Visit us at shapedbydog.com What's better than 30 years of dog training experience? It's NOT 31! I'm covering why the duration someone spends training dogs does not create expertise, going against the commonly held belief that longevity in a profession guarantees proficiency. Now, 30 years of growing skills and being open to new ideas can create mastery, but living the same year 30 times does the opposite. Get all the critical tips to maximize the next year of your dog training experience and su...
Dec 06, 2023•12 min•Ep. 247
Visit us at shapedbydog.com For every puppy owner using a socialization strategy that grows confidence and connection, there's a thousand who don't do it at all or do it terribly wrong. I'm sharing exactly how I socialize my puppies, including my current five-month-old, Prophet, so that everyone can do the same thing to get the best start to a life of joy with their dog. In this episode you'll hear: • The exact things I do to socialize my own puppies. • Common misconceptions in puppy socializati...
Dec 01, 2023•19 min•Ep. 246
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Recently, a professional dog trainer told me her favorite Shaped by Dog episode is 16, where I explain the simple concept of "antecedent arrangements" as one of the most effective, animal behavior science solutions to ANY dog training problem. Although it's an all-time favorite of my students and dog training professionals, it's a hidden gem to the general public. So, I'm revisiting the topic of how to increase brilliant dog behavior – while decreasing undesired ones ...
Nov 15, 2023•18 min•Ep. 245
Visit us at shapedbydog.com There are 14 canine myths commonly accepted as truths and I'm doing some serious debunking to separate fact from fiction. For example, have you heard the myth about "Doodles never shed"? It's a myth because it's genetics. If you breed a shedding breed to a non-shedding breed, we can't predict what we're going to get. Don't miss this one, because I'm "shedding" even more light on popular lore about dogs that too many people still believe. Enjoy! In this episode we're m...
Nov 08, 2023•15 min•Ep. 244
Visit us at shapedbydog.com My puppy, Prophet, turned four months old this week! At this point, the Prophet knows nothing. What!? Now, my definition of 'know' is different. Although he doesn't "know" much, Prophet recognizes many behaviors and several markers, and that's the start of true understanding. I'm sharing exactly what my daily routine and puppy-training plan looks like and my top priorities for raising a confident, joyful dog. In this episode you'll hear: • What goes into raising confi...
Nov 03, 2023•21 min•Ep. 243
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Help! How do I get my dog to focus on me and pay attention? Today I'm sharing the positive reinforcement "secrets" that make your dog prioritize you over environmental distractions. If you feel non-existent to your dog around other dogs, squirrels, cats, people, bicycles, etc. – but you've been taught to collar pop and say things like "leave it!" – I'm going to teach you to combine two of my proven, science-based games to inspire your dog to focus on you without you d...
Nov 01, 2023•18 min•Ep. 242
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Trick or Treat! It's almost Halloween and although not every country celebrates it, I want to suggest a dog training plan-a-palooza to prep for holidays and celebrations no matter where you live. Halloween and similar events can be scary and dangerous for dogs! I'm sharing common but deadly candy ingredients your dog must avoid, why you shouldn't take most dogs trick-or-treating and how to prevent reactivity and anxiety when spooky, costumed strangers knock and ding a...
Oct 27, 2023•16 min•Ep. 241
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Has your dog's barking ever had you consider using an anti-bark collar? I did in the Nineties with my dog, Buzz, and I'm letting you know the results right up front. Lessons were learned and I developed an action plan to stop annoying barking that's proven to work, so I'm sharing what to do step-by-step. Plus, if you want your dog to settle down when greeting houseguests, don't miss the protocol for using a remote feeder to create calm at home. In this episode you'll ...
Oct 25, 2023•21 min•Ep. 240
Visit us at shapedbydog.com All the details on how to minimize excessive and annoying dog barking with seven fun and fast dog training games! Remember that canine vocalizing can be an expression of emotion, so the solution to nuisance barking begins with a dog's physical and emotional needs being met. There are also times we DON'T want our dogs to stop barking and times we unconsciously reinforce unwanted vocalizing. Understanding canine vocal communication is the path to a more harmonious relat...
Oct 20, 2023•23 min•Ep. 239
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Help, how do I stop my dog barking! This topic gets requested so much I'm turning it into a series. Most people refer to a dog's verbal communication as barking, but what if you reframed it as vocalizing – just as humans do with whispers, laughing, yelling, sobbing, squealing? It's all communication. In part one of this series I'm analyzing the 5 reasons dogs bark and identifying different meanings of canine communication with vocalization. Plus, learn how to decrease...
