Blog

Looking to add some joy back into your training? Join Julie and I for a conversation about ways to use games to build connection, engagement, attention and... joy!  

If you're involved in dog sports or looking to strengthen your bond with your dog, rally training might be the perfect fit. Whether you're dreaming of agility titles, excelling in obedience competitions, or simply wanting a well-behaved pet, rally training lays a solid foundation for achieving your goals. Let's explore why this versatile sport is beneficial for every dog and handler team—regardless of their goals and aspirations.

On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, a brush fire – dubbed the Palisades Fire since it started along Palisades Drive – broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, just a few miles from my home. This wasn't a unique occurrence; brush fires happen around Los Angeles every year, and there have been small fires in Pacific Palisades before. But conditions conspired to grow the Palisades Fire in a way I've never seen in the nearly 25 years I have lived in the area.

You may have seen her on TikTok or Instagram... this week the dog trainer known for sharing her videos on social media is making an appearance here on the FDSA podcast! If you aren't already following her, you'll want to by the time you finish listening.  

Today we brought together several of the presenters from our upcoming one day conference on nosework, Know the Nose! They share what they wish they'd known sooner about nosework, as well as how they tailor their training and handling to the dog in front of them. 

Karen and I talk about how she uses a settle behavior in her behavior work and what it means to have a harmonious household.  

Hear the story of what inspired Denise's popular circle method for loose leash walking, and join us for a discussion on goal setting as we head into the near year! 

In honor of our current sale, we're bringing back highlights from several previous conversations on choosing your sport puppies, dealing with adolescence, what it means to have a confident dog and what it means to have a high drive dog... and combining them for one final takeaway. 

Trying to decide if Nosework is worth a try? In this episode Julie and I talk about the benefits of nosework and how to adapt your handling to improve your nosework dog's performance. 

Maintaining a strong connection with your dog during training is essential for success, but even the best-behaved dogs can lose focus. Sometimes, the reasons are obvious—a loud noise or a tempting scent—but other times, disconnection feels like a mystery. No matter the cause, identifying why your dog is disengaging is the first step toward finding a solution.

Throughout this blog, we'll explore the most common reasons dogs disconnect and actionable strategies to address each issue. These topics will be explored in my upcoming class, Connect and Engage with Games: Build Focus for Sports Dogs. Through the class, we'll dive even deeper into these challenges, equipping you with games and tools to keep your dog engaged and focused. 

When running an agility course full speed there's a lot your dog has to process... so how do you make handling clear for your dog? Bronagh and I talk about handling clearly and training your dog to optimize that clarity. 

The AKC Rally Master Class brings exciting challenges, testing the handler and dog with intricate maneuvers, distractions, and complex behaviors. For many teams, the key to success is building the dog's confidence to handle the complexity and maintain focus in the ring. A confident dog is a focused and eager teammate, ready to tackle every sign enthusiastically. Let's explore how to build and sustain that confidence in your dog. 

Ever wondered what it takes to train the show stopping tricks you see frisbee dogs and stunt dogs perform? In this episode Sara and I talk about training big moves — what to think about, how to break them down, and what you need to consider to keep both you and your dog safe. 

Need a strategy for getting reinforcement off your body? Wondering what other skills you should have on board before that first competition? In this episode Nancy and I talk about all of the pieces that go into preparing our dogs to perform their best.

The core of the Control Unleashed program is the use of patterns to help our dogs feel more comfortable in our crazy world. Patterns allow a dog to use voluntary behaviors to initiate a simple, repetitive chain that creates a predictable pattern. This will help to normalize the environment and allow the dog to process information from the safety of the pattern.

Shaping: People either love it or hate it! Join Julie and I for a conversation on why it should be a tool in your training toolbox and how you can build your skills so you and your dog can become a talented shaping team.

You've likely heard the saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and it couldn't be truer when it comes to preventing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in dogs! Once a dog develops strong feelings about being left out—whether it's during training or playtime—it can become challenging to manage.

Whether you're raising a young puppy or addressing FOMO with an older dog, the key to success is consistency. You can't expect progress if you address FOMO inconsistently while allowing barking and restless behavior at other times. Follow these practical tips to keep your dog content and anxiety-free.

As positive reinforcement trainers we often use food for everything! In this episode Irith and I talk about desensitization and counterconditioning... and why Irith actually prefers not using food for these cases unless we need to. 

If you could choose only one activity to enjoy with your dog for the rest of your life, what would it be?

My answer - I wouldn't think twice before choosing hiking with my dogs off-leash! And had someone asked me this question 20 years ago when I got my first dog as an adult, I would have answered the exact same way.

Over any dog sport, competition, or activity, there's nothing I'd rather do with my dogs than to go for a long, off-leash walk.

So for that reason, I put more work into raising my dogs to be wonderful hiking partners than absolutely anything else. I want our lifetime of off-leash walks to be fulfilling, meet their needs, and on top of everything else, safe!

It wasn't until I began teaching my dogs Control Unleashed skills (for entirely different reasons) when I began to notice the significant improvement in my dog's recall skills, as well as their general hiking etiquette.

So how does a program that focuses on helping dogs with arousal challenges work so well for our off-leash endeavors?