Blog

What's really going on when a dog competes in the breed ring? Ashley breaks down what judges look for, what we can do to help present our dogs in the best light, how training helps, and what the handler's job is, when competing in conformation.

Amy and Josefin have been working together on a new program designed to help us rethink every interaction we have with our dogs... and they're calling it "The Social Approach." 

If your sport doesn't allow you to bring primary reinforcers onto the competition field with you, then at some point you need to work through removing those reinforcers from your training. This week Shade and I talk about the process of reducing reinforcement while minimizing frustration on the part of both dog and handler.

Have a differently motivated dog? This episode is for you! Sharon and I do a deep dive into what it means to train and compete with these dogs.  

Kim shares what free work is and how she's incorporated it into all aspects of her training — resulting in wide ranging benefits, from better arousal levels to better conformation. She says it's essentially meditation for dogs... join us to hear how you and your dog might benefit!  

Ever wondered how arousal impacts performance? Debated whether jackpots are worth using? In this episode I ask Petra Ford about both topics — and we do a deep dive on how to keep your dog at an optimal arousal level then chat about the trade offs that come with choosing to use jackpots in training. 

With the Active Dogs: Fitness and Injury Prevention one day conference happening on Jan 10th, we took the time to sit down with 2 of the presenters to talk about what it means to keep our sports dogs in good health so they can play our games as long as possible.

Join me for a fascinating conversation with Denise on the ins and outs of engagement — from pre-engagement strategies to help young dogs to prepping for competition. We talk about the importance of acclimation, how the process differs for low drive vs. high drive dogs, and more! 

Does your dog struggle to regulate their own arousal? Join me and Sara for a conversation on how to help them manage things, and then (ultimately) teach them to manage it themselves!  

Join me as I interview Erin Lynes about building confidence in our canine partners — we talk about clear communication, natural levels of confidence (and how much you should expect to be able to move the needle), the "Mr. Rogers" technique, and more!  

In this episode Ashley walks us through why she's turned to conditioning to help her young dogs develop impulse control, body awareness, and precision — and how she's adapted it to help any dog that would benefit from strengthening those three skills.  

Whether working with your first agility dog or your fifth, the right foundation can play a huge role in your team's success. Join us for a conversation on how to build the skills you'll need as a team... even if you have minimal access to equipment. 

It's easy to fall into the habit of only practicing skills you know that you and your dog are good at — in this episode, Julie and I talk about how to avoid that issue, and how to continually evaluate where your nosework dog is strongest, identify holes, and ensure you continue to progress in your training together. 

The life stages our young sports dogs go through can come with dramatic changes and significant transitions - so what's normal? How do we decide what to prioritize? What are the current best practices when it comes to socialization? Join us for a conversation on all things puppy and adolescent!

Crystal Wing joins me for a conversation on how to build your training around a great relationship with your dog by balancing mindset and mechanics.  

Ever have a situation where your dog refuses to move forward? In this episode Kathy Sdao and I talk about what balking is, why we think dogs do it, and what we can do about it. 

Join handler fitness trainer, Liz Joyce, and me for a podcast all about how you can start — or restart — your fitness journey, gently.  

Heather and I discuss what skills you need to earn your CGC, the sticking points that can cause trouble for some teams, and how to decide if your dog is a good fit for therapy work from there.

Control Unleashed games and patterns can be a powerful tool whether you're working to rehab reactivity or build bomb proof sports behaviors. But how we do go from just learning the games to actually using them in the real world? Kim and I discuss exactly that in this week's podcast!