Podcasts about Canine Good Citizen

Don't let anyone tell you that your dog is bad just because they have a different idea on what makes a dog good. Every lifestyle is different; therefore, it would seem that expectations of the dogs we have in our homes should be different. There is no standard on what makes a good dog. AKC has put together their Canine Good Citizen test but in our professional opinion, that does not make a good dog, but a dog that can pass tests in a controlled environment. We also don't believe that if your dog isn't able to pass the test, that doesn't make them "bad." Nikki and Britteny talk about the different behaviors they need from their own dogs and how they see "good" and "bad." dogspeak101.comdogspeakgeek.thinkific.com

This week we are talking with Jessica Stricker who has 2 Australian Shepherds, Ivy and Riddler.  She competes in a variety of sports including disc, dock diving, barn hunt, agility, scent work and fastCAT. Additionally, she is a Canine Good Citizen and Trick evaluator for AKC as well as being a trick evaluator, canine conditioning and fitness coach, animal actors evaluator, and stunt dog judge for Do More With Your Dog.  As if that wasn't enough, she is a judge for UpDog and the Anthem Toss and Fetch club.  We discuss tick training, which is not technically a sport but a certification.  However, it's a great place to get started with classes or even training on your own. The great thing about trick training is it is great for beginners, or you can take it to the level Jessica has with her dog Ivy, who knows 101 different tricks and is only 1 of 3 dogs in AZ who has a Trick Dog Champion Masters title.  AKC and Do More With Your Dog are two organizations that you can currently get certifications through.  We all agree that training tricks helped enhance our relationship with our dogs, which is why it holds such a special place in our hearts. We also had the chance to talk about disc (frisbee).  There are a variety of teams and organizations to compete and train with, so you can be sure to find the right fit for you and your dog.  There are even different types of competitions that range from rolling discs on the ground to making a 90-minute routine that include tricks interwoven with disc.  Jessica shares how inclusive disc is for dogs and people, at all levels.  There are lots of options to play the game of disc including having someone else throw for you.  So, if you are worried about your throwing arm abilities there are still ways for you to get involved with your dog.  We love that Jessica recognizes and emphasizes the relational elements of training tricks and disc over the certification levels of each.  So even if you aren't interested in competing, she breaks down how it could still benefit you to join a club or train with your dog on your own, because at the end of the day it's all about having fun with your dog. Don't forget to review, subscribe, and share! Follow us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@sometimestheressideeye | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More information about this episode: Instagram/Facebook: @thearkhamaussies Tiktok: @jessicastricker_ Business Instagram: @stricktlycanine Facebook Spark Team: The Arkham Aussies Spark Team Do More With Your Dog AKC Trick Dog Toss & Fetch UpDog Challange skyhoundz

Send us a Text Message.Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we've found a guest who is making a positive difference in the community by bringing inspiration and hope in the form of four legged therapists. When hearts and paws unite, the profound impact on mental health can truly surprise you. Amy Theisen Walz, a staunch mental health advocate, graced our podcast to recount the touching journey behind her non-profit 'You're Not Alone,' and the poignant strides therapy dogs are making in schools. Dressed in our dog-themed best, we celebrated the bond between humans and canines, delving into how these four-legged therapists are unlocking the hearts of children facing mental health challenges.As we chewed over the transformative presence of Willow, the therapy dog, and her furry colleagues, it became clear that these compassionate creatures are more than just pets; they're healers in disguise. The 'You're Not Alone' program, which Amy spearheaded, has blossomed, touching lives in classrooms across states and teaching us all a valuable lesson: sometimes the softest touch comes from a paw. From the careful selection of breeds to the rigorous twenty-step evaluation for the Canine Good Citizen certification, training a therapy dog is no walk in the park, yet the emotional regulation and behavioral improvements they bring to schools are worth every effort.Let's carry the torch of kindness Amy has lit, recognizing that each of us can be that beacon of hope in someone's life. As we wrapped up our chat with Amy, it was undeniable that therapy dogs like Willow aren't just aiding students; they're teaching us the essence of companionship. Whether you're a dog lover, an educator, or simply someone who believes in the power of kindness, remember that you, too, can help ensure no one feels alone. Keep spreading love, one wagging tail at a time.You're Not Alone is looking for dogs and handlers to come into schools. Are you ready to make a pawsitive difference in the world?  Start Here. Perhaps your corporation is interested in sponsoring You're Not Alone. If so, you can find out more here.  Or maybe you don't have a dog or a corporation but you believe in helping children with anxiety or depression. You can donate here.Do you dread Mondays? Does the thought of another Monday steal the joy of your weekend? Let me tell you about a product I have found and tried that can do away with the Sunday Scaries. Oddly enough, it's from a company called Sunday Scaries. I have personally tried their products, gummies and tinctures and I can personally attest to their efficacy. If you go to their website and order any product, use the code Kindness20 to receive a 20% discount on your order.  Do you like good coffee? Are you like me and go to bed in anticipation of a great cup of coffee in the morning (and afternoon, maybe). Then let me introduce you to my newest sponsor, Coffee Bros. They have built their business on the cornerstones of sustainability, quality, consistency, and freshness. From coffee to brewing techniques to coffee and espresso machines, they should be your go-to for all things coffee. And if you order from them, use the code Kind10 Support the Show.Did you find this episode uplifting, inspiring or motivating? Would you like to support more content like this? Check out our Support The Show Page here.

Join host Michele Forto as she discusses the American Kennel Cub's Canine Good Citizen program and how it can help dog owners build a better relationship with their dogs.  Is your dog a certified good boy or girl? Did you know that the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen program can help you with that? CGC's guidelines will steer you through the steps of responsible dog ownership and give you training goals. By following the CGC program, you will help your dog become well-behaved, benefitting not only you but also your neighbors and community. Mentioned in this episode:  7 Essential Things Every Dog Owner Should Know: Http://ak.dog/7tips 100 Dog Training Tips: Http://ak.dog/100tips Wilderness Athlete: Code DogWorks for 10% OFF Connect Podcast: https://dogworksradio.com Work with us: Https://firstpaw.media  Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/firstpawmedia Dog Training: https://ak.dog/offer  Become a Member of our Pack! Podcaster? Consider Riverside.FM

Ready to transform your furry friend into a Canine Good Citizen? This episode, with the guidance of Michele Riley from Baxter Bella, deciphers the American Kennel Club's CGC program, a comprehensive 10-step training regime. This program is designed to instill not just basic behaviors and loose leash walking, but also grooming and etiquette – a complete package for a well-behaved pet. Imagine the freedom of taking your dog to a bustling farmer's market or a lively soccer game without a worry. Plus, did you know that a CGC certification might even get you a nifty discount from your insurance or apartment complex? That's right!In this enriching conversation, Michele also introduces Baxter Bella's Virtual Home Manners title program – a remarkable virtual platform to train your dog. Learn how this program, a potential stepping stone for those eyeing agility or obedience competitions, compares with the AKC CGC. Get to know about the AKC trick titles, an engaging way to teach your dog new cues and earn titles to their name. With Baxter Bella's Basic Training class, Intermediate Training course, and an AKC CGC Prep course, you're all set to start your pet training journey! While we're on this topic, let's not forget the crucial role of physical and mental stimulation in your pet's life. Tune in and explore the significance of these fantastic resources!Support the showFollow us on social mediaInstagram @baxterandbella TikTok @baxterbellatraining YouTube @baxterandbellaSubscribe to our site for free weekly training tips! www.baxterandbella.comJoin our membership here:www.baxterandbella.com/learn-more

In this episode Susanne is talking with Amber Quann, owner and head trainer at Summit Dog Training about teaching our dogs manners and skills for life outside our homes, especially urban environments. Amber tells us about her current dog Jamison the Papillon and how she raised him to be a jet setting world traveler, how she built those skills incrementally as he grew up, and what she continues to teach him even as a mature adult dog. Amber is the owner and head trainer at Summit Dog Training (http://www.summitdogtraining.com). Amber has been training dogs since age 10. Through participation in a 4-H dog club, Amber grew up competing in various dog sports, including rally, agility, obedience, and conformation. Her current adventure partner is Jameson, a Papillon; together, they enjoy hiking, backpacking, walks in the park, hanging out at breweries, and nose work! Amber is fascinated by the bond that grows between dogs and their owners as they adventure together, and promoting this special connection is a significant part of Summit Dog Training's mission. Amber is a graduate and Certified Training Partner with the Karen Pryor Academy and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge & Skills Assessed through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). Amber also has the TAGteach Level 1 certification, and is an evaluator for the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen program. For online coaching you can reach Amber here: http://www.summitdogtraining.com/online-coaching and to learn more about classes available online: http://www.summitdogtraining.com/online-classes and to follow Amber on FB: www.Facebook.com/.summitdogtraining

In this episode, Jacque speaks with Brad Hawkings, an Australian Shepherd breeder and trainer in Pembroke, Kentucky. About 5 years ago, Brad learned about a therapy dog workshop in his area. At that time thought that his dog, Bannock, would be perfect to enroll. Bannock not only passed with flying colors, but he was then allowed to go into any situation therapy dogs are allowed, schools, hospitals, nursing homes.  Soon after becoming certified, Brad and Bannock were invited to a camp for children with serious illnesses. Tune in to hear Brad tells this story, which is sure to bring you to tears.  In this episode, Brad shares advice on how he trains his therapy dogs, and about the Canine Good Citizen test, which is an expert-made training program designed to help you and your dog be the best you can be–together. Brad's mini farm is a prime place to raise and train Aussie's.  He has been breeding Aussies for almost 20 years, striving to produce top quality Aussies which are both intelligent and healthy. His breeding stock is registered with either ASCA and/or AKC. He believes in the health of the dog. His dogs are on regular heartworm prevention, flea and tick control and have all the appropriate vaccinations. When they turn two, they go in for hip exams and get OFA certified. His dogs are not only working dogs but make lifelong companions.   Connect with Brad: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bradford.w.hawkins Website: https://www.barknstomp.com   Connect with Jacqueline Tinker: www.stockdogtrainer.com www.intinctiveaussie.com www.workingaussiesource.com

Intuitive Animal Communicator Liz Murdoch chats with America's Pet Health and Safety Coach Arden Moore and her two dogs about Pet First Aid, from CPR to significant tips Arden's dogs want her to explain.   Arden wears many 'collars' in the pet world: best-selling author, host of Arden Moore's Four Legged Life radio show and the Oh Behave show podcast, master certified pet first aid/CPR instructor, founder of Pet First Aid 4U and national speaker for Fear Free Pets. radio and podcast shows. Her dog Kona is the larger terrier mix whom she adopted in April 2016 from the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas, CA. She is 8 and a therapy dog and Arden's amazing canine teaching mate for pet first aid and pet behavior classes, and is also a certified therapy dog.     Emma is a mini-poodle/chihuahua (and other breeds) mix rescued off the streets at the start of COVID in 2020. She had no collar, no microchip and was full of heartworms. She has fully recovered, completed her Canine Good Citizen test and working towards becoming a certified therapy dog who visits people in senior centers and hangs with kids who read books out loud to her in libraries and schools.  Emma is about 3 years old.  Arden lives in Dallas with her Furry Brady Bunch: dogs, Kona and Emma plus cats, Casey, Mikey, Rusty and Baxter.    Learn more about Arden Moore at www.ardenmoore.com and www.petfirstaid4u.com.   To find out what your pets want you to know, or to learn to fine tune your own dog talking skills, book time with Liz at hello@lizmurdoch.com, or visit her website www.talkingwiththedogs.com to learn more about intuitive animal communication and how it can help you personally or professionally, your pets, or shelter dogs looking for forever homes.   