Oct 18, 2023•14 min•Ep. 238
Visit us at shapedbydog.com In episode 236 I detailed 10 reasons why dogs might show fear. In today's part two, I'm giving you a strategic plan to help fearful, anxious dogs grow into calm, confident family pets. My uncommon approach is a game changer for dogs that are constantly afraid, anxious, over-reactive, or extremely excitable. Be sure you've listened to Part 1 first so you can identify the triggers that might be contributing to your dog's fear. Leave me any questions below and here's to ...
Oct 06, 2023•24 min•Ep. 237
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How to help frightened and anxious dogs is a question I receive frequently, so I'm diving into identifying and overcoming canine fears and phobias that often lead to withdrawal or reactivity. Today's focus is on overlooked reasons dogs become fearful and what you need to know about anxiety. It's important to recognize a dog's fear triggers and the role we might play in unconsciously creating stress. In this episode you'll hear: • Overlooked triggers to many dogs' fear...
Oct 04, 2023•21 min•Ep. 236
Visit us at shapedbydog.com How do you know if a breeder is truly reputable? How do I fit a new puppy into my daily routine? Why do some vets say raw food is dangerous for dogs? How do I calm a leash-lunging dog? What's the best way to cure puppy separation anxiety? How do I help my hyper dog relax? These are just a few of your questions I'm answering in today's Ask Me Anything about raising and training brilliant, healthy, joyful puppies and dogs using positive reinforcement. In this episode I'...
Sep 29, 2023•24 min•Ep. 235
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I've done several episodes on puppy biting, but my new Border Collie, Prophet, is one of the bitiest I've ever owned. Today I'm expanding on how to save your feet and hands from puppy teeth with the top ten reasons puppies bite, the biggest mistakes we make during puppy biting, and a preventative action plan for puppy biting I've never shared before. Plus, a great new Plan B game for when the puppy is actively biting you. Remember that most biting and nipping is natur...
Sep 27, 2023•21 min•Ep. 234
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Since I recently had a friend fly my new puppy to Canada from Switzerland in-cabin, many of you asked how I prepare my dogs for airline travel. Even if you don't have plans to fly a puppy anytime soon, you'll benefit from hearing how I train them to be great travelers in two phases. Moreover, there's a lot of red tape and regulations around in-cabin flying with puppies and dogs that vary from airline to airline and country to country. I read the fine print for you and...
Sep 20, 2023•12 min•Ep. 233
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Why do Beagles, Border Collies, Belgian Malinois, Boston Terriers (and most breeds) present different dog training challenges? It's because their Predatory Motor Sequence aka Predation Sequence creates a behavior pattern of eight events selected for some breeds but removed from others. Recognizing which of these eight exists in your dog allows you to enrich, train, reinforce, and avoid denial of things critical to their well-being. Today I'm showing you how to spot th...
Sep 08, 2023•16 min•Ep. 232
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I love kids, especially those who are keen on training dogs, so when a 10th grader named Finya sent me some wonderful positive reinforcement dog training questions for a school assignment, I said, "Let's go!" Today I'm answering her questions about shock collars, eCollars, other aversives in agility training, training dog sport champions using only positive reinforcement,plus the importance of mentors, empathy and why dog trainers should keep egos in check for our stu...
Sep 06, 2023•15 min•Ep. 231
Visit us at shapedbydog.com In episode 229, I shared the story about finding joy with a "mighty dog" in my life, a Jack Russell Terrier mix named DeCaff. In Part 2, I admit a painful lesson around frustration, shame and struggle between two of my Terriers; as well as the last six lessons my agility champion taught me about conditioning positive emotional responses, arousal states in dog training, seeing behavior as communication, the canine gut-brain axis, and most importantly: forgiveness of se...
Sep 01, 2023•23 min•Ep. 230
Visit us at shapedbydog.com - https://shapedbydog.com Imagine a dog or puppy so overwhelmed by everything they see, hear or feel that it causes anxiety and crushes their confidence. Before transforming into a world agility champion, this was my Jack Russell Terrier mix, DeCaff. In part one of this two-part series I'm sharing six lessons DeCaff taught me as well as reflections on how I uniquely approached some of my toughest dog training challenges. DeCaff ultimately blossomed into a brilliant ag...
Aug 30, 2023•24 min•Ep. 229
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Has there ever been a time when things didn't go as planned in dog training or in life? Or, not only that, but the outcome was the opposite of what you intended? We're going deep on how to handle these setbacks with resilience, grit, grace, and a solid Plan B in place. I'm also sharing my favorite books on boosting mental agility, reframing perceptions, letting go of outcomes, and turning obstacles in dog training to your advantage. In this episode you'll hear: • How ...
