It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast

Have you ever wondered, "Is it okay for me to pet or touch my dog? Can it be BAD for me to pet or touch my dog?!" Well, this is a question we received from a client! In this podcast episode, we discuss why this question may come up and how our dogs may actually seek out and enjoy touching and petting, as long as we take the time to do so properly. Would you like to learn more about the power of petting? The art behind it? How you can leverage this when training, working or living with your dog? We have just the thing: Power of Petting Mini-Webinar! Speaker: Dianna L. Santos ----more---- Are you looking for ways to teach your dog to be the best canine companion they can be? Perhaps you are interested in dog sports or are already competing. We have a large library of online dog training resources you definitely want to check out: Online Dog Training Courses: www.petdogu.com/courses Online Dog Training Seminars: www.petdogu.com/seminars Online Dog Training Mini-Webinars: www.petdogu.com/mini-webinars Online Dog Training Webinars: www.petdogu.com/webinars Online Dog Training eBooks: www.petdogu.com/ebooks Blog: www.petdogu.com/blog Free Training Tips: www.petdogu.com/tips TRANSCRIPT Read the full transcript here. #playtotrainpodcast #powerofpetting #petting #positivereinforcement #dogs #puppies #dogtraining #puppytraining #doghandling #grantingdogschoice #traindogs #trainpuppies #dogsports #dogsporttraining #onlinedogtraining #onlinepuppytraining #virtualdogtraining #virtualpuppytraining #petdogupodcast #petdogu

Have you ever thought to yourself, setting rules for our dogs seems rather mean? You want to a good dog owner, you don't want to be mean! Perhaps you wanted to use positive reinforcement because you thought that meant you would be nice to your dog. Your dog gives you unconditional love, you want to show them how much you love them back! In this episode, we discuss what terms such as "positive reinforcement" really mean within the context of dog training, how rules and routines can actually help to set the dog up for success and much more. Speaker: Dianna L. Santos ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Read the full transcript here. #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #arerulesmean #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #puppytraining #trainyourdog #trainyourpuppy #trainthedog #trainthepuppy #onlinedogtraining #onlinepuppytraining #virtualdogtraining #virtualpuppytraining #petdogu   #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #arerulesmean #rulesandroutines #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcement #fourquadrantsoflearning #dogtrainingpodcast #familydog #familydogtraining #dogtraining #puppytraining #trainyourdog #trainyourpuppy #trainthedog #trainthepuppy #onlinedogtraining #onlinepuppytraining #petdogu

The activity of agility is not only fun, it can be amazingly beneficial for dog and handler alike! "How?!" In this episode, we discuss the benefits of playing agility, why you should consider it and how trialing and competing are indeed fun, but why we should also strive to incorporate elements of the activity of agility into all our dog training programs. Speaker: Dianna L. Santos RESOURCES What to learn more? Perhaps you are getting started in agility or are already training and competing but looking for some help? Check out these online agility training resources, with even more coming soon! Agility Adventures Webinar with Vicky Lovejoy Breaking It Down: Small Sequences for Success Webinar with Vicky Lovejoy Small Space, No Problem: Ways to Practice at Home Webinar What Did Ya Say? Understanding Handler Cues Webinar Sport Puppy 101 Course Focused Competent Canine Competitor Course TRANSCRIPT Coming soon!   #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #itstimetotrainyourdog #agility #agilitytraining #agilitytheactivity #agilitythesport #petdogu #dogtraining #puppytraining

For most of us, the idea of taking a dog for a walk is something that goes hand-in-hand with owning a dog. But not all walks are created equal. The locations you choose and what you and your dog will encounter and experience during your walk makes all the difference in the world. Some walks may be really enjoyable whereas others are an utter nightmare! ----more---- In this episode, we delve into how to evaluate our potential walking routes, common pitfalls to avoid and that there are indeed better alternatives to meet your dog's physical and mental needs that you may want to consider. Speaker: Dianna L. Santos TRANSCRIPT Coming soon!   #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #itstimetotrainyourdog #takethedogforawalk #walkingthedog #physicalexercise #mentalexercise #petdogu #familydog #familydogtraining #dogtraining #puppytraining