Today's Topic: When your dog REALLY wants something from you, whether that thing is your attention, your food, your affection, or an adventure outside, your dog may use the one thing that comes naturally to him/her to get it: BARKING.  But for some dogs, they may learn (over time, and due to some of our inadvertent reinforcing behaviors), that this is a pretty reliable method to get what they want, when they want, resulting in a pathological behavior known as demand barking.  And while some may be able to live with it, others absolutely cannot, especially if their dog has a loud and high-pitched bark that can be SUPER ANNOYING to those in the household, and potentially those that live nearby. So, how do you train your dog to stop (or reduce) this behavior, without resorting to methods used to startle, intimidate, hurt or instill fear in our dogs?  That's why we invited certified professional dog trainer and the founder of Positive Partners Dog Training, LLC, Brianne Harris (CPDT-KA®), to the pod, to discuss how to use positive reinforcement techniques to reduce this behavior, why ignoring the demand barking just doesn't work, why teaching the "quiet" or "speak" cues is not a practical solution for even the most committed of dog parents, what "extinction bursts" are, why we should be slot machines instead of a vending machine to our dogs, and so much more! Guest Bio: Brianne Harris (CPDT-KA®) is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. She is also an evaluator for the AKC's Canine Good Citizen programs and for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Brianne specializes in helping busy people fit dog training into their daily lives without it feeling like a burden! Her passion is working with dogs with BIG feelings - her favorites are reactive dogs, fearful dogs, and teenage dogs! Brianne and Positive Partners Dog Training, LLC are based in Banner Elk, NC. Her team serves the High Country of North Carolina with private and group lessons for dogs of all ages and types! Connect With Brianne Harris:WebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitterTik Tok

Vanessa sits down with her go-to doggo specialist and all around badass human, Laura Waddell to chat about animal behavior, the stigma against PitBulls, and the number 1 thing you should do when you first get a dog. Tune in to hear about… The truth around the stigma, myths, and miseducation around PitBulls - and how most of it is bullshit, including the whole “lockjaw” myth. Why hiring a dog trainer when you first get a dog is going to make your life 1000% better how to find one that works for you and your dog. Where PitBulls land on the temperament test - here's a hint, they're in the TOP 10! How genetics, learned behavior, and environment are crucial to your pup's demeanor. How to find a dog breed that best fits your lifestyle and wants. The best practices and routines for training your dog. Laura is an ethologist who specializes in behavior modification and continues to further her education in the field by attending workshops and seminars. She is a professional member and certified trainer through the International Association of Canine Professionals, the IASE and is an Evaluator for the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen program. Links & resources — Grab a spot for one of the leash clinics Laura is donating her time for during PITNESS IN THE PARK at 12pm or 1pm in DTJC! IG: @k9lwaddell Email: info@k9problemsolvers.com Website: http://www.k9problemsolvers.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/vanessachecchiolima/message

While most of us have heard the term ‘therapy dog', what therapy dogs actually do remains a bit of a mystery to many! In this episode, I'll be interviewing Monica Callahan to help us all gain a true understanding of what therapy dogs really do and how they improve lives everywhere! MEET MONICA CALLAHAN Monica Callahan has been a professional dog trainer for over 10 years and graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy in 2012. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. She is a current rally judge for the C-WAGS organization. In 2021, she graduated from the prestigious licensing program, Family Paws. Family Paws is geared toward working with families who are welcoming babies into families with dogs or continuing to keep toddlers and children safe and dog aware. Monica also runs her own dog training business, Family Fido Dog Training. Monica helped start the MYR Airport P.E.T.S. therapy dog program in December of 2021. On top of all of that, The Hero Dogs was started by Monica and her husband to showcase the therapy work they do for first responders and crisis response. Learn more about Monica and her work here: https://familyfidotraining.com/ WHAT DOES THE THERAPY DOG CERTIFICATION PROCESS LOOK LIKE? Monica stressed that one reason she loves and believes so strongly in the Alliance of Therapy Dogs is because of their testing and certification process! Many other tests and certifications are strictly behavior based, but ATD's certification process chooses to focus on handler and dog relationship and temperament. Monica emphasized that this type of certification process helps to more effectively approve only the dogs that can truly handle therapy dog work. Of course, there are behaviors your dog should have a solid understanding of to become a therapy dog. Here are some things your dog should be able to do: -Loose leash walking -Responsiveness to handler, even in distracting situations -Not jumping when greeted -Not jumping when greeting someone sitting down (as is common in a therapy work situation) -Not being startled by people rushing by (ie, nurses down a busy hospital hall) Monica recommends ensuring that your dog could pass the Canine Good Citizen test as part of their therapy dog training! As part of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs' certification process, dogs are required to go through three different on-site (ie, senior citizens home, hospital, etc.) observations to ensure their capabilities. WHAT DOES A THERAPY DOG DO & WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? While there isn't one specific task a therapy dog does, their general role is to provide affection, comfort, and support to people in need. This can be done in a variety of ways and in a variety of scenarios. Here are some places where therapy dogs often do their work. ⬇️ -Hospitals -Schools -Offices -Nursing homes -Disaster areas -Police & fire stations (more on that later) -Libraries and more Here are some of the specific things a therapy dog might do during their work. ⏬ -Be pet by people -Play simple games with people -Snuggle & cuddle with people -Be groomed by people (especially those in rehabilitative situations working to improve or re-learn motor skills) -Simply, be near people needing support and comfort --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/perfect-pup/message

Should dogs be allowed in the workplace? Should there be restrictions? We chat with Tim who brings his dog Ellie to work with him on some Fridays. We also hear from our loyal listeners James & Mel in regards to working from home with dogs & work places that are dog friendly.Shout Out to www.zitisofnatick.com for welcoming us to record at their restaurant and serve us yummy Lobster Ravioli. We chat about CGC or Canine Good Citizen https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/Do you bring your dog to work? If so, please tell us about it!Thank you to our sponsors: www.petvra.cowww.metropetsnatick.comwww.silkvet.comwww.westonnurseries.com Podcast Jingle Podcast Jingle Created by Kim Mixed by Kostas

In this episode, Eric Gillaspy shares his tips for dog owners to get the most out of group training classes. Highlights include:Why having a great time with your dog or puppy should be the priorityThe value of taking class field trips and how to be safeHelping dogs focus on the handler in distracting environmentsThe pros and cons of group class vs private lessonsHow to recognize when a group class is not the right learning environment for your dogEric's bio:Eric's dog training career started in Seattle, Washington at the Academy of Canine Behavior. There, he specialized in working with aggressive dogs. Simultaneously, he taught classes at Downtown Dog Lounge and was the head trainer at Pit Bull Rescue.Eric moved to Colorado in 2004 and became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in 2006. For the past 15 years, he was the head trainer at Lone Tree Vet. There, he built and ran a wide variety of behavior services including Boarding School and Playcamp, ran AKC STAR puppy classes and Canine Good Citizen evaluations, and provided private lessons both in home and at the facility.His written work has been featured on Petfinders, Petocracy, and Good Dogs Rule.In his free time, he loves to spend time with his wife Karen and dogs Lulu, Knuckles, and Kitty. He is in his element in the mountains or on a river, especially if he's on a snowboard or kayak.Links:How to Find Erichttps://behaviorvetsco.com/Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

This week, Jess and Scott discuss the Canine Good Citizen test. Temperament tests like these are more important than many owners realize. While a ribbon and certificate are rewarding, the fact that your dog can work around unfamiliar humans, dogs, and distractions is the true credential.  How can passing the CGC with your dog affect your home owner's insurance?   Would your CGC testing transfer to another environment?   Where can dog owners find a CGC class or a CGC testing site for their dogs?   For more information about Scott and Jess and their strategies, please check out: https://caninehealing.com To learn more about our podcast and to keep us with our Quirky Tips, join us at: https://thequirkydogpodcast.com/support Have you ever wondered why your dog behaves a certain way? Are there things you need help with or support? Join Scott and Jess Williams each week as they explore these and other topics.   Follow and Watch Us On: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caninehealing YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtlRQjjeIHOgEAAlgB3MviA Listen to Us On: PodBean: https://thequirkydog.podbean.com/   #ScottWilliamsDogTrainer #JessWilliamsDogTrainer #CanineHealing #TheQuirkyDog #DogTraining #Studio21PodcastCafe #UnitedPodcastNetwork

We talk to Laurie Tully who has turned her lifetime love for dogs and her expertise in dog training and knowledge of dog sports into a very special 4H program. Laurie is the leader of the Pahrump, Nye County 4H Dog Program. This is were kids learn how to properly care for their canine friends. The program includes dog training and teaches the kids to take the dog out into public. If the kids want to, they can even have their pet become a Canine Good Citizen. Many of the dog/handler teams also compete in canine sports such as K9 Toss and Fetch and Agility or Dog Diving! For more information on Nye County 4H Program see their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Pahrump4H or check out the nationwide 4H website: https://4-h.org/ (20:50) Laurie mentions the special ad the Dog Den kids made. Here is the link to their video https://youtu.be/B7o2E6pq6sMSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ModernCanineVlog?sub_confirmation=1

So, your dog is reactive and you're really stressing that Dog-To-Dog portion of the test on the Canine Good Citizen. You are not alone. Whether your dog is excited about other dogs or just weary, almost everyone preparing for the CGC wants to know: how do I teach my dog to keep it together when in close proximity with a stranger and their dog? After years of administering the CGC test and preparing aspiring therapy dog teams for the real world of classrooms and hospitals, Crystal has your back on this one. In this episode, she covers where to get started with treating dog reactivity, what classes to look for while preparing for the CGC, and what unsuspecting part of the test fails people the most. Hint: it's not the dog-to-dog portion.Continue ReadingThe Dreaded Dog-To-Dog CGC Test

Health and Lifestyle Contributor Monica Leighton offers details about DogSpot, a cozy smart sanctuary for dog parents to have a safe alternative to leaving them in the car while they briefly visit a location where pets aren't allowed | Colleen Gray shares benefits of your dog being a Canine Good Citizen, a ten-skill AKC training program open to all dogs, strengthening the bond between you and your dog at home and out in public

Health and Lifestyle Contributor Monica Leighton offers details about DogSpot, a cozy smart sanctuary for dog parents to have a safe alternative to leaving them in the car while they briefly visit a location where pets aren't allowed | Colleen Gray shares benefits of your dog being a Canine Good Citizen, a ten-skill AKC training program open to all dogs, strengthening the bond between you and your dog at home and out in public

Animal Communicator Liz Murdoch chats with Gabe, an Australian Sheepdog and his special person, professional dog trainer Jennifer Maurer, the founder of PetImpact, a positive reinforcement and relationship-based dog training service based in St. Louis, Missouri. Gabe supports Jennifer as she coaches people on how to create a strong bond with their dog based on mutual love, trust and respect. Hear what Gabe shares about dog training, being patient, and what he wants Jennifer to know. As an accredited dog trainer and Canine Good Citizen evaluator, she has worked with thousands of dogs with positive results every time.  To find out more about Jennifer's work, or to book an in person or online coaching session, find her at www.petimpact.com or follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/petimpact1.

