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So many dog owners struggle with dogs that don’t do well at the vet’s office or at the groomer’s. These are some of the most challenging environments, and it isn’t usually an easy fix. But these tips can get you on the way to building something new with your dog and helping them (and you) be calmer and more confident. We talk about arousal (excitement) playing a role in all the stuff your dog does in these places. Whether it

What can you do to help avoid creating a needy, anxious dog? This episode covers the most impactful ways you can alter your routine, your environment, and your relationship to help your dog become the most stable and balanced version of themselves. Love the show? Sign up to access our new exciting Xtra content! This content is unique and is ONLY available to our paid subscribers.Subscriptions are only $3/month! You can also just sign up to make a small donation

Everybody has an opinion on what you should and shouldn’t do with your dog, and how you build a “good” relationship with them. But the problem is they don’t take into account each dog’s specific personality. Also.. most of it is just plain made up garbage with the claimed benefits having no basis in reality. This is because they are missing the thing that actually matters the most, which is YOU get to decide what the rules and boundaries are

Dogs guard resources. This is a normal behavior. People often think of their dog as either aggressive or not aggressive as if they can only be one or the other, but any dog can exhibit aggressive behaviors, even if they never have before. There is a lot of advice out there on how to prevent resource guarding, and most of it is just blather, so we are going to parse through that and determine how much value there is doing

Coming back when called is one of the most important things you can teach your dog. It could save their life! But even people with a well trained dog can find themselves in a situation where their dog suddenly starts blowing off their recall. So why does that happen? How do you avoid it? And how do you fix it? Love the show? Sign up to access our new exciting Xtra content! This content is unique and is ONLY available

Purely positive training cannot eliminate reactivity in most cases. Rescues usually can’t either because they usually only offer purely positive services. And your dog isn’t eligible for them because they are too reactive…so there’s that. Often times reactivity and aggression are even covered up so that the dog can be adopted out easier. Lies, lies, and more lies. Their solution? Just draw the curtains. Love the show? Sign up to access our new exciting Xtra content! This content is unique

Even after training some folks continue to struggle with their dog’s behavioral issues. And sometimes that is because some dogs are more challenging. We are, after all, dealing with the nervous system. All dogs are wired uniquely. But the vast majority of the time we can see right away why some of these deep set patterns and relationships have not changed. It pays to remember that all of your dog’s behaviors are tied together in some way. They are never

Doggy daycare and dog parks carry a high level of risk and a very low level of benefit. What has become obvious to me over the years is that a lot of dogs don’t actually enjoy themselves in these environments but that it just isn’t always obvious. Until it is. And that is often post training because your dog is now used to being in environments where dogs are under control and someone is advocating for them. In this episode

Does your dog go crazy when people come over? Do they beg when you’re eating? Or maybe they are always getting into stuff or stealing socks out of the hamper or chewing your furniture? These are all reasons why people love using the place command. But experience has taught us that place doesn’t really “fix” these problems on its own. So why do we really love it? And why do we tell people to do it? Who benefits from it?

Some dogs can be super big babies. Big dogs and small dogs alike can fall into this category. People with these types of dogs struggle sometimes because number one it’s embarrassing, and number 2 they think they are hurting their dog. This often means staying stuck or being inconsistent. It helps to understand arousal and how vocalization can be tied to that. Love the show? Sign up to access our new exciting Xtra content! This content is unique and is