It is officially Superbowl Sunday and even during COVID, people are likely to get loud and rumbucious while watching the game, snaking and having a grand ole time. But what about the dog? Will they be concerned as you are screaming at the T.V. or begging for your snacks or jumping all over you with every play? In this episode, we cover some of the ways you can better set your dog up for success so you can better enjoy the game and not butting heads with your canine friend. ----more---- Want to help your dog in the manners department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Pet Dog U, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport? Dog Sport University is sister online dog training platform, give it a peek and see what it has to offer you and your dog. #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #itstimetotrainyourdog #covid19 #superbowlsunday #petdogu #familydog #familydogtraining #dogtraining #puppytraining

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. When it comes to dog training, there are lots of terms that go along with it. Lingo and jargon that professionals throw around, which can cause a layperson's head to start to spin! In this episode, we will break down what exactly is meant when someone is called an "instructor" as opposed to a "trainer", whether these terms are truly interchangeable...and what being either of them should entail.  ----more---- This discussion is designed to be helpful for those individuals contemplating entering into the professional dog training realm...while also ensuring current professionals are approaching their roles with the ideal perspective. Speakers: Dianna L. Santos TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #dogtrainer #doginstructor #petdogupodcast #petdogu Dianna L. Santos

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. Once clients are introduced to the concept of dog sports, a common question is: do I need my dog to be confident before tackling dog sports or will dog sports make my dog more confident? This is actually a rather meaty question and we delve into different ways you can tackle it in this podcast episode! Speaker: Dianna L. Santos #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #dogsports #confidence #petdogupodcast #petdogu #petdogu TRANSCRIPT Coming soon!

In these trying times of dealing with COVID-19, stress levels are incredibly high. Now more than ever, we need to apply the concepts of positive reinforcement, not to our dogs, but to ourselves as well. Granting ourselves the permission to try and then noticing and rewarding those attempts, not matter how small and incremental they may be. This includes not only how we get through our daily life but also how and when we are interacting with, or training, our dogs. Simply because there may be a stay-at-home order doesn't therefore guarantee you will master all of your dog training goals during this time. Just the opposite. It is extremely likely you will be LESS inclined to work with and train your dog - and that is okay. Please be kind and forgiving to both yourself and your pups. We hope this episode can cause people to reevaluate how they may be approaching this difficult time and in doing so, help lessen their load even just a little bit. ----more---- Want to help your dog in the manners department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Family Dog University, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport? Dog Sport University is sister online dog training platform, give it a peek and see what it has to offer you and your dog. Want to get fit with your dog? Then you need to check out Canine Fitness University today! #itstimetotrainyourdog #covid19 #familydog #familydogtraining #dogtraining #puppytraining #familydogu #familydoguniversity

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. For those of us involved in dog sports, we know that oftentimes the skills obtained in one sport will carry over to other sports. This can include such things as increased confidence, better body awareness and more. In this episode, Lori Timberlake walks us through how training and playing in Canine Parkour can translate to a more a confident and successful Scent Work dog, especially for those dogs were naturally more reserved and sensitive. Learn more about the International Dog Parkour Association here. Enroll in the Intro to Canine Parkour course here. Check out Scent Work University for online courses, seminars, webinars, blogs, podcasts and training tips all focused on one thing: Scent Work! Speakers: Dianna L. Santos Lori Timberlake #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #dogsports #canineparkour #petdogupodcast #petdogu

When it comes to service dogs (not therapy dogs, not emotional support dogs, SERVICE DOGS), there needs to be an extra layer of attention paid to the professional on the other end of the leash. Service dogs allow for their handlers to have an improved and more independent life. Therefore, the professional dog trainers who are training and placing these dogs MUST be of the highest caliber. In this podcast episode, we speak with Laura Demaio Roy, a Placement Specialist with Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation and the Owner of DoggyU. Laura walks us through what service dog trainers need to keep in mind, how they should ideally hone their craft and more. Laura is an excellent resource for all things service dog-related, is a solid dog trainer in her own right and is just an overall nice person to be around! Be sure to check out, subscribe and like Laura's YouTube channel, DoggyU.  ----more---- Want to help your dog in the manners department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Family Dog University, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport? Dog Sport University is sister online dog training platform, give it a peek and see what it has to offer you and your dog. Want to get fit with your dog? Then you need to check out Canine Fitness University today! #itstimetotrainyourdog #puppynaps #puppytraining #familydog #familydogtraining #dogtraining #puppytraining #familydogu #familydoguniversity