Join our host, and guest Stephanie from K-9 University, to talk about the American Kennel Club certification program and how we can help you get your pet certified! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

“Back in the day, in an era that now seems ever more remote, the early 00s, there was this phrase in popular culture that got started about the virtues of being the kind of guy (I think it was the gender specific "guy", but maybe not, let's say person in the current interests of 2021) that you "could have a beer with." It was never really specified what this meant, yet everyone just seemed to know what this was and that it was a good thing, indeed the very best thing. It usually applied to people that had some kind of flaw in their job performance, especially politicians, (I think a certain U.S president then, but don't quote me) but were just so damned likable that it made whatever flaw the person had sort of evaporate under the power of likability. Perhaps "someone you wanna have a beer with" meant someone relatable; perhaps, even more intensely, somebody who "had your back." In popular cinema Tom Hanks is a figure like this, as was Jimmy Stewart in a much earlier era. On the surface, Joey Romer and I have little in common in terms of life experience, but that, in essence, is what our podcast is all about. I want people on my show who have different skills than mine and have seen different things. I have never been surfing, have never had anything to with law enforcement - on either side of the law - and am not a dog owner. I am also, as far as I can guess, not anybody who would be mistaken for a humanitarian. Yet Joey is all of these things, and possibly a whole lot more, surely more than can be contained within thirty minutes. Romer's people skills are genius level in terms of intelligence and that made this half hour among the best I have had the privilege to have on this podcast. Every guest on my show has something that is totally unique that I love, and these are quite different from guest to guest. With Romer it is his spirit, his enthusiasm, and, well, his character, not to be too pretentious about it. He has also seen Point Break twice which tells you a lot already. I hope this podcast episode is as enjoyable to listen to as it was to create.” Joey’s Bio Joey is a retired Saint Johns County Sheriff’s Deputy. He started training dogs at age 11. He has trained with the Renowned German Police K9 Dog Trainer, Sascha Bartz, in Germany. He has over 40 years of training experience. He specializes in behavioral issues, obedience, protection, tracking, odor detection and also an evaluator for Canine Good Citizen with the AKC. Joey was a member of the K9 unit of the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office for 18 years and served as a K9 Sergeant. Prior to his retirement, he was the head of training for the department’s K9 unit. These K9s were trained for bomb, weapon or drug detection, human tracking, search and rescue, criminal apprehension, handler protection or a mixture of any of the above. Joey has trained and certified Police K9 units with both American K9 Detection Services LLC and Southern Coast K9. He as worked with K9’s in multiple countries such as Germany, Panama, and Indonesia. As a certified AKC trainer, he will assist you with all training needs. Links to Joey’s beautiful work and organizations dear to him: https://www.smartpaws.us https://www.facebook.com/smartpawsk9/ https://www.sjso.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mitch-hampton/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mitch-hampton/support

In this episode, Geryah Dingle discusses the AKC Virtual Home Manners Title, and how you and your dog can earn a title from the comfort of your own home with a little time and $25. With all the disruptions that came with 2020, the dog training industry was no exception. Many families welcomed a new pet in their homes during the pandemic, and AKC designed the VHM title so that handlers could teach their dogs manners while maintaining social distancing; many of the behaviors are very similar to the ones exhibited in the Canine Good Citizen test which requires in-person testing. //TIMESTAMPS// [01:25] So what is the AKC VHM title? [01:50] So there are two levels: the puppy and the adult division. [03:11] So number one, the owner pets and then grooms the dog. [03:45] Number two, you want to be able to sit on command with no lure. [04:00] The third command is down. You want to be able to put your dog in the down position on command and with no lure. [04:10] Number four is you want your dog to be able to show that he can come when called indoors from about either 20 feet or from a completely separate room. [04:50] Number five is manners related to food. You can choose two different options, basically you as the owner, having a snack, and basically, your dog's not harassing you trying to get food from you. [06:05] Number six is your dog's behavior as it relates to the doorbell, knocking or greeting a real or imaginary guest. [06:30] The next behavior, number seven, is teaching your dog to go to their place or their crate, and then they have to stay there for one minute. [08:13] Number eight is about demonstrating a relationship. So you have four options for this one. [08:45] Number nine is you and your dog being out for a walk. Well, you don't have options per se, but you have to do both of these behaviors. So you need to be able to place a leash on your dog, and they need to act calmly before exiting the door. [10:15] Next is number 10, exercising outside with a family member or an owner. And then you get to choose here. So you can choose a simple game of fetch or catching a disc or a toy. [12:35] So who's the best fit for this title? Well, AKC markets the VHM as a warm start to future competition. So in one of their initial press releases, the AKC described the Virtual Home Manners program as a perfect lead-in to AKC STAR Puppy and its popular Canine Good Citizen programs, which require in-person testing. AND MUCH MORE!

Niki Tudge is joined by Laurie Williams the Owner of Pup N Iron® in Virginia. Join Niki and Laurie as they talk about this extremely important topic, diversity in the dog training profession. Laurie C. Williams CPDT-KA has had a love of and connection with dogs from as far back as she can remember. She is the owner and director of training and behavior counseling at Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness and Learning Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she has been serving her community as a canine education specialist and dog behavior counselor for the past 15 years. She holds a bachelor's from Norwich University in Montpelier, Vermont and was a member of the adjunct faculty of the Natural Sciences Department of Northern Virginia Community College for seven years. She is also a nationally published writer with articles appearing in the APDT Chronicle of the Dog, The Whole Dog Journal, Dog & Handler, 911, Essence, Fitness, and Good Housekeeping. She is currently a member of the board of governors of the Dog Writer's Association of America and is a therapy dog evaluator for Pet Partners, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and a licensed judge for the American Kennel Club. Geek Week - Learn more here

Welcome to episode 30 of the Plantarion Podcast!  Danni McGhee chats with Ri Taylor of Redemption Dog Education about whether or not dogs should be on a vegan diet plus some useful tips on how you can have a better relationship with your pup. SUBSCRIBE TO PLANTARION PODCAST ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLAYER!Interview with Ri Taylor of Redemption Dog EducationRi Taylor has been a dog trainer since 2009. Her passion for dogs began as a young child, a passion she was able to follow and develop into a career. She is a Pet Professional Guild Dog trainer. She is also a Canine Good Citizen and Star Puppy evaluator. She specializes in basic obedience, reactive dogs and aggression cases.  Ri uses only force free, bond based, positive reinforcement training methods.Ri has a personal pack of seven dogs. And  is able to utilize them for so much of her education programs.  She strives to help everyone have a better relationship with their dogs.Follow Ri & Redemption Dog EducationRedemption Dog Education websiteRedemption Dog Education InstagramRedemption Dog Education FacebookFollow Plantarion on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, & Youtube!SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS EPISODE ON OUR LATEST INSTAGRAM POST!

Join Niki Tudge where she Chats and Chuckles with Judy Luther. Niki and Judy chat equine, canine and captive animals. Their discussion ranges into the great programs the PPG Canine Committee are working on such as Project Trade, Boundary SOP's and so much more. Judy is based in the St. Louis, Missouri metro area and Branson, Missouri and has provided training and behavior consulting services for a variety of species, both domestic and exotic, for over 27 years. She is a board certified pet dog trainer through the Certification Council of Professional Trainers, a certified nose work instructor, a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy, a certified canine massage therapist, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, an AKC Puppy S.T.A.R. evaluator, an APDT C.L.A.S.S. instructor and evaluator, and works with the American Humane Educators Association. She is also the creator of Trust Centered Training™, which utilizes the latest scientific research, and runs her own training business. In addition, Judy is the chair of PPG's Canine Division, sits on the Advisory Board for St. Louis County Animal Control, and has volunteered for the Missouri Puppies for Patrol program.

Sharon Lohman, founder and president of New Beginnings for Merced County Animals has been in prison this week and couldn't be happier. Sharon recorded this podcast with us before her three-day visit this week to the Lancaster State Prison in support of the Paws for Life Prison Program, in which prisoners help train service dogs for PTSD veterans, firehouses, and some Canine Good Citizen public adoptions. (Please follow the link to a really interesting page). She has been involved in the widely acclaimed life-changing program -- for both people and dogs -- and New Beginnings supplies some of the dogs that become part of the program. This podcast will brighten your day!

AKC's Canine Good Citizen titling program is an excellent program to demonstrate basic manners and public skills you and your dog have learned together as a team. In today's episode, we will be going over the skills for the Canine Good Citizen title as well as some tips to help you work on some of the skills for the test.

Today's show is all about real estate photography! We talked a lot about the technical side of photography, like white balance, exposure, ISO, etc. We also talked about the styling side of things, especially how differently the camera sees the room vs. the human eyes and how that impact the way we place things in the room. On today's show, I am interviewing Kris Kandel, a photographer in the Fargo area, specializing in weddings and real estate photography since 2001. She has always been drawn to architecture in her photography work, so it was a natural step to include home photography in her business. A few years ago she bought a little 1948 fixer up and loved getting her hands dirty with DIY projects to make this old house an adorable home. In her free time she enjoys volunteering at her local AKC dog club teaching the Canine Good Citizen classes with her beautiful dog Bokeh. She also runs a podcast on courage and curiosity with her sister. It's her passion to create, bringing light and joy into the world in any way she can. 

