Blog

What should you expect when that perfect puppy reaches adolescence? What's "normal" and what deserves another look and more consideration? Sharon and Julie join me to talk about all things adolescent in this episode.  

There are lots of different approaches to dealing with reactivity — but how do you choose between them? How can you combine them? Can you combine them? Karen and I dig into that very question and more in this new episode. 

Thinking about your next sports dog puppy? Join us for a conversation on choosing your next puppy, what skills to start out with (depending on your sport), and what a day in the life looks like!  

Chrissi joins me for this episode to talk about their recent adventures and observations — and to talk about training a recall that will stand up even out in the real-world.  

Most people know heat can impact air flow — but what else can impact where odor pools and how it moves? Join me and Stacy for a discussion on everything air flow... and the balancing act between learning to read your dog and training them.

Searching for and retrieving antlers — either as a pursuit in the wild or for competition — is one of the fastest growing activities that appeals to a large variety of dogs. If you enjoy being outdoors with your dogs, this may be the game for you! Erin and I talk about the ins and outs of teaching your dog to hunt shed antlers in this podcast episode. 

There's raising a puppy... and then there is raising a pushy, drivey sports dog puppy. In this episode Shade and I talk about her experience raising bitey breeds and what she recommends for raising these puppies in a way that brings out their best selves for life and sports. 

Being able to successfully compete in obedience requires a dog who has a confident understanding of each skill and exercise. In this episode Petra and I do a deep dive, talking through what, why and how to build confidence for training and the ring! 

Deb and I chat about her latest book, currently running workshop, and upcoming webinar... and yes, it really is possible to build better focus in just 7 days.

Living with and loving a sensitive dog comes with pros and cons, lessons and blessings. This week Hélène Lawler, Barbara Lloyd, Amy Cook, PhD, and Dresden Graff joined me to talk all about sensitive dogs.  

Why is trotting the most important gait to teach your dog? Dr. Chris Zink and I talk about why understanding gaiting is critical for the dog sports handler. 

Sometimes dogs totally grasp our criteria - they just can't do the thing we're asking at speed. Mari and I talk about how she works with dogs to teach them to use their bodies more skillfully... and therefore more quickly in sports like agility! 

 Can you create an optimistic dog? How DO you get to know a new puppy? What are the first steps to teaching quiet crating? Julie Daniels and I discuss all that and more in this episode.

Nicole Wiebusch and Petra Ford joined me to talk about what goes into training fluency that will hold up under the pressures of competition. 

Julie Flanery and I talk about what shaping is, and how to use it effectively and efficiently... including putting behaviors under stimulus control!

Denise Fenzi, Nancy Gagliardi Little and Megan Foster join me to talk about working with a dog sports coach — the differences between a coach and a trainer, the advantages to having a coach, and how to get some of the benefits even if you can't find one. 

Laura and I talk about how sniffing can help dogs heal from trauma and how it's critical for all of our dogs — because it's one of their key senses!

Heather Lawson, Julie Symons, and Ashley Escobar join me to talk about how they handle it when their dogs are stuck indoors for an extended time... and what they train when limited to a small(er) training space.