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. With so many different dog sports to choose from, it can be overwhelming to try to decide which ones play with your dog. But, if you are looking for something that will really take your training chops, and the relationship with your dog, to the next level, Treibball is for you! In this episode, we speak with Michael McManus, founder of the Treibball competition organization, PUSH Treibball, and someone who is truly passionate about this sport. Michael discusses how he personally got involved in Treibball, the history of the sport as a whole, mistakes that have been made in how people were training and how the sport itself was being described and promoted. At the core of it though, Michael breaks down the benefits of this gem of a game, why he is so passionate about it and how it is a great game for all dogs to play. You definitely need to check out this episode! Speakers: Dianna L. Santos Michael McManus ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #treibball #dogsports #petdogupodcast #petdogu

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. There is a fun new game in town and it is Canine Parkour. It helps build confidence. It cultivates and nurtures the relationship and bond between dog and handler. It is FUN! Learn more about Canine Parkour in this podcast episode. We speak with Lori Timberlake who points out how wonderful this activity is, who should be playing this game (hint: everyone) and provides some previews of the new Canine Parkour program she is developing for Dog Sport University. You want to listen to this episode, you NEED to listen to the episode. Enjoy! Speakers: Dianna L. Santos Lori Timberlake ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #canineparkour #petdogupodcast #petdogu

When talking about puppies, we are typically focusing on socialization, training and exposing them to the world in a safe way. But an equally important, if not more so, part of the equation is napping. Our puppies need lots of opportunities to nap so that they can properly process all that we are teaching them, all they are learning and to help them grow! We discuss the importance of puppy naps in this episode. ----more---- Want to help your dog in the manners department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Family Dog University, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport? Dog Sport University is sister online dog training platform, give it a peek and see what it has to offer you and your dog. #itstimetotrainyourdog #puppynaps #puppytraining #familydog #familydogtraining #dogtraining #puppytraining #familydogu #familydoguniversity

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. You've got plans for your puppy or dog. A long list of dog sport activities that you will train and tackle, jammed into an otherwise full schedule. Always looking ahead, you find yourself flying through life. That is until life throws you a heart-wrenching curve ball that stops you dead in your tracks.  In this podcast episode, we discuss how difficult it can be balance choosing WHAT you will do with your dog, WHY you are doing it, HOW you are going to it and WHEN you are going do it. No absolute answers are provided in this episode, rather a plea that we all be more mindful of how we are spending time with our dogs...since that time may be cut shorter than we care to admit. Speaker: Dianna L. Santos ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon!

When it comes to our dogs, it is our job to help them be prepared for what they may experience throughout their lives. This is especially important when it comes to sudden medical procedures! We don't want our dogs stressing needlessly when they need to be concentrating on healing. In this podcast, we discuss the need to prepare our dogs, through training, to accepting and even enjoying such things as the "cone of shame", crates and more. We discuss the importance of incorporating this type of training for ALL dogs. ----more---- Interested in learning more about management techniques, such a crate training, for your dog? Check out the Mighty Management for Dog Owners Webinar offered through Family Dog University. Want to help your dog in the manner department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Family Dog University, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport? Dog Sport University is sister online dog training platform, give it a peek and see what it has to offer you and your dog. #itstimetotrainyourdog #coneofshame #familydog #familydogtraining #dogtraining #puppytraining #familydogu #familydoguniversity

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. No dog sport is without risk for physical injury. However, it is our job, being the caretaker for our dogs, to be mindful of this possibility and to make the best decisions possible for them. In this episode, Dianna shares an experience where her personal dog was injured at a CAT (coursing ability test) lure coursing test and outlines ways all dog owners can better advocates for their dogs. Speaker:  Dianna L. Santos ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdog #injureddog #coneofshame #petdogupodcast #petdogu