Pam Dennison, CDBC, CWRI is a member of the DWAA (Dog Writers Association of America) and is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), member of The Pet Professional Guild, Truly Dog Friendly and former member of NADOI and Association of Professional Dog Trainers.She has written for many local, national and international magazines on a myriad of topics. Many of her books and articles have won and been nominated over the years for special awards by the DWAA.Pam started her own business, Positive Dogs, in 1996. Since then she has helped thousands of dogs and handlers build their relationships and solve problems, by teaching basic obedience through competition and working with a myriad of behavioral problems. Pam teaches puppy K, basic obedience through the Canine Good Citizen test, competition obedience, Rally-O and holds regular classes and seminars for aggressive dogs.Pam is the author three books (currently in print):You Can Train Your Dog: Mastering the Art & Science of Modern Dog Training , Shadow Publishing WINNER of a Maxwell Award for Best Training Book!Bringing Light to Shadow; A Dog Training Diary, Dogwise PublishingHow to Right a Dog Gone Wrong, The Roadmap for Rehabilitating Aggressive Dogs, Shadow Publishing

Pam Dennison, CDBC, CWRI is a member of the DWAA (Dog Writers Association of America) and is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), member of The Pet Professional Guild, Truly Dog Friendly and former member of NADOI and Association of Professional Dog Trainers. She has written for many local, national and international magazines on a myriad of topics. Many of her books and articles have won and been nominated over the years for special awards by the DWAA. Pam started her own business, Positive Dogs, in 1996. Since then she has helped thousands of dogs and handlers build their relationships and solve problems, by teaching basic obedience through competition and working with a myriad of behavioral problems. Pam teaches puppy K, basic obedience through the Canine Good Citizen test, competition obedience, Rally-O and holds regular classes and seminars for aggressive dogs. Pam is the author three books (currently in print): You Can Train Your Dog: Mastering the Art & Science of Modern Dog Training , Shadow Publishing WINNER of a Maxwell Award for Best Training Book! Bringing Light to Shadow; A Dog Training Diary, Dogwise Publishing How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong, The Roadmap for Rehabilitating Aggressive Dogs, Shadow Publishing

It was a cold day and Laurie encouraged people to be aware of how cold affects dogs. She suggested using a coat, not just as a fashion statement, but to keep dogs comfortable. A caller agreed that it helped his dog but wanted advice about keeping his dog's feet comfortable as well. If your dog won't wear boots a wax based product like "Musher's Secret" can help. Laurie announced new classes in Wethersfield at Wagtime Doggie Daycare starting in February. A woman wanted advice on how to pass the Canine Good Citizen test. Her dog failed twice because she couldn't ignore a passing dog. There was a question about getting a reluctant cat into his carrier, then someone with experience with feral cats called offering more tips The last caller wanted to know the best way to teach her two schnauzers to stop excessive barking.

When it comes to training, we oftentimes want to take shortcuts or cannot wait to work on the "big dog stuff"! This is no different in Scent Work. However, the dismissal of potential training tools outright, or being in such a huge hurry to get rid of them, can be limiting the effectiveness of your training. We dive into this topic in our latest episode, specifically speaking to the use of boxes and pairing as Scent Work training tools. ----more---- 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, or looking for help getting your dog to learn some manners? 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 All About Scent Work Podcast. In this podcast we're gonna be talking about all things that work. We'll be giving you a behind the scenes look at what your instructor or trial officials may be going through. Giving you some training tips, and much more. In this episode we're gonna be talking about boxes and pairing, and how people can not wait to get rid of either of those in their training, and how that could actually be a shortsighted way of looking at your training. Before we start diving into the podcast itself, let me just do a very quick introduction of myself. My name is Dianna Santos. I'm the owner and lead instructor for Scent Work University, and Dog Sport University. Scent Work University is an online dog training platform where we focus on all things Scent Work. We provide online courses, webinars and seminars. They're designed to help people who are either just getting started in Scent Work, have been doing Scent Work for a while. Maybe playing the game for fun, or may also be interested in doing competition. In addition to being a professional trainer, I'm also an approved trial official, and have actually worked for a competition organization. So now that you know a little bit more about me, let's dive into the podcast. In this episode I wanted to go over a very common thing that I've notice while I've been training students across the country. It is the desire to get away from foundation skills, and to get away from those quickly. Particularly for those individuals who are interested in competition. There seems to be a rush in order to get their dog ready for trial. But even for people who aren't interested in competing, there seems to be an allure to designate certain things as just a stage, and to announce to the world that my dog no longer needs that. It's as though they're looking at their dog training as though it's having the training wheels on. They can't wait to get them off. What I'm hoping to do in this podcast is to outline for two particular types of training tools that they are tools, and they shouldn't be seen merely as stepping stones. They should be seen as something that you can use throughout the duration of your Scent Work training career. To allow your dog to be more successful, and to allow your dog to really understand particular odor puzzles, and that they have value throughout the duration that you're going to be doing Scent Work. So that's the goal. We'll see if we reach that goal. The two things that I wanted to talk about in this podcast is the use of boxes and the use of pairing within the context of Scent Work. Now there are going to be some people right out of the gate who say, "I don't train that way." And that's okay. The one thing that we all have to recognize with Scent Work is, as with all things dog training, there are millions of different ways of getting to the same goal. We can all have our preferences, and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. For this podcast I just want to talk about the two things that I tend to do when I am teaching someone for foundations that work, and to hopefully help people understand why it is that those are used in the first place, and the value that they hold. Not only within the foundation context, but that you can also use them throughout any type of Scent Work training that you're trying to do. The first thing I want to talk about is boxes. For myself, when I'm doing foundations that we're training with the student, either within my online classes or if I was still be able to work with people one-on-one. We would use boxes in order to focus the dog's attention onto a particular part of a search area. It's basically introducing the dog to a container search set up. It allows the dog to self reward, because we'd be using food. It also allows the trainer to assess the dog's confidence, which is extraordinarily important. If I have a dog come up and they're trying to do a box search, and they're very concerned about the boxes, that's important information for me to have as a trainer. I now need to make certain adjustments to ensure that we can build that dog's confidence. Not only within the contents of Scent Work, but overall. So that I know that this is going to be ... this will be an issue. This is something that we need to address. The boxes give me that information. In addition to that, I can also use the boxes to present a variety of different odor pictures to the dog so that they're able to figure out how to work those out. So for instance, I can use the boxes to present an elevated hide problem, where you have an odor box on top of the seat of a chair for instance. But what I like to tell my students to do, is to use a empty box that's a little distance away from that elevated hide. They'll be collecting some of that odor that's coming out of the odor box, and the dog is typically going to sniff the empty box, because there's going to be odor going into it, realize it's not where the hide is, and then hopefully pick their head up, get a whiff of the actually odor cone, and then work their way up to the elevated box. This has worked time and time again, and it's a very powerful training technique. This is all the sort of thing that I do in my foundation classes. Now something to point out is, you can do that same exact approach when you are further along in your training. So let's say that you were no long working on primary. Let's say that you were following the K9 Nose Work training method where you start with food and then you do paired odor as far as birch, anise or clove, and now you're just solely on a target odor, and you've been doing it for a while. You may even be competing. Your dog is doing great. But now they're going to the point where they need to do even higher elevation. They need to be doing hides that are three, four, five feet high. You could absolutely bring your boxes back into the picture. What I mean by that is, you can still have your non paired, if you decided to do that, at large elevation hide. Meaning it's four or five feet up. But you could have some empty boxes facing that hide to allow the dog to investigate the box first, to then figure out where the odor is actually coming from. It gives a dog a sense of familiarity. When they already have a long reinforcement history with boxes, there's no reason to really throw that away. The other great thing about boxes is that they're really easy to transport. So when you want to be able to do training sessions at your field trip locations further down the line for your dog's training, you can just set your boxes up. It could also be a great way of warming your dog up. Anyone who does trialing knows the boxes are used for warm ups. So you could do that within your search area as well. For instance, let's say that you wanted to do an exterior search with your dog, and your dog happens to be a little bit on the sensitive side. Maybe they're environmentally sensitive, or they could just be very environmentally invested. Or maybe they're not worried about the environment, but they think the environment is really cool. Wouldn't it be nice if you could do a test search where you can see whether or not your dog can actually even think in this space? That's where you can bring your boxes into play. Use the same exact search area that you were going to. You can even still have exterior hides, but have your boxes near those exterior hides to help offer a level of familiarity for the dog. They can come in. They can say, "Oh, we're doing boxes. Clearly we're doing the sniffy game." You can test whether or not they're actually able to perform, or if they may need to have more skills to be successful in that space. That'll be so beneficial, as opposed to trying to force your dog to do well within a given space and just hope for the best. To do repetition after repetition after repetition and then have them fail over and over and over again. Have you get frustrated, simply because you think that using boxes will be going backwards. "Only baby dogs use boxes!" It's silly. Use this sort of thing as a tool. Use it as a training tool. Don't just simply throw it away, because you perceive that it is something that only baby dogs do. The other great thing about boxes is that you can use them to incorporate into really complicated odor pictures. So if you're trying to do something, like we noted, with very high elevation, that could absolutely be something you can use your boxes for. What about suspended hides? You can do that as well. You could just have boxes. You can suspend your boxes up. If you're going to a completely crazy location in order to do your searches. Maybe you're trying to work a lot on distractors, where it could literally just be the environment is really distracting, or you actually have a lot of distractors. Wouldn't it be nice to have, again, a level of familiarity for your dog? Where you can set them to succeed, maybe for a warm up search. See if they can actually work in that space first. Give them an opportunity to be successful, and then you can go from there. I'm hoping that these examples can showcase that this is suppose to be a training tool. It's not simply suppose to be some black mark that we never talk about and say, "Oh well, I used to use boxes, but I don't use boxes anymore. I'm this really accomplished Scent Work person, and I'm amazing, and boxes are just for baby dogs." That's just silly. It should be used as a training tool. It should be used as a way to help your dog master these skills, and to further progress in their Scent Work training. The other thing I wanted to talk about was pairing. I know pairing is definitely something that not everyone agrees upon. There's lots of different schools of thought as far as Scent Work is concerned. There's lots of different schools of thought as far as pairing is concerned. I am a CNWI with an NACSW. I follow the K9 Nose Work training method. I think that it works really well, and I am a very big proponent about pairing. I think pairing is awesome. That being said, if you wanted to use pairing, it should not be seen as something that you do for a very short period of time and you can't wait to get rid of. I tend to see this a lot with people who are definitely interested in competition. Because they say, "Well, I wouldn't be able to use pairing, obviously, at a trial. It's just going to be birch, anise or clove, or whatever target odor that we're using. So I need to get rid of that pairing as quickly as possible, so that I know that my dog understands finding the hide." Now, I guess I can see the argument in all of that, but I would use a similar type of dog training scenario to try to make my point. Let's talk about the Canine Good Citizen test. For AKC, they offer a Canine Good Citizen test where basically there are 10 different test items. Where they're trying to assess whether or not the dog has the manners that would be necessary for them to be safe out in public. Throughout this test you are not permitted to use any toys or treats in order to reward your dog throughout the exercises. However, there are Canine Good Citizen Prep courses taught throughout the country. I teach them through Dog Sport University online, and I've taught them before in person. The thing that I would always stress to all of my students, and it would typically be a six week class, is while we are training we are going to be using rewards. Whether it be treats, or whether it be toys, or verbal praise, or anything else. Because we're teaching our dog. We're trying to help them understand a skill. Yes for the test you're not allowed to use that, and we will go through a very specific way of fading out those rewards and to use different types of rewards or just smiling at your dog, and even giving them some verbal praise. But where they wouldn't necessarily have to have the treat immediately, I would strongly suggest that when you're done with the test that you give them lots of treats, let them play with a toy or something. Let your dog know how great they did. But when you are training, you absolutely want to be using all of those rewards. Why wouldn't you? It doesn't make any sense. Now stepping back into Scent Work. The same would apply. I completely agree with you that when you're competing your dog is finding the target odors by themselves. They're not finding birch plus hot dog. They're finding birch. But when you're training you absolutely should be using rewards regardless, and the great thing about Scent Work as a sport is that you are allowed to reward your dog at source, even at trial. While it won't be paired at the hide itself, you're still allowed to actually feed them a treat when they find the hide, which is great. When we're talking about pairing, I think that we're conflating trying to see whether or not we can help our dog succeed in a given exercise, with trying to ensure that they can actually do the thing at trial. I think those are two completely different things. Let me try to clear up what I mean by that. I initially start off all my students with pairing. The second that they start working with birch, for instance, they're going to see paired hides. They're going to see a tin, typically speaking, with a treat on top of it. This allows the dog to self-reward. The whole purpose behind self rewarding is that there is no convincing the dog what the answer is to the question that you posed. It's very simple. They came up, they found the hide, they eat their treat. "Ah, brilliant. You want me to find birch." It's very simple to the dog. There's no guess work around it. The handler doesn't have to get involved and trying to explain what it is that this game is all about. That's a very powerful way to train. So if you have a really challenging hide placement, if you pair it it could actually help the dog work that problem out. I'm not saying you have to pair it forever, because you don't. Maybe you just pair it the first time. The same way we use the boxes, maybe do a warm up search where the hides are actually paired. Do a big jackpot with your dog when they find it. You can play with toys, whatever your reward system is. Take them out, throw them a party. Tell them how great they are. Remove all the pairings, keep the hides in the same locations and run the dog again. That's using your pairing as training. It's a training tool. It should not simply be seen as this stage you can't wait to get rid of. I still pair with my dog. He's been doing Scent Work for five years. That doesn't mean I pair at every single hide. I don't. I'll pair one or two hides within a session. There will be other sessions I don't pair at all. There will be other sessions I pair everything. It's all about being variable. It's about tapping into what we understand about training. What we understand about reward systems, and making things really clear to our dog. My goal is not to set my dog up for failure. I want him to be as successful as possible. It doesn't mean I want everything to be a gimme. I want him to still work and learn to figure out a problem. But I want him to be able to do that. So I don't want him just out there floundering. If pairing the hide is going to help him come up with the solution, and help him understand, "Oh, that's how that works." Then we can over time fade that pairing. Great. Why wouldn't I do that? So again, this is all a matter of opinion. But the one thing that I'm hoping to make clear in this podcast at least, is that if you are using these tools, whether you're working with someone like myself who follows the K9 Nose Work training method, or if you're doing training on your own, or whatever the case may be. But if you're using something like boxes or pairing or something similar, just realize that they are not simply something to do for a number of weeks, you can't wait to get rid of them and you never use them again. Then it wasn't that helpful of a training tool, and that's what you should be looking at this as, that they are training tools. They are helping your dog achieve the type of learning that you need them to to be successful. That's the whole point. The last thing I just want to talk about in wrapping up this episode is that when we are progressing in our Scent Work training, what we have to keep in mind is why it is that we're going from step one to step two to step three, and whether or not those steps are artificial, and they're not actually the steps that our dog needs to take, but they're the steps that we think are the steps that everyone else takes. As an example, let's say that you are getting ready to do your very first trail. You're gonna be doing an ORT for instance, and you signed up for birch. You didn't sign up for anise or clove, you just wanna do birch to start off with, which would be fine. It's about six months down the road, you signed up way ahead of time, which is wonderful. You're nice and prepared. But now you're starting to read things online and on social media about people who are rushing along with their dog, and the dog has already found all three odors. They're alerting and they're doing just brilliant things. They've only been training for two days. You then start coming up with a training plan for both you and your dog, and you're going to be using boxes to start, and you're gonna be using pairing. But now you think that you have to move ahead a lot faster because you've got to get ready for this ORT, so you start taking away some of these things artificially. Instead of giving your dog the time that they need to figure everything out, you're now rushing. You're going up against a false goal, a false deadline that doesn't really exist. What happens when you do that, when you have that kind of approach, is you're going to have glaring holes in your training. You also run the risk of having your dog not really understand what the game is all about. To pick up some suspicious behaviors as far as, if you're really involved in the process and you're trying to shape things or things like that. They may not think it's about the odor at all. They may think it's about something completely different, if you're not careful. Or they could just determine that the game isn't all that fun, because they're not really sure what's going on. Things are kind of confusing. Because you're up against this deadline, you're probably practicing a lot. So if it's not really fun, it's not really clear, it's not really winning for them, they may actually just not like it all that much. What I'm hoping that people can recognize is that every single dog, every single dog is going to have a different process in how they learn. Every single dog is gonna have a different learning path. Even if you have multiple dogs in your home, every single dog is still going to have a different learning path. Every dog will have different sets of strengths and weaknesses. But that's why you should have as many tools in your toolbox as possible so you can help all of those dogs, and you don't just paint yourself in a corner where you only turn into a one trick pony, this is all that you can do. You don't wanna just throw tools away. You wanna have them accessible as much as possible so that you can whip them out when you need to. So I hope that makes sense. That while the allure is there to determine what stage everything is and where it belongs, and you can't wait to get out of it so that you can show everyone that you're this pro. Doing this other stuff isn't bad. It's great. It's actually really helpful. It's stuff that you should still lean on throughout the duration that you're gonna be doing Scent Work with your dog. In my opinion you should be doing it forever. Find times when it would be helpful and then use it. I have no problem whipping out a box or using pairing with my dog. It doesn't bother me in the least. I don't think that it says anything about my training that's negative. I don't think that anyone would look down on me about it, and if they did, I don't care. It works for my dog, and also works for my clients. I'm just hoping that we can all have a better understanding of what these things actually are. It's not simply a, "I can't wait to graduate from this." That shouldn't be the point. "I cannot wait for my dog to actually understand what this is all about," would be a better thing to be excited for. "I can't wait for my dog to confidently do the search." "I can't wait for my dog to independently work this out." "I can't wait for my dog to come up to the start line with me and be really excited to do this game with me." Those are good things to be excited for. But to get rid of something that could be a really helpful training tool, to me that just seems counterproductive. It's showing that we're looking at this through the wrong lens. I hope that makes sense. I hope you found this podcast helpful. We're diving into some touchy subjects, and it's not meant to make anyone look down upon a different type of training. Different thoughts and different approaches are good. Having different ideas about how to get to the same goal is perfectly fine. It's always been there in dog training, it always will be, and Scent Work is no exception. But what I'm hoping that we can understand is that having tools in our training are there for a reason, and that they can be very helpful, and we shouldn't be so eager to throw them away. Thanks so much for joining us in this podcast. I hope you found it helpful. Happy training, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