Aug 23, 2023•22 min•Ep. 228
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Everyone with a dog, including professional trainers like me, encounters dog behavior problems. It might be a dog's non-existent recall, chasing things, counter surfing, being out of control, not paying attention, or, if you do sports, not listening to you in the ring. Or it could be a dog's naughty habits around home persisting. Help is at hand, and I'm sharing my strategy for success no matter what the dog training challenge. In this episode you'll hear: • How to en...
Aug 18, 2023•19 min•Ep. 227
Visit us at shapedbydog.com All dogs deserve toys, and all people with dogs deserve to know as much as possible about toys. I'm covering my favorite dog toys, how I used them, and why to avoid the two most popular for dogs. My house is a treasure trove of toys, and I'm sharing who they are for and when. Plus, we're looking at toy selection to protect you and your dog from harm and tips for playing fetch safely. In this episode you'll hear: • My top dog toys and toys to avoid. • How I make toys a...
Aug 16, 2023•14 min•Ep. 226
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Dog training has its fads and one you might have heard is never feeding your dog from a bowl. This trend of feeding dogs exclusively by hand can get people into trouble. I believe that dogs should not have to earn the right to get fed. Today I'm explaining why at least part of your dog's meals should come from a bowl, alternative feeding methods to enrich your dog, and powerful ways to reinforce your dog that don't involve food. In this episode you'll hear: • Why dogs...
Aug 11, 2023•12 min•Ep. 225
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Before my recent episode on latency in dog training, we took a social media poll on cue response times. 62% of people thought their dogs responded too slow. So, to help, this episode covers all the elements that create fluent behavior and what's truly behind a dog's response time to a cue. One of the most significant elements can be what we believe to be true about dogs. We're also looking at the difference between true fluency and a dog's good grasp of a behavior. In...
Aug 09, 2023•29 min•Ep. 224
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I'm answering your questions on dog agility training, helping anxious, aggressive, and fearful dogs, crate training, dog ears, junior handlers, my daily routine, managing canine pain, socializing puppies, and so much more. Hear how I got my start in professional dog training and what's most essential for me in my relationship with my dogs. In this episode I'm asked: • Advice for pet-sitting a seemingly aggressive dog. • What my competitive dog sport goals are for This...
Aug 04, 2023•19 min•Ep. 223
Visit us at shapedbydog.com When you cue your dog to perform a behavior, do they respond with lightning speed or a leisurely pace? The lag time between your cue and your dog's response is called latency. When I design a training plan for my dogs, latency is built in, because I want super fast responses to cues. We're covering how why dogs might respond slowly and what you can do to fix it. In the episode you'll hear: • What you need to know about latency of behavior. • When to consider a dog's b...
Aug 02, 2023•13 min•Ep. 222
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I've just returned home from a trip to Houston, where I competed at an agility trial with my young dog This!, and we had an epically amazing weekend. Many of you know of the struggles This! and I have experienced, which is the inspiration for this episode. What mindset do people need to either work through extreme dog training challenges or support somebody in the midst of those challenges? Today, we're covering strategic approaches to help clear the path forward for ...
Jul 26, 2023•19 min•Ep. 221
Visit us at shapedbydog.com I'm sharing four case studies of dogs that overcame incredibly undesirable behaviors: a humper, a home wrecker, a screamer, and a dog-reactive dog. How did they go from out-of-control to completely calm? From emotional dysregulation to habituation, I'm showing you my strategy for turning behavior problems around. One of these dogs was rehomed because he was so dysregulated – spoiler alert – there's a twist you won't want to miss! In the episode you'll hear: • Four cas...
Jul 21, 2023•18 min•Ep. 220
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Have you ever wondered why some dogs can walk down a path with their owner, encountering many dogs, but remain completely unfazed? Yet, other dogs see one single dog off in the distance and absolutely lose it. We're talking about why this happens, the ability of dogs to regulate their emotions, and how we can help them. Plus, what you need to know about habituation and how dogs can grow the capacity to tune things out. In the episode you'll hear: • The stages of a dog...
Jul 19, 2023•24 min•Ep. 219
Visit us at shapedbydog.com Dogs experience seven developmental periods, from puppyhood to adulthood, and it's important we understand each. I'm covering the stages, what they mean for our dog's emotional growth and how we can build skills and confidence for the dogs in our lives. Knowing your puppy's or dog's current stage helps overcome behavior difficulties and guides your training choices. In the episode you'll hear: • The four criteria for deeper insight into a dog's development phases. • H...
Jul 14, 2023•22 min•Ep. 218