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. When we are choosing which dog sport, or dog sports, to do with our dog, it is important to give our dog a vote. However, it can be incredibly painful when what our dog wants to do, and enjoys doing, is drastically different from what our preferred dog sport may be. We delve into this touchy, tricky and emotional topic in this podcast episode. Speaker: Dianna L. Santos ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #dogsports #powerofchoice #petdogupodcast #petdogu

You read that right, we are going to walk you through how to train your dog to be naughty...and hopefully avoid these pitfalls in the first place! We'll discuss how even trainers fall into this trap, what you can do to avoid this trap and how to fix the sticky situation you may find yourself in. ----more---- Want to help your dog in the manner department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Family Dog University, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport, such as agility, barn hunt, competition obedience, rally, tracking, treibball or tricks? Dog Sport University is an third online dog training platform where we offer online dog sport courses, seminars and webinars, as well as a regularly updated blog, podcast and private video lessons. Give DSU a look to see if has what you and your dog need to earn more of those ribbons, and have fun doing so! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Will be posted soon!

Maybe your dog chews your shoes, or gets into the garbage or goes potty in the house. You reach out to a professional trainer or instructor and implore for them to give you a training solution and stat! However, many of these problems can be solved, or greatly improved, by simply using good management techniques. ----more---- In this podcast episode, we discuss what management really is, what it isn't (think something yucky, nasty or mean) and how it should work in concert with your overall dog training program. If after listening to this podcast you wanted to a more in-depth discussion of some potential management solutions, you may want to check out our webinar, Mighty Management for Dog Owners.  Want to help your dog in the manner department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Family Dog University, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport, such as agility, barn hunt, competition obedience, rally, tracking, treibball or tricks? Dog Sport University is an third online dog training platform where we offer online dog sport courses, seminars and webinars, as well as a regularly updated blog, podcast and private video lessons. Give DSU a look to see if has what you and your dog need to earn more of those ribbons, and have fun doing so! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Will be posted soon!

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. Trick Dog Titles are one of the newest options in the dog sport world and have been met with both enthusiasm and a fair amount of grumbling. In this episode, we discuss if tricks as a whole have a value and whether they should be welcomed within the dog sport realm (hint: they should). Speaker: Dianna L. Santos ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #trickshavevalue #tricktraining #dogtraining #petdogupodcast #petdogu

