E338: Preparing Young Sports Dogs for Competition (Part 1)

 Join me, Megan Foster, Stacy Barnett, Barbara Lloyd, and Hélène Lawler for a conversation about preparing young sports dogs to compete - including the good, the bad, and the ugly! Note: This episode ran long so we've split it into two parts.

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  1969 Hits
1969 Hits

E337: Lucy Newton - Follow That Track!

Looking for another way you can teach your dog to use his nose? In this episode Lucy and I talk about teaching your dog to track! Join us to learn a little about training your dog for competition tracking. 

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  2369 Hits
2369 Hits

E336: Jennifer Summerfield, DVM - Gut Health and Your Dog

Microbiome and gut health has become a hot topic in recent years — join Dr. Jen and I to talk about what you need to know about your dog's digestive health. 

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  2094 Hits
2094 Hits

E335: Petra Ford - Getting Started on Competition Heelwork

Petra and I talk about what it takes to get really pretty heelwork — namely, position, a good focal point, and strong engagement skills.  

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  3254 Hits
3254 Hits

E334: Irith Bloom - What is Arousal?

In this episode Irith and I dive deep into what arousal is, what it means, and what we can do about it. Irith breaks down both the science and the practical, applicable skills we can apply. 

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  3171 Hits
3171 Hits

E333: Julie Symons - Lost Item Recovery

Come learn all about this new nosework game! Julie and I chat about what's involved, how to get started, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the new sport! 

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  2488 Hits
2488 Hits

E332: Laurie Huston - Teaching Commitment in Agility

What can commitment do for your agility team? Laurie and I chat about what it means and the difference it can make when playing the game!  

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  2361 Hits
2361 Hits

E331: Megan Foster, Julie Daniels, Amy Cook, and Erin Lynes on Adolescent Dogs

In prepping for the Adolescent Dogs One Day Conference, we brought on a number of the presenters and panelists to chat about what changes we see during adolescence and how we can best handle them.  

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  2712 Hits
2712 Hits

E330: Shade Whitesel - "From Toy Skills to a Formal Retrieve"

Shade Whitesel joins me to talk about how fluent toy play skills allow for more two-way communication during training, and how toy skills can be used to build a faster, better formal retrieve. 

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  2851 Hits
2851 Hits

E329: Amy Cook, PhD - "Thresholds and Decision Making with a Reactive Dog"

What is a threshold? Does it matter? Join Amy and I for a fascinating discussion on how what we know can impact or enable our choices when we're out with our dogs. 

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  2993 Hits
2993 Hits

E328: Megan Foster - "Building & Maintaining Your Agility Startline Stay"

What do position changes have to do with maintaining a startline stay? Join Megan and I as we chat about teaching and maintaining your startline... even once you begin competing! 

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  3171 Hits
3171 Hits

E327: Jennifer Henion - "R+ Training for Retriever Hunt Tests"

Jennifer Henion joins me on the podcast today for a conversation about hunt tests — what they are, how she wound up focused on them, and managing the culture that comes with them.

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  2507 Hits
2507 Hits

E326: Hélène Lawler - Start Buttons, Stop Buttons, and Arousal, Oh My!

Hélène joins me to talk about the power of start buttons, stop buttons, and arousal checks when training our dog sport behaviors... and our life skills.

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  2696 Hits
2696 Hits

E325: Deb Jones, PhD - "Canine Cooperative Care"

Have a problem when you want to do your dog's nails? Or maybe for you it's some other aspect of grooming or vet care! In this episode Deb and I talk about cooperative care training — what it is and why it matters. 

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  3311 Hits
3311 Hits

E324: Other Dog Sports with Melissa Breau, Hélène Lawler, and Sara Brueske

Join Teri Martin, Melissa Breau, Hélène Lawler and Sara Brueske for a conversation about the "other" dog sports offered at FDSA — treibball, herding, and disc!  

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  2111 Hits
2111 Hits

E323: Nancy Gagliardi Little - "Startlines Under Stress"

What do you do when your agility startline breaks down? Whether your dog is the type to anticipate their release, stress sniff, freeze, or leave the line to visit the volunteers, this episode with Nancy is the one for you! 

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  2843 Hits
2843 Hits

E322: Liz Joyce - Fitness for Your End of the Leash

If you've thought about leveling up your personal fitness level so you can be a better dog sports competitor, but have been consumed by "yeah buts" (yeah but my knees... yeah but my age... yeah but my weight) this podcast is for you! 

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  4656 Hits
4656 Hits

E321: Tracey McLennan - "Studying Prey Drive"

What is prey drive anyway? Tracey McLennan has spent years studying prey drive in our canine companions and this week she joined me to talk about what it is, why we breed for it, and both the pros and cons of having it in our dogs. 

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  3414 Hits
3414 Hits

E320: Julie Flanery - "Learning to Love Heelwork"

Julie joins me to talk about the importance of building enthusiasm into your heelwork right from the start, and how to avoid (or overcome!) training plateaus during the process of training your dog a beautiful heel. 

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  3100 Hits
3100 Hits

E319: The Truth About High Drive Dogs

Join me, Crystal Wing, Denise Fenzi, Hélène Lawler and Jane Ardern — all presenters in the upcoming High Drive Dog Conference — for a honest conversation about the best and worst parts of living with and training high drive dogs.

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  6922 Hits
6922 Hits