** NOTE ** I had to let Thor cross the rainbow bridge November 1, 2019. You will be missed my trusted friend! In this podcast I talk about therapy dogs, because I have one named Thor. American Kennel Assoc has a program called Canine Good Citizen. Once you pass the 10 tests you have a therapy dog. I took Thor to 2 schools 3 times a week so the kids could read to him. As of January 1, 2018 Thor was retired and is enjoying his time at home. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stephanbacon/support

        The vision of an animal sanctuary and a pit bull rescue were just two of the ideas of Bully Ranch, recently started by married couple Paul Hendrix and Diane Blastic.  Paul and Diance,  members of the Austin Facial Hair Club, have been working with pitbulls for sometime now and have nothing but love and admiration for the breed. They have invested considerable time into understanding the training and the demeanor of this often understood animal.   In our conversation about Bully Ranch, we touched upon how everything finally came together for this to happen and how the loss of their beloved Trejo was the final piece. “His death devastated us. It was also the catalyst for getting our butts in gear to follow our dream of opening a pitbull rescue and rehabilitation center with the intent of becoming a City of Refuge for all animals.  Welcome to Bully Ranch!”(-taken from Bully Ranch IG @bullyranchatx ).  We discussed the importance of training and understanding your dog and the signs it may show you of being in distress, as well as how to handle those situations with proper techniques.  They stressed that the importance of training is more for the human than it is for the dog. Understanding your dog’s trigger points and stress factors and how to adjust your approach to a situation is a good way gain your dog’s trust.   Paul also announced a partnership Bully Ranch had recently made and he broke the news with all of us in the beard community.  The Austin Facial Hair Club has done many charity events over the years to help raise money for the local animal shelter, such as their annual Dog Beard and Mustache Competition which is emceed by Paul.  The facial hair community has given a lot to animal rescues and shelters nationwide and are one of the more popular of charities donated to for many events.  It seems to me that beards and dogs go hand-in-paw when it comes to the nature of this community.   I hope that you enjoy this episode and learn more about Bully Ranch. If you feel compelled, check out bullyranch.org and make a donation or order a sweet shirt.  There was so much valuable information given by both Paul and Diane about their dreams for Bully Ranch and I very much enjoyed talking to them and learning about what they have planned!     Paul Hendrix https://www.facebook.com/paul.e.hendricks   Diane Blastic https://www.facebook.com/diane.blastic   Bully Ranch https://www.bullyranch.org/ https://www.facebook.com/bullyranchatx -FB https://www.instagram.com/bullyranchatx -IG   Austin Facial Hair Club austinfacialhairclub.com https://www.facebook.com/austinfacialhairclub/   Love-A-Bull http://love-a-bull.org/resources/the-history-of-pit-bulls/   Canine Good Citizen https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/   5th Annual Dog Beard and Moustache Competition https://www.facebook.com/events/690191648006714/?active_tab=about   Come and Shave It #12 https://www.facebook.com/events/361590657631702/   2017 World Beard and Mustache Championships https://www.austinfacialhairclub.com/2017-wbmc   Beards In Review https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZdW1Uyp_Kfh0puTSegmRQ   Austin Pets Alive! https://www.austinpetsalive.org/   Schrodi Training Fund http://www.schrodifund.org/   Austin Animal Center http://www.austintexas.gov/department/aac   Corpus Christi Hairy Hooligans https://www.facebook.com/cchairyhooligan/   American Pit Bull Foundation https://americanpitbullfoundation.com/   Pit Crew https://www.texaspitcrew.org/#welcome   American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) https://www.aspca.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website for more fun “bearding” info: www.thebeardcaster.com Subscribe for FREE at: www.thebeardcaster.com/subscribe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thebeardcaster Twitter: @TheBeardcaster https://twitter.com/TheBeardcaster Instagram: @thebeardcaster https://www.instagram.com/thebeardcaster/ RSS: http://thebeardcaster.libsyn.com/rss Email: scott@thebeardcaster.com Google Podcast- https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL3RoZWJlYXJkY2FzdGVyLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz I-Tunes link- http://ow.ly/OxAX30fvgD8 Spotify link-  https://open.spotify.com/show/6AMjdNRUeiNzyTguJyNvIP?si=Au6uyascTBKW34-ljxC-KA#upsell IHeart Radio link-  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-beardcaster/id1071557714?mt=2 Stitcher link- http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-beardcaster?refid=stpr    