When you hear the term "positive reinforcement" what comes to mind? Treats? Being nice? Nothing because you do not have the slightest idea what it means? In this episode, we break down what this term actually means, why that is important and how positive reinforcement, as a training technique, not only works for dogs, it works for all animals...including people. ----more---- Want to help your dog in the manner department? Maybe you have a new puppy? Check out our newest online dog training platform, Family Dog University, where we offer online dog training courses, webinars, seminars as well as a regularly updated blog and podcast for all of your dog training needs! Scent Work University is an online dog training platform focused on all things Scent Work. SWU courses and webinars are not only for those who are interested in competition, but also for those dog owners who are simply looking for something fun and engaging to do with their dogs. Check out Scent Work University today! Interested in another dog sport? Dog Sport University is sister online dog training platform, give it a peek and see what it has to offer you and your dog. PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Welcome to the It's Time to Train Your Dog podcast. In this podcast, we'll be talking about all things dog training, how it is that we can help our dog be the best family companion possible, training tips, tips from your instructor and professional trainers, and much more. In this episode, I wanted to dive into what exactly positive reinforcement training is, just to help you have a better understanding of what that term actually means and how it applies to training our dogs. Before we start diving into the podcast, let me do a very quick introduction of myself. My name is Dianna Santos. I am the owner and lead instructor for Family Dog University, Dog Sport University, and Scent Work University. These are three online dog training platforms. They all offer online courses, webinars, seminars, as well as regularly updated podcasts and blogs. I've been training dogs professionally since 2011. I specialize in working with dogs who are fearful, reactive, and aggressive. I also have a fair amount of experience working in the dog sport world, particularly with Scent Work. I've also been a trial official and worked for a competition organization. You know a little bit more about me. Let's dive into the podcast. When people first hear the term positive reinforcement, there's a lot of different things that can come to mind, particularly if you're not a training professional, particularly if you aren't geeking out on animal behavior or dog behavior. When I used to do orientations for basic obedience classes or basic manners classes, those orientations would be with just the owners. The dogs wouldn't be in the room. It'd just be a way to help everyone understand what it was that we were going to be doing over the next couple of weeks. One of the first questions I would always ask is, "What is it that you think positive reinforcement usually means? What is that term? What does that mean as far as dog training is concerned?" The first thing everyone would say is treats. I'd be like, "Okay. But what does that mean?" They're like, "Oh. Well, you give your dog treats." I'm like, "Okay. But why are you giving your dog treats?" "Oh. Well, because you love them." Or, "Because maybe they did a good job," or, "Well, that's because my trainer told me to." But the main thing was that there was not a real understanding of what positive reinforcement means. That's not to say that these people somehow were in the dark, or how dare they not know. For most people who are out in the world, there's no need to know that for our day-to-day life. It's not as though someone's popping out of the bushes saying, "Give me a good definition for positive reinforcement now, stat." That's not happening. What I wanted to do in this podcast episode is just give you a very quick breakdown of what that term actually means, and why is it we use it for training not only our dogs but all variety of animals. Actually, it applies to people, too. At the core of it, I think what we need to realize is that the term positive reinforcement is actually a scientific term. It's not using the most common ways that we understand those terms. What I mean by that is the word positive is actually seen as adding to. It doesn't mean good. I hope that part makes sense, is that a lot of people hear positive, and they go, "Well, that means that it's good." Not necessarily. When we're talking about the term positive reinforcement, what we're saying is positive means to add to. If you had negative reinforcement, it would be to take away. Think of it like math. Positive is adding to. Then when we think about the term reinforcement, when we're looking at it from the scientific standpoint, that means that we are strengthening something. When we put those two words together, it means that we are adding something to strengthen something. In our realm of dog training, what that means is that we're adding something to strengthen a behavior. Hopefully I haven't lost you yet. But what we can see just from this really quick breakdown, this is drastically different than what most people think positive reinforcement means. A lot of people just think that it's good, and you're just throwing treats at it, and that's it. It's actually a lot more complicated than that. What we're trying to do with positive reinforcement is we're trying to add something to our training to strengthen a particular behavior that we like. In layman's terms, I want to find something that my dog enjoys so that they will do a behavior that I like them to do, and I want them to do it more. This is a really important piece, because when we think positive reinforcement training is just about treats, you're not seeing the whole picture. Let me give you a human example. If you thought that I like chocolate, for instance, so chocolate would be my treat, you would give me chocolate and then I would do the things you wanted me to do. But the problem is there's a whole variety of different chocolates. What that means is that if you were to try to give me white chocolate, for instance, that's actually not going to increase my behavior at all to do the thing that you wanted me to do, because I don't like white chocolate. In my opinion, white chocolate is not real chocolate. It wouldn't pass the first part of this. I do not find white chocolate to be reinforcing. You adding it to your equation of how it is you want me to do something doesn't do anything. If anything, it might have the absolute opposite effect, which means that if you were to give me white chocolate to say, "Oh, look, I'm rewarding you for doing a good job on that really hard project," that's not a reward to me. That could actually be a punishment, because I have worked really hard on this project. It was stressful. It was difficult. Then you're paying me with something that I don't even like? I'm not going to work that hard on that next project. I would have preferred if you paid me, if you gave me a day off, if you gave me something, but you're giving me something that's worthless. It's useless. I have to now figure out how to get rid of this white chocolate. I'm put in this really socially awkward situation. I can't just give it back to you. I need find someone else who happens to like white chocolate. You've given me a burden. I hope that this human example can help you understand just