E339: What is a Confident Dog, Anyway? with Dr. Amy Cook, Julie Daniels, Petra Ford, and Sara Brueske

In preparation for the upcoming confident dog conference at FDSA, I invited 4 of the presenters for the conference on the podcast to talk about what confidences looks like in our dogs, how much of it is innate vs. something we can instill, and what the process of building confidence looks like. Join us for this fascinating conversation!  

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  2756 Hits
2756 Hits

E338: Preparing Young Sports Dogs for Competition (Part 2)

Join me, Megan Foster, Stacy Barnett, Barbara Lloyd, and Hélène Lawler for a continuation of our 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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  1134 Hits
1134 Hits

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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  1208 Hits
1208 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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  1520 Hits
1520 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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  1367 Hits
1367 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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  2126 Hits
2126 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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  1909 Hits
1909 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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  1585 Hits
1585 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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  1704 Hits
1704 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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  1794 Hits
1794 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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  2071 Hits
2071 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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  2136 Hits
2136 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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  2026 Hits
2026 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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  1855 Hits
1855 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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  2383 Hits
2383 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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  1227 Hits
1227 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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  1967 Hits
1967 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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  2633 Hits
2633 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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  2329 Hits
2329 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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  2139 Hits
2139 Hits