Summary: Heather Lawson is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), a CGN Evaluator and a Free-style judge. She has been training dogs and their humans for more than 20 years after deciding that the corporate world just wasn't cutting it anymore. She is the owner of dogWISE Training & Behaviour Center Inc., where she teaches group classes for companion pets, competitive obedience, and rally in addition to providing behaviour consults and private lessons.   At FDSA, she teaches several classes focused on life skills, including the upcoming Loose Leash Walkers Anonymous and Hounds About Town; she'll also be teaching a new class on “Match to Sample.” Links Mentioned: www.dogwise.ca Next Episode:  To be released 9/1/2017, featuring Nancy Tucker talking about the roles of emotions in training, and how to modify behaviors when they are tied to strong emotions in our dogs. TRANSCRIPTION: Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau, and you're listening to the Fenzi Dog Sports podcast brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy an online school dedicated to providing high quality instruction for competitive dog sports using only the most current and progressive training methods. Today we'll be talking to Heather Lawson. Heather is a certified professional dog trainer, and Karen Pryor Academy certified training partner, a CGN evaluator and a free style judge. She's been training dogs and their humans for more than 20 years after deciding that the corporate world just wasn't cutting it anymore. She's the owner of dogWISE Training & Behavior Center where she teaches group classes for companion pets, competitive obedience, and rally in addition to providing behavior consults and private lessons. At FCSA she teaches several classes focused on life skills, including the upcoming Loose Leash Walkers Anonymous and Hounds About Town. She'll also be teaching a new class on Match to Sample. Hi, Heather, welcome to the podcast. Heather Lawson: Hi, Melissa, glad to be here. Melissa Breau: Looking forward to chatting. SO to start us out, I know we talked about this a little bit before turning on the recording, but do you want to just tell me a little bit about your own dogs, who they are and what you're working on with them? Heather Lawson: Okay. Well, my breed of choice, who happens to be currently rumbling in their crate at the moment, is German Shepard. I have two, one a male by the name of Tag, who is 11 years old and he's retired from active working. He's just a family companion and does everything else that Piper does but on a lower schedule, and then I have Piper who is a 2-year-old female, and she's my current work in progress, and I hope to be taking her into the competitive obedience ring, rally, and anything else that I can wrap my head around with her. Melissa Breau: How did you get your start in the dog sports world? Heather Lawson: Well, as you mentioned in my bio I was in the corporate world, in human resources, retail management, and after about three downsizings consecutively in a row, it was just that time of the ‘90s and so forth, I just decided that I didn't want to go back to work and I'd rather stay home and do things with my dogs, and believe it or not I ended up working at a school, an obedience school back east in Ontario and got competing with my own dogs, and then from there just went all over the place wanting to develop my education and just become a better trainer, and I've had so much fun doing this that I've never looked back on the corporate world since. It's just been so enjoyable because I get to meet so many new dogs and so many lovely people. Melissa Breau: I wanted to ask you a little bit about your training philosophy. How do you approach training? Heather Lawson: For me personally I like to approach it as a teamwork situation. I want to look at the dog that's in front of me and work with what they are giving me, and work at the level that they're capable of at that particular moment I guess you could say. My philosophy, you get the old, ‘Well, I want to do positive,' and everything like that. It just never occurs to me to do anything but positive and I want to make sure that I'm consistent, that I'm fair. I give my animals the better side of me at all times. Above all else my animals are family companions so not only do I have to worry about what I'm doing in training, but I have to worry about what we're doing when we're not training, and so everything has to mesh and come together, and it's just basically a family unit. Melissa Breau: I wanted to talk a little bit about the classes that you're going to be offering coming up in October, so let's start with the Loose Leash Walkers Anonymous class, and I am sure at least once, if not more than that, I will somehow manage to jumble those words because Loose Leash Walkers Anonymous is almost a tongue twister, but why are life skills like that, like leash walking, such an important skill for sports dogs and why is it such an incredibly difficult thing to teach? Heather Lawson: Well, like most people who do dog sports we travel, so we go to competitions, we do things with our dogs, we have to stay in hotels, we have to be out in the public, and having a dog with good manners, including loose leash walking skills I think is very important because your dog is only working and doing those activities for a very short period of time. The rest of it, if they're like most people…my dogs, as I said, are part of my family so when I'm not doing those skills or competitions, or anything like that I'm taking my dogs out into the community. I don't want to be dragged all over the place. I want to be able to take them on the sea bus that goes from one side of the inlet to the other, I want to be able to take them up and down elevators or into stores and do all of those types of things with them without people turning around and saying, ‘Look at that. The dogs out of control,' and I think it's important too even when you're competing that you have your dogs under control, that they're not going in every different direction, they're not dragging you to and from whatever it is that you're doing, whether it's conformation, or obedience, or even agility, or nose work. I mean, sure the dogs get excited but at the same time, it's still nice to have a little bit of management and manners in place, and that's my own personal view, and I think it's important. The other side of it, why is it so hard to teach, simply because we aren't consistent enough, I think, and we don't think of it as a priority, and by priority I mean I picked up on something a long, long time ago from Sue Ailsby, who's also teaching at Fenzi, and that was when the leash goes on that is your only priority of teaching loose leash walking, so getting from A to B is your only priority on a loose leash, and that has never, ever steered me wrong. If we put the leash on at one point and then we go and we let the dog pull us to their favorite friend, or we let them pull us to go and sniff to something, or pull us to go to the dog park. If we're inconsistent in our requirements then we never get that loose leash walking as part of regular manners skill, and you know what…and it's true. If I don't have the time to work on that, if I haven't given myself enough time, if my dogs are going to be excited, and the dogs get excited, and with a little bit of a reset okay. Yeah, okay mom, we remember. If I don't have that time I just will take them and use a muzzle magnet, which is basically a fistful of food, let them nibble on it as I go from point a to b so that I don't get that loose leash pulling, but I get the loose leash, so I try to be consistent with everything that I'm doing, and I think that's why the dogs don't get as far ahead in their loose leash walking because we're also very concerned about teaching them all of these other behaviors that one of the most important things is the loose leash walking because if they don't have that loose leash walking they don't get out into the community, they don't get out to socialize, they're not much a pleasure to be around because they're hard on your shoulder, they're hard on your elbow, hard on your back and so they end up only doing certain things and they don't have a well-rounded life, and especially with pet dogs they end up getting stuck in the backyard so they don't get the exercise. They don't get the exercise then they have problem behaviors, they have the problem behaviors then they get surrendered, so loose leash walking, whether it's for your competitive dogs or for your family companions is one of the most important skills, at least in my view anyways. Melissa Breau: And I think you hit on that, like that consistency point. It's so common to see somebody go into a class, trach loose leash walking, and then the moment they leave the room suddenly they forget everything that they have learned. Heather Lawson: Oh yeah. Yeah, and if I catch my students, my in person students coming up the walkway and the dog is dragging them up they know, they look at me and they immediately turn right around and go down to the back, and they do their leash walking all the way up, so now it's actually a running joke in class, is that oh, she caught us. Uh-oh we've got to go back, and now they've almost…almost every single person who's been there by about week three they all know that they've got to practice their skills coming and going because that's the whole point of it, right. You've got to practice it 24/7 in order for it to stick, and if you don't then it's not going to happen and you're giving the dog an inconsistent message, and dogs don't work in grey they work a little bit better in black and white. Melissa Breau: And I think that kind of leads really well into the next thing I wanted to talk about, which is this idea of the dogs being able to go out and about with you and do things. So I know you also teach the Hounds About Town class, which I'm assuming kind of touches on that a little bit. What are the actual skills that you teach in that class, and how do you approach it? Heather Lawson: Okay. With the Hound About Town, again, we teach loose leash walking, not as in depth as in the Loose Leash Walking Walkers Anonymous, but we teach some loose leash walking. We teach leave it, okay. We don't need hoovers because there's so much garbage, and things like that, and bad things that the dogs could pick up, as well as we don't need them going after that little child in the stroller that's coming towards them with that ice cream cone that's right at their level, so a good leave it comes in handy. Many of the dogs live in condominiums now, so we teach elevator etiquette, which also transfers nicely into riding on transit for those people who are lucky enough to travel on transit. We work on chill and settle on the mat, a little bit of recalls, grooming and touch for the veterinary care, door manners, and some of the other things that we do is we consider etiquette for when you are traveling and staying in hotels, or staying in other locations, and how to manage your dog in busy situations, just the basics, what would you do in your everyday life when you're out and how to make it easier to take your dog with you more places. The other thing that we do is we also encourage people to take their dogs more places, don't just leave them at home all the time, of course weather permitting, because it's good social interaction for our dogs. They don't necessarily have to be always just going to the dog park. They need to be with you and be out and about, and part of the community, and the better behaved animals we have in the community the more access we're going to have for them, and that's the key thing. People say that there isn't that much access for animals, but that's because there's been perhaps maybe some inconvenient encounters that haven't gone so well because the dogs haven't been well-trained. Also too, all of the things that we cover in here can be applied to the…I think in your end of the woods it says CGC, which is the Canine Good Citizen. In our area it's Canine Good Neighbor and then you also have…then there are other levels. The urban K9 title as well. If you were to go through the Hound About Town you would be able to go and take your test and get your certificate, so it's just another way to promote responsible dog ownership, right. Getting them out, getting them trained, and getting them part of the family. Melissa Breau: Now, you didn't touch on two of the things that stood out to me when I was looking at the syllabus, which were the Do Nothing training, and Coffee Anyone, so what are those and obviously how do you address them in class? Heather Lawson: Yeah. I always get kind of weird sideways looks when I talk about do nothing training, because it's kind of like…people say, ‘What do you mean do nothing training,' and I say well, how often do you just work on having your dog do nothing, and everybody looks at me, well, you don't work on having the dog do nothing, and I say oh yeah, you do. That's what we call settle on the mat, chill, learn how to not bug me every time I sit down at the computer to do some work, not bark at me every time I stop to chat with the neighbor, stop pulling me in all different ways, so it's kind of like just do nothing, because if you think about it the first maybe six months of your dog's life it's all about the dog and the puppy. Then when they get to look a little bit more adult all of a sudden they're no longer the center of attention, but because they've been the center of attention for that first eight weeks to six months, and there's been all this excitement whenever they're out and people stop, and you chat or you do anything it's very hard for the dog all of a sudden now to have this cut off and just not be acknowledged, and this is where you then get the demand barking, or the jumping on the owner, or the jumping on other people to get that attention, whereas if you teach that right in the very beginning, okay, and teach your puppies how to settle, whether it be in an x pen, or in a crate, or even on a mat beside you while you're watching your favorite TV show. If you teach them to settle, and how to turn it off then you're going to not have that much of a problem going forward as they get older. The other thing too is that by teaching the dogs all of these different things that we want to teach them that's great, and that's fabulous, and we should be doing that, but most dogs aren't active 100 percent of the time, they're active maybe 10 percent of the time. The other 90 percent they're chilling out, they're sleeping, they're…while their owners are away working if they're not luck enough to be taken out for a daily hike then they've got to learn how to turn it off, and if we can teach them that in the early stages you don't end up with severe behavior problems going forward and I've done that with all of my puppies, and my favorite place to train the do nothing training is actually in the bathroom. What I do with that is my puppies, they get out first thing in the morning, they go their potty, they come back in, we get a chewy or a bully stick, or a Kong filled with food, and puppy goes into the bathroom with me and there's a mat, they get to lay down on the mat and that's when I get to take my shower, and all of my dogs, even to this day, even my 11-year-old, if I'm showering and the door's open they come in and they go right to their mat and they go to sleep, and they wait for me, and that's that do nothing training right, and that actually even follows into loose leash walking. If you take that do nothing training how often are you out in your loose leash walking and you stop and chat to the neighbor or you stop and you are window shopping or anything else that you when you're out and about. If your dog won't even connect with you at the end of the line then just…they won't even pay attention to you while you're standing there, or they create a fuss then the chances of you getting successful loose leash walking going forward is going to be fairly slim, okay.   The other thing that you mentioned was the coffee shop training, and that is nowadays people go and they meet at the coffee shop or they go for lunch and more and more people are able to take their dogs to lunch, providing they sit out on a patio, and on the occasion where the dog is allowed to stay close to you we teach the dogs to either go under the table and chill or go and lay beside the chair and chill, and teach them how to lay there, switch off, watch the world go by. Even if the waiter comes up you just chill out and just relax and that allows the dog, again because they've got good manners, to be welcomed even more places. Melissa Breau: Right. It makes it so that you feel comfortable taking them with you to lunch or out. Heather Lawson: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. There's lots of places that dogs can go providing, and they're welcome, providing they do have those good manners, and if we can keep those good manners going then regardless of whether or not your dog sports or not it just opens up the avenues for so much more of us to do…more things to do with our dogs. Melissa Breau: I know the Match to Sample class is new, so I wanted to make sure we talk about that too. For those not familiar with the concept I have to admit I wasn't initially and then you kind of explained it, I think, on one of the Facebook lists, so for those who don't know what it is can you kind of explain what that means, Match to Sample? Heather Lawson: The Match to Sample is a type of concept training, so concept think of it as the concept of mathematics. For us we know that if you add one and one you get two. We're thinking you can conceptually see that if somebody asks me for this I can also get that, or we have the idea of big versus small. There's whole different types of varieties of concepts, but match to sample in this particular case is a visual match to sample, so this is where the dog learns to look at an item that the trainer is holding and then find the object on a table that matches the one that the trainer is holding. It sounds a little complicated but it's not really, because of the different things that we…the stages that we go through in order to get them there, so for instance I might hold up a Kong and I might have a Kong, and I might have maybe a treat bag, and I might have a cone, and I might have a ball all in a row in front of me, so I hold up my Kong and I say, ‘Match it,' and the dog looks at that Kong and then has to pick the right item out of that line of items on that table. I'm not saying get the Kong or get the toy, I'm just saying match it. Once they've learned on things they know then we start introducing things that they maybe have never seen before, or they don't normally interact with, and so we teach them that whatever I'm holding look at it and then figure out which one best matches that item and pick it out for me, either by a retrieve, or a nose touch, or targeting it, and it's…actually if you think about it, it's kind of the same thing that they use with nose work, that's a match to sample. Here's this sample, this smell. Now go find it for me. It's sort of what they use with search and rescue. Here's the smell of the person, I need you to find this person. Now go out into the world and match that smell to what I just gave you, and the concept training is neat because it uses most of what we teach our dogs, like shaping. It uses targeting. It uses problem solving and creativity on the dogs' part and it also utilizes behavior change, so it's kind of a fun different thing to do with the dogs and it allows you to really expand and take your thinking past what the dog…you ever thought, maybe, the dog could learn. Even with you're doing a match to sample with a nose in cancer. I'm sure you've heard of them matching cancer cells to see whether or not an individual has cancer cells. It's all match to sample, it's that concept training, right. There are other types of other concepts, which are things such as adduction, where we take one behavior, add it to another behavior and you end up with a third behaviors. That's called adduction, so it's one plus one equals three. It doesn't make sense but it's what it is, so it's one behavior, another behavior, and you make a third behavior, that's where the one plus one equals three comes from. There's actually counting that the dogs are…has been out there now. I think Ken Ramirez is doing counting with dogs. Also learning about mimicry, which is Julie Flannery's class at FDFA, can the dogs copy what you actually do. It's really kind of mind bending and that's what is really interesting me right now, and that's what I'm doing with my youngest dog Piper. I'm teaching her the match to sample as well as we're going to work on…to see whether or not she actually can read, if you will, and I've got flashcards, and so I'm teaching her what this word means and teaching her to see whether or not she can put the two together. You can teach the concepts of big and small, up or down, go back, go forward. It's just really cool stuff. Melissa Breau: That sounds really neat. It sounds like it's a very different, I guess, way of teaching your dog to look at the world, and I'd imagine at least the Match to Sample class would be a really…it would be a good skill to use a dogs' brain, especially if they're on medical for something, they could still do some of that stuff. Stuff like that. It would be just a great training tool to have in your kit. Heather Lawson: Yes, you absolutely hit it on the mark. It's a really good tool because it doesn't require a whole lot of activity, but you do have to have the basics in place. It's not something that you would normally do with a dog that is maybe…doesn't have any idea on shaping, or targeting or playing creative games. It does require a little bit of basics, but it's definitely a great tool for the dog that maybe is not just on medical rest but maybe can't interact with a lot of other dogs, right. Maybe they for some reason…they just need a brain teaser that's going to keep them from going stir crazy, because the more the brain is worked, it's a balance right. Everybody thinks the dogs need exercise, but at the same time they need to have that little brain tingled a little bit, and if you don't balance that off then you get a dog that kind of goes stir crazy, and again, it harkens back to not being able to shut off when needed, right, so it definitely is because it's…you train all different kinds of new behaviors and it's just another thing to draw on that trainers toolbox, if you will, to sort of expand and see just what your dog can do. We often forget and we start to label our dogs as they can only do this, right. I think they can do way more than we give them credit for, and that's what kind of tweaks my interest a little bit, aside from the competitive obedience stuff that I do with them as well. Melissa Breau: I do want to talk for just a second more about that, about the idea of how maybe somebody could use those skills to teak some of the other things that they might want to teach. We talked a little bit about how you could teach it as a brain teaser, and as concepts. You mentioned nose work a little bit in there and kind of this idea of teaching a bigger picture. Are there other ways that that skill can be used and other behaviors that you can use those skills in, is it about communication? Heather Lawson: It's about communication, so say for instance if we harken back to, say, search and rescue. The dog has to make sometimes independent because they're out searching and they've been sent out, and they're searching, and they're going back and they're searching and what are they supposed to do. I've found the person, do I stick with the person, do I come back, so that training aspect of it is that they come back, they tell you that they're there and then they go back to that person that's lost. I guess you could sort of put it down to it teaches your dogs to be creative. Now I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I've had a situation with my own dog when I was competing a number of years ago where I threw the dumbbell and it went outside the ring but there was access for her to go around a gate and get it and then come back, and rather than stick her head through and get caught at it, she looked at it, she looked down either side of it and then she backed up and went around got the dumbbell and came back and completed her exercise, so had I just taught it in basic format, go out, get it, come back, whatever, and I hadn't taught her how to be creative we might've failed that whole class, but she did it. She started to think on her own, and that's what I appreciate in the dogs is that they can figure it out, they can problem solve and I don't think that we really truly understand just how much problem solving ability that our dogs really do have, and I'm constantly amazed at how they develop that problem solving, and we sometimes forget because we're teaching them all of these specific behaviors that we want them to do and we don't let them sometimes expand on those, and I think that is the role it plays for me in my larger training toolbox, is it allows me to just sit back and say okay, so what if we did this? Can you do that, and the dog goes, yeah, sure I can do that and then you're off on a different tangent, so it does definitely take your training in different ways, but it also really expands your training and your appreciation for the dog and their capabilities. Melissa Breau: So it sounds like there are kind of two pieces there, right, to kind of distill that down a little bit. There's the idea of helping your dog be the best they can be, in terms of as smart they can be, as capable as they can be, and then there's this piece about teaching them how to be creative problem solvers, which I'd assume also makes things like proofing and fluency much easier. Heather Lawson: Yeah, exactly because they grasp the concepts much quicker, and I know for…this isn't really on the match to sample side of it, but if you consider, say, the…I taught her the chin rest, okay, and it's one of the nest things I ever taught this dog because the chin rest taught her how to be just still, and that stillness transferred into my dumbbell, it transferred into her being examined by a judge in the confirmation ring, and it transferred into her stays, so just that simple thing of a chin rest with duration, or even a duration of the nose touch transferred in and taught her the concept of holding still and waiting until she was released, and it was such an easy transfer of that one single skill of holding skill went to so many different other behaviors, and I'd never taught it that way before, but I'm so glad I did with Piper because it just sort of went oh, that transfers into all kinds of things, and it really made me go you really get this, and so there's a concept there but in a different way than the match to sample, so it's what are we teaching them?It's not just a sit there and hold that position until I tell you otherwise it's just the concept of can you transfer this, oh you understand it, so that's why I like the concept training, such as the adduction, the mimicry, the copy behaviors, the match to sample. All of those things are really kind of mind benders. Melissa Breau: I wanted to wrap things up by asking you the three questions that I usually ask at the end of the podcast. Heather Lawson: Okay. Melissa Breau: The first one is what is the dog related accomplishment that you are proudest of? Heather Lawson: The biggest and best accomplishment was with my dog Micha, who's long gone, but she was a dog, German Shepherd, that had a few demons inside, just that she was very sensitive and very aware of sound, and so she was a little concerned when things…even the crack of a bat at a baseball game, or tennis, or things like that, loud speakers God help us, was an issue, and she was also sometimes concerned about people as well. She was a friendly dog, there's nothing in that issue, but everybody told me you'll never get this dog in the ring. You'll never be able to compete with her, and I sat down one day and I was really kind of in tears and I said okay, this isn't working. What are we going to do? How can I help you through this, and the moment I switched that in myself we just were away to the races. It wasn't about getting her to do it, it was how can I help her through it, and I ended up taking her Top 10 Obedience Dogs in Canada twice, two years straight, and she ended up being the top obedience driven Shepard in Canada five years straight. It was nice to be able to do that but at the same time it was, I guess, just sort of really in my heart that wow, when you don't give up and you don't listen to everybody and you just listen to the dog amazing things can happen, and I think that's my proudest accomplishment, I guess, is working with Micha. She taught me so very much and I really appreciate her allowing me the gift of making all my mistakes with her, but we ended up on a high and I'll never forget that dog ever, but that's my proudest accomplishment so far. Melissa Breau: I think that's a pretty good one. Heather Lawson: Yeah. Melissa Breau: All right, so my next question is what is the best piece of training advice that you've ever heard? Heather Lawson: Oh geez, there's been so many different pieces. I guess the best is work with your dog, be a team, and don't label your dog because you'll limit their abilities. So you know how people will sometimes oh, it's the breed. They just do that because they do that? I never try to label or limit what my dogs can do. I always assume that they're going to rise to the occasion, that they're going to do the best that they can, and I think that's probably been the best advice because it's taken me into different types of sports that I might not have ventured into with my dogs. One of my dogs I did nose work with, that was her thing, so if I had labeled her and said no, you're going to do this, you're not going to do that it might not have been the best thing for her but because I let her lead me where she wanted to go and I took what she had to give me we had loads of fun doing nose work and I learned new sport, so I always think of that as work with your dog and be a team, and then don't label your dog because you'll limit them and yourself. Melissa Breau: My last question. You're in a great position because I know you mentioned Sue earlier and you've been good friends with the Fenzi crew for a while now, I know you're pretty involved, so who is someone else in the dog world that you look up to? Heather Lawson: Somebody else in the dog world. Well, I'm not going to name names because I think…but what I find is that there's no one specific individual. What I have done is I've been able to meet many different people, many fabulous trainers that I just go wow. Now that's interesting, and that's…what I do is I pick up all the little tidbits from all of these different trainers and I think that's what's the most important thing, because I don't want to get caught up in a recipe because there is no recipe. I could name different kinds of people but I think it's better to say that I just pick up all the little tidbits along the way that pertain to me and my dogs at that particular time, and that way…and what works for me, because not one single dog trainer will have everything that I'm going to need, and so if I keep my mind open I'm going to get those little tidbits that's going to make me and my dog better. Melissa Breau: All right. Well, thank you, so much, for coming on the podcast, Heather. Heather Lawson: You're more than welcome. This was fun, a little bit nervous, but fun, exciting. I could talk dogs for hours. Melissa Breau: Hey, me too. Heather Lawson: I've had fun doing this. This was very enjoyable. Thanks for asking me on. Melissa Breau: Thanks so much for coming on the podcast Heather -- and thanks to our listeners for tuning in. We'll be back next week with Nancy Tucker to discuss greetings, separation anxiety, and behavior modification techniques that work for both parts of the human-canine team. If you haven't already, subscribe to our podcast in iTunes or the podcast app of your choice to have our next episode automatically downloaded to your phone as soon as it becomes available. CREDITS: Today's show is brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Special thanks to Denise Fenzi for supporting this podcast. Music provided royalty-free by BenSound.com; the track featured here is called “Buddy.” Audio editing provided by Chris Lang and transcription written by CLK Transcription Services.