how important it is to recognize what your own individual dog actually finds rewarding so that you can actually properly apply positive reinforcement. Just throwing a treat at a behavior doesn't do anything, particularly if your dog doesn't happen to find that treat very rewarding. Now, we can even dive deeper into the weeds. Let's say that your dog does happen to like a certain type of treat. But do they like that certain type of treat all the time? What happens if you were to take your dog into a situation that was really super distracting? There's all kinds of stuff going on. Let's say that the squirrels decided to descend from all the trees and have a party. They're all running around like 10 feet away from you. Do you think that your dog is really going to care all that much about that treat that you have? They would much rather chase the squirrels. If you were trying to work on training them a particular type of behavior, let's say a sit, and you're trying to feed them a treat because you thought that they found that rewarding, they may find the treat rewarding when they're inside your kitchen. But now, the only thing they find rewarding is trying to chase those squirrels. You're not going to be applying positive reinforcement training when you are yanking back on your dog, shoving a treat in their face, and trying to get them to sit. That's not positive reinforcement training. That's trying to shove a treat into you dog's face to get them to sit while they want to chase the squirrels. I think it's important for us to understand what all this means, and to put it into layman terms, because there is definitely a delineation just within the dog training community as a whole, as far as people who do this professionally, and people who are out there in the world with real dogs. There shouldn't be that delineation. I'm not saying that you have to go out and buy every single behavior book known to man. I'm not saying that you have to go to take college courses, or intern with trainers or even behaviorists or people with doctorates, you need to enter into this whole realm of study. You don't. But I do think that it's important as dog owners that when we are trying to help our dogs be the best canine companions they can be for us, even if we never want to do anything really super out there such as dog sports ... We don't want to be in the Guinness Book of World Records. We just want our dogs to not drive us crazy when we're sitting on our couch. We want to be able to go for a walk, maybe play some ball. We just want to have a pet. That doesn't mean that your dog still doesn't have to understand a certain number of behaviors in order to do that successfully. In order to train those behaviors, positive reinforcement really helps. I think it's helpful for everyone, every single dog owner, to understand why that works. Why does positive reinforcement work so well, not only with our dogs, but with all animals, including people? The reason being is that when you reward a behavior, you strengthen it. If you can actually find what's rewarding to that individual, we'll just say it's our dog, for that particular situation, and you reward that behavior, they're going to do it again. The reason why this works particularly with dogs is dogs only do what works. Dogs are only going to do those things that actually work well for them. If you are trying to work on something like a sit, you want to figure out what it is that your dog actually finds rewarding in that moment. Now, for most dog training, what a professional is tell you is try to find a low distraction area in which to train so that your dog can stay easily focused on you and there aren't other things competing for their attention. But it's also to ensure that your reward, be it your treat, your toy, verbal praise, petting, whatever it is that you're doing, is actually rewarding to the dog, so you don't get into that situation where the squirrels are much more enticing than your treat. But how does all this work? How does a dog actually understand that you like it when they sit? Well, it's pretty simple. What you do is you ask your dog to sit, and then you reward them with your treat. It's always the behavior first, and then the reward. If you give your dog a treat and then you ask them to sit, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If I were to pay you and then tell you to go do your job, you may not want to finish that job too quickly. Even for professionals, they may only take a deposit, but the majority of their payment will be made at the end of the job. Otherwise, you may just never finish the job. The same thing applies for our dogs. If we want to strengthen a behavior, the animal does the behavior first, and then we reward them. How does all this pan out for you? What does all of this mean? What this means is that in order to use positive reinforcement, you need a couple of things. Number one, you always have to figure out what it is that your dog actually finds reinforcing, and every single dog is going to be different. Some dogs really like treats. Other dogs really like toys. Some dogs really enjoy verbal praise, and other dogs like petting. Then there are some that like all of those, and they can interchange them at any point and it doesn't matter. They're all equally awesome. But even with those big bucket categories, you still want to make certain that you have each of those divided up into levels, what I call value levels, a low-value reward, a mid-value reward, and a high-value reward. Let's just take treats. Let's say that as a blanket statement you say, "My dog loves food." Great. My next question is going to be, "Well, what's their least-favorite food? What's the food that they're just like eh, I'll eat it but it's not that big of a deal?" You may say their kibble. Okay, great. That's going to be one of your low-value treats. What's the next type of treat or next type of food that your dog is like, "Ooh, that's kind of interesting. I really like that. Can I have some, please?" Maybe you say something like string cheese. Perfect. That's going to be your mid-value treat. Now, what is the type of food that your dog just goes gaga for? They are spinning circles, they're drooling, their eyes are saucers. What is the food that they're just like, "I have to have that?" You say, "Well, I think whenever I make meatballs my dog goes really bananas." Perfect. Now you have three levels of reinforcers that you can choose from. You have your low-level treat of kibbles. You have your mid-value treats of string cheese, and you have your high-value treat of meatballs. You can now figure out when it's best to use each of those types of treats. In other words, you wouldn't want to use meatballs all the time. It's just going to diminish the value of that treat, and you don't have to use that high-value treat all the time. But at the same point, if you're asking your dog to do something really difficult in a really challenging environment, trying to feed them kibble isn't going to work. You want to have as many tools in your toolbox as possible. Once you figure out what the reinforcer is, and then you want to figure out the value of the reinforcer, you then want to figure out what behavior are you actually trying to work on. This is a really important piece of positive reinforcement training. You're always providing information to the dog. You're never assuming anything. You want to provide them an opportunity to do a behavior so that you can strengthen