for your dog. In the episode you'll hear: • That being told to train a dog to down using physical force is a re...
Mar 18, 2022•21 min•Ep. 145
Visit us at shapedbydog.com If you've ever said, "why won't my dog just listen," or "he does this at home," or "he's being stubborn," or wondered why your dog just does not listen, this episode is for you. It applies to all dogs, from puppies to rescues, to older dogs, to sports dogs performing in obedience, agility, flyball, protection or any sport. We're covering why dogs may or may not listen and the layers to help your dog respond to a cue the first time you ask anywhere. In the episode you'...
Mar 16, 2022•21 min•Ep. 144
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever felt behind in your dog training? Have you ever wondered if you will ever catch up? Have you ever wondered if it was just too late to train your dog, or if your puppy was just too much, and they would never be able to learn? You are not alone! All of us have challenges with our dogs, including me. The more experience we have, the more our confidence grows. And I want you to know it's never too late to take action, and you are never behind. In the episode...
Mar 04, 2022•15 min•Ep. 143
Visit us at shapedbydog.com The only way we can make the world a better place for all the dogs is to inspire everyone with a dog to want to train. But to want to train your dog, you need to receive good feedback and take action on that feedback. It's a topic dear to my heart as I've been coaching in dog training and dog agility for over 30 years and have learned many lessons about teaching. In the episode you'll hear: • How to choose a dog training class, including how it might make you feel. • ...
Mar 03, 2022•16 min•Ep. 142
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Imagine if you and your best friend both got puppies who are littermates. And you both train your puppies the same about of time every week, use the same training rewards and follow the same training plan. Then after six months, your friend's puppy is amazingly well trained, but your puppy does not seem to know much at all. You might think that you got the puppy who was not too bright, but that is not the case. It could all come down to what you are rewarding! We're t...
Feb 24, 2022•17 min•Ep. 141
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Puppies pee for one of three reasons; they might have a bladder infection, their bladder is full and they need to relieve themselves, or they pee because they are excited or a little bit afraid and don't even realize they are doing it! Often puppies pee when they greet people, and it's not a conscious choice on their part. It's not a housebreaking issue and has nothing to do with potty training. We're talking about overexcited peeing and submissive urination and what ...
Feb 18, 2022•20 min•Ep. 140
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I use a simple dog training rule with all my dogs and teach that same rule to my students. The rule is easy to implement and will exponentially improve your dog training success, help your dog learn faster and grow your dog's confidence. It has everything to do with the rate of reinforcement and how to reward your dog to build good behavior. Only 2 in 30 people follow this rule, but we can get that number much higher after this episode! In the episode you'll hear: • A...
Feb 16, 2022•18 min•Ep. 139
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Is your puppy or dog so overexcited, frantic, frenzied, or over-aroused they can't seem to listen or think? You can help by training your dog to both hold and do one behavior. Your dog understanding one behavior will ensure they can respond around triggers and distractions. We're covering the training steps for your dog to be able to listen to you even when overexcited. In the episode you'll hear: • Why to never let anyone limit or label you or your dog. • How overexc...
Feb 11, 2022•20 min•Ep. 138
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Teaching a dog to calm down when you are out with them amidst exciting events can seem difficult, especially if your dog can't seem to chill at home when nothing is going on! It might be that your dog seems always to want to be doing something or continually demand your attention. We're covering why your dog expects you to interact with them constantly and what you can do about it so they can learn how to relax and settle down. In the episode you'll hear: • What creat...
Feb 09, 2022•17 min•Ep. 137
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever thought to yourself, "I can't wait until this dog calms down!"? Or maybe you are embarrassed by your dog's behavior when you are walking, or your dog gets so over excited they can't listen? Perhaps your dog barks, lunges, spins, nips, or ignores you near distractions? You might have an over aroused dog! We're covering what that means and what you can do about your hyper dog to reduce anxiety for both of you and help your dog relax. In the episode you'll ...
Feb 03, 2022•29 min•Ep. 136
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I'm sharing my implementation guide so that you can teach your dog to stay and hold duration positions easily with reinforcement. Your dog understanding how to wait with duration will help in daily life around home, when you are out together, and in dog sports like obedience and agility. All you need is your dog, a tug or some treats, and you are ready to get started. In the episode you'll hear: • Why I don't use the phrase impulse control these days. • The reason to ...
Jan 21, 2022•22 min•Ep. 135
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Do you ever wish your dog could really stay when you ask? Like when you're eating dinner, and you ask your dog to go on their mat, or maybe you put them in their bed so you can answer the door. There are many times in life when we want our dogs to wait with duration. Training your dog to stay no matter what, starts with them knowing what to do and when it's over. In the episode you'll hear: • The different ways of dog training a stay. • Why lizard brain freeze is diff...
Jan 19, 2022•26 min•Ep. 134
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There's one thing I do when I train my dogs that you can do too, and it will exponentially increase your dog training success. That one thing is videoing my dog training. My training mentor, Dr Bob Bailey, told me that use of videoing training sessions has had the biggest impact on animal training in his lifetime. It's not just videoing your training; it's reviewing your video. I'm covering what you need to get started and how to make it easy. In the episode you'll he...
Jan 14, 2022•17 min•Ep. 133
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Does your dog hate things like grooming, you using the vacuum, getting a bath, you shovelling snow or raking leaves, being held at the vet, getting eye drops or ears cleaned? There can be an endless list of things dogs don't like! The good news is that we can help our dogs by breaking what they hate down to turn a negative into a positive conditioned emotional response. Helping dogs like what they currently don't will set them and us up for a life of happiness togethe...
Jan 12, 2022•17 min•Ep. 132
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How would you rate your last three dog training sessions on a scale of 1 to 10? Today I'm sharing my training checklist and how I plan for success in dog training. If you want to train your dog, it's worth training the best you can. A training plan for your puppy or dog will improve your sessions, increase success, and see your training progress faster. In the episode you'll hear: • Why to know if your training is skills, behaviour, manners, sport or fitness. • About ...
Jan 07, 2022•13 min•Ep. 131
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever had your dog's bowl, picked up your car keys, or the doorbell rings, and your dog gets super excited? That excitement in your puppy or dog is a conditioned response, and we can use the magic of conditioning to help our puppy or dog learn faster and make dog training easier. It's essential to understand what's going on with classical conditioning and how you can use it to your advantage for shaping your dog's behavior. In the episode you'll hear: • What c...
Jan 05, 2022•17 min•Ep. 130
Visit us at shapedbydog.com As we wind down the year, we're looking at the most popular Shaped by Dog podcasts over the last 12 months, and they are all about dog training. The episodes on leash walking, puppy biting, helping dogs with reactivity or resource guarding, and dogs jumping up on people have been at the top of your playlists. In the episode you'll hear: • The number one dog training podcast of the year. • A review of my top tips for loose leash walking with your dog. • About how our D...
Dec 22, 2021•17 min•Ep. 129
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Holiday celebrations are a great time for all of us, but they can be very stressful for our dogs. There are many things you can do to help reduce the stress for your dog when you have visitors or are visiting someone else. We're covering important tips that will keep your dog safe, children safe and help everyone experience happy holidays. In the episode you'll hear: • Why holidays can be overwhelming for dogs. • What you can do to prepare for the safety of your dog. ...
Dec 17, 2021•15 min•Ep. 128