Sarah Wingfield is owner of No Stress Pet Sitting in the Gainesville, Florida area. She and her husband JD started their service in 2013. Sarah shares her journey of starting a pet sitting service along with the ups and downs of running your own business. She also shares some animal stories, including her own dog, Campbell, and a surprise visit with a five foot python. If you want to learn more about Sarah Wingfield and No Stress Pet Sitting, and see some terrific photos of Sarah and JD’s family of animals, go to our show notes at http://thisispawprint.com/64 Website http://www.nostresspetsitting.com/home.html Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NoStressPetSitting/?fref=ts Twitter https://twitter.com/nostresspetsit Gainesville Pet Rescue http://www.gainesvillepetrescue.org Plenty of Pit Bulls http://popb.org DONATEto Plenty of Pit Bulls http://popb.org/donate/ American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen  http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/canine-good-citizen/ ResQwalk app - a tracking app that records the distance you walk and donates money to local shelters. Currently Sarah’s preferred dog walking app. http://resqwalk.com Helpful hint from Sarah. When using a pet sitting service, it’s always best to disclose all your pets, in case one of them goes missing. Look out for future announcements for our Pit Bull series!! Initial episode should be released on Thursday, August 25. If you want to join our animal rescue community and receive two free bonus dog-training resources from Irith Bloom, positive reinforcement dog trainer, go to http://thisispawprint.com/ask. Irith can be found at http://www.thesophisticateddog.com/ All of Pawprint's music is composed by Luke Gartner-Brereton. Luke is a musician based in Australia, and he composes a wide variety of songs and musical loops http://vanillagroovestudios.com http://soundcloud.com/luke-gartnerbrereton If you want to learn more about Nancy and Harold, go to our About Us page at http://thisispawprint.com/about or listen to our introductory podcast episode, "Fifty Puppies and a Podcast." http://thisispawprint.com/000 Pawprint (or Paw Print) is a weekly podcast dedicated to animal rescue, adoption, and the heroes who make it happen. Volunteer, walk, adopt, or foster a dog, cat, rabbit, or other wonderful pet through your local shelter, humane society, SPCA, pound, and animal control. Stop abuse, and help increase animal protection, welfare, and rights. http://thisispawprint.com http://animalrescuepodcast.com