it. That's the whole point. By just saying "No" doesn't mean a whole lot. That doesn't provide me any kind of feedback. Let me give you a human example. Let's say that I invited you over to my house. I open the door. You come in. I don't say anything. You say, "Okay, she's kind of weird." You sit down on the couch, and there happens to be a coffee table. I hand you a water. You take a sip and you place the water onto the coffee table. We start chitchatting, and all of a sudden I go, "What are you doing?" You go, "I don't know. You're very weird." I say, "No." You go, "No what?" I storm out of the room. You are completely puzzled. I come back and I throw a coaster at you. You're just looking at me completely puzzled, and then eventually you go, "Did you want the water bottle on the coaster?" You do not think that I'm very stable. You don't think I'm very polite. We were just having a conversation. Why couldn't I have just told you, "Hey, by the way, can you use a coaster when you put the water bottle on the coffee table?" The same thing applies with our dogs, except it's even more complicated because they're not people. They're a completely different species. They see things and experience life completely different than we do. Even just the way that we communicate. As you can tell from this podcast, we're very verbal. Our dogs aren't. They communicate with body cues. There's a huge chasm as far as how they understand what's going on as opposed to what we understand is going on. In the context of positive reinforcement training, our main goal always has to be to provide our dog with information. Simply saying "No" doesn't provide any information. It's better to provide your dog with information and input. For instance, if you wanted your dog to sit, then you would ask them to sit. If you wanted them to do something other than to jump up, you would ask them to do that other thing. You would ask them to sit. Just saying no doesn't help. To wrap this up, what does positive reinforcement mean as far as training? It means that you're adding something, a reinforcer, to strengthen a behavior that you want to be strengthened and you want to continue into the future. That means that you're going to have to figure out what your dog actually finds reinforcing within a number of different scenarios. The more reinforcers you have in your toolbox, the better it is for you, which means that positive reinforcement isn't just about treats. It could be about treats, toys, verbal praise, play, opportunity to do things, a whole slew of different things that you'd be able to choose from. You want to make certain that you are broadening your horizons as you train. It's absolutely true that for the majority of training we start with food, and the main reason is twofold. One, 99.9% of dogs will find food motivating. There are some who don't, but a lot of times that's simply because they're either being fed too much or there's something else going on. But every single living creature needs food in order to survive. Food is a great place to start. The other great thing about using food is that it can help you build accuracy with your behaviors. After you have built accuracy with your behavior, you can then move on to some of the other reinforcers, particularly toys. We use toys in order to build excitement and what we call drive, which really is just enthusiasm, engagement, and a lot of exciting, flashy movement. But when you're first starting out, it's easier to use food. Now, once you've figured out your reinforcers, you've figured out when to use them, you then want to figure out what behaviors you actually want your dog to do. What behaviors do you want to be strengthened and you want to continue into the future? This is going to require a little bit of thinking on your part. Something may seem really cute when your dog is a small, tiny puppy. But is it going to be just as cute when they're a full grown, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90-pound dog? With the courses that we provide at Family Dog University, we actually walk you through some of that thinking so that what may seem cute today may not be all that cute tomorrow. You just want to think those things through. The final question is positive reinforcement, is it actually effective, and the answer is yes. It's used all across the animal world, meaning that you'll see it in aquariums, you'll see it in zoos, and you also see it with people. There's a lot of different programs that are working, particularly with children, in shifting away from berating or anything else to using positive reinforcement training. Some of it is even using marker training, where they actually use clickers or verbal markers to break down what it is that they need those students to do, whether it be gymnastics, whether it even be something as far as doing a particular task such as building a robot. They'll break down the actual things, the behaviors, that the children are doing so that they can actually understand, "Okay, this piece was right. This piece was right. Okay, I didn't get a marker for that one. Okay, let me keep trying." It strengthens behavior. It has the learner stay more engaged. It makes it so that they want to be part of the learning process without being afraid of being wrong. It makes it so that there's no fear introduced, and that's really important, particularly when we're talking about dog training. Again, we always have to remember that our dogs are a completely different species. The more that we can have active engagement with our dogs, the better it is, so they don't shut down on us, and so they don't have suspicious associations, where we may have wanted them to do one thing, but if they became afraid, they may have actually thought it was about something completely different, which could be really difficult to sort out at the end of the day. Do I personally use positive reinforcement? Yes, I do. I find it to be very effective. It also helps improve the relationship that you have with your dog. It makes you feel better, because you're looking for all the opportunities to show your dog that they were correct, as opposed to always focusing on when they may be incorrect. If you have some more questions about positive reinforcement training, particularly with marker training, maybe even with clickers, I wanted to let you know about a webinar that we do offer at Family Dog University. It's called Learn About Clicker Training. This is recorded. You'd be able to access it today. Within this webinar, we talk about the history of clicker training, why it was started, where it's used, and why it's effective. But most importantly, we walk you through the steps of how it is you could actually use clicker training with your own dog. I hope you found this podcast a little bit helpful, just to have a better understanding of what positive reinforcement training is really all about. Happy training, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. With the start of a new year, many of us will begin creating trialing goals, such as our desire to obtain a certain title by a certain date. In this podcast, we discuss the benefit of designing smaller, obtainable goals that are laser focused on building specific skills for both you and your dog, and how these smaller goals will ultimately help you achieve the "big" goal of earning your desired title. Speaker: Dianna L. Santos ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #newyearnewgoals #dogtraining #petdogupodcast #petdogu

This episode was originally aired as part of the All About Dog Sports Podcast, which has been merged into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. Here is a shocker for you: dog training is a rather polarized activity. It is common for everyone to retreat to their respective camps, defensive, backs up, lips curled back with their teeth showing. In my opinion, this is the wrong way to go about things. Do I have preferences on how I will train my dog and my client's dogs? Yes. Are there certain techniques and tools I simply will not use in my training program? Yes. Does that mean the people who use those techniques or tools are inherently evil and incapable of having any value in their overall knowledge about dogs or dog training? No. In this podcast we will discuss how, as your dog's advocate, you owe it to them to always have an open mind, so you will be able to pick out the diamonds among the poop piles. Speaker: Dianna L. Santos ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Coming soon! #itstimetotrainyourdogpodcast #dogtraining #petdogupodcast #petdogu

Speaker: Dianna L. Santos This episode was originally aired as part of our All About Dog Sports Podcast which has since been combined into the It's Time to Train Your Dog Podcast. In our very first podcast, we will answer the burning question of: what is the deal with dog sports and why would anyone ever want to get involved in one?! We discuss the benefits of dog sports as an activity, and how competition is a separate route that some dog owners may want to check out. And yes, we will also go into how online dog training really DOES work. This is going to be fun, and we thank you for listening.