Barbara Brady-Smith shares about her two therapy dogs, Julie and Jack, and the positive impact they have on a wide range of people - from young children to people in hospice care, near the end of their lives.   Barbara is an award-winning animal photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area with her business, Share the Joy Photography. She has photographed dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and snakes! In our first interview (episode 29), Barbara shares awesome tips for great pet photos and some of her favorite moments behind the camera.   Jill and Jack are her two Golden Retrievers. Sunny was her first Golden Retriever.   Share the Joy Photography is Barbara's pet photography service http://sharethejoyphotography.com/ Share the Joy’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Sharethejoyphotography/?fref=ts Barbara teaches photography classes! http://sharethejoyphotography.com/for-photographers/ Canine Good Citizen (CGC) http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/canine-good-citizen/   The Ten Test Items for Canine Good Citizen  http://www.akc.org/cgc-pledge/ Accepting a Friendly Stranger Sitting Politely for Petting Appearance and Grooming Out for a Walk (Walking On a Loose Lead) Walking Through a Crowd Sit and Down on Command and Staying in Place Coming When Called Reaction to Another Dog Reaction to Distraction Supervised Separation   Some Therapy Dog organizations http://www.akc.org/events/title-recognition-program/therapy/organizations/   Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) Pet Hug Pack in Walnut Creek, California is the organization Barbara belongs to. Patricia Mills is Barbara's contact https://www.arflife.org/pet-hug-pack   Hospice of the East Bay Pet Pals http://www.hospiceeastbay.org/volunteers/patient-volunteers/pet-pal-volunteers/76-pet-pals   Hospice of the East Bay Bridge Program https://www.hospiceeastbay.org/services/grief-support/bridge-program   All of Pawprint's music is composed by Luke Gartner-Brereton. Luke is a musician based in Australia, and he composes a wide variety of songs and musical loops http://vanillagroovestudios.com http://soundcloud.com/luke-gartnerbrereton If you want to learn more about Nancy and Harold, go to our About Us page at thisispawprint.com/about or listen to our introductory podcast episode, "Fifty Puppies and a Podcast." http://thisispawprint.com/000 Pawprint (or Paw Print) is a weekly podcast dedicated to animal rescue, adoption, and the heroes who make it happen. Volunteer, adopt, or foster a dog, cat, rabbit, or other wonderful pet through your local shelter, humane society, SPCA, pound, and animal control. Help increase protection, welfare, and rights.  http://thisispawprint.com http://animalrescuepodcast.com

My dog can only handle one stressful trigger at a time, when we hit 2 my dog begins to lose it and at 3 triggers my dog falls apart? What is Trigger Stacking?  How can I help my dog behave when faced with multiple stress triggers with ease? How can I behave when my dog is faced with multiple stress triggers?  Ana Melara, CPDT-KA Ana has been working with dogs and their families for almost 2 decades, originally in NYC and for more than 13 years here in Colorado. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and member of the (APDT) Association of Pet Dog Trainers and a member of (IAABC) International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. She keeps herself current by attending various workshops, seminars and conferences. Her training techniques are founded on praise-based, dog-friendly methods, and a fundamental belief that, as their guardians, we are responsible for their well-being and training. Whether she is teaching basic manners, agility, puppy socialization, potty training or addressing a dog’s aggression issues, Ana stresses to all of her human clients the profound importance that their gentle leadership plays in their dog’s training. Ana also donates her time and services to various rescue organizations in the Denver Metro Area. • Contact Phone Number: 303-238-DOGS(3647) • Contact Email: info@trainingwithgrace.com • Website: www.TrainingWithGrace.com Empowering people to know what they know about their animals. Dr. Andi works with the energy/force/information in animals bodies to allow for magical changes that are possible for each one.  This information allows owners to make different choices about the care of their animals from puppy classes to yearly vaccinations and to senior care and beyond.   What if their is a time and a place for every kind of treatment from homeopathy to energy work  to surgical intervention to traditional medicine to diet changes? With the current shift in how we view animals in our lives, often being our children, have you noticed that the information has become overwhelming as to what a parent should do….what if the “should” could go away, and we could function from what will work for each animal and the family they live with. Join Dr. Andi each week for more magical possibilities for you and your animals. www.HarpersRidge.com DrAndi@HarpersRidge.com 303-518-3688

What is positive-based dog training? What does that look like? What is a balanced approach dog training? What other dog training techniques are out their? Which technique is going to work the best for my dog, my family, my life and living? Ana Melara, CPDT-KA Ana has been working with dogs and their families for almost 2 decades, originally in NYC and for more than 13 years here in Colorado. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and member of the (APDT) Association of Pet Dog Trainers and a member of (IAABC) International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. She keeps herself current by attending various workshops, seminars and conferences. Her training techniques are founded on praise-based, dog-friendly methods, and a fundamental belief that, as their guardians, we are responsible for their well-being and training. Whether she is teaching basic manners, agility, puppy socialization, potty training or addressing a dog’s aggression issues, Ana stresses to all of her human clients the profound importance that their gentle leadership plays in their dog’s training. Ana also donates her time and services to various rescue organizations in the Denver Metro Area. Ana can be reached by sending her a note, emailing Ana@TrainingWithGrace.com, or calling 303-238-DOGS(3647). You can also visit her website atwww.TrainingWIthGrace.com.

Ahhhh Pit Bulls. No dog breed turns more heads, causes more controversy, invokes m0re emotion and is more misunderstood than the Pit Bull. If you’ve never had a real experience with a Pit, you may be one of the many people out there who don’t understand them and even fear them. While those of us who share our lives with them know the true nature of this beautiful breed. Pit Bulls are pretty much like every other breed, yet nothing like any other dog. They are built like tanks but are loving and eager to please. Because of the negative public perception, having a Pit Bull comes with a greater responsibility to show the world how awesome they can be. And the way to do that is to train them well. In this episode I’ll go over how to train your Pit Bull to be a good, shining example of the breed so that you can enjoy a happy life with your dog and help change the public perception. In this episode you’ll learn Common myths and the actual reality of Pit Bulls What you NEED to do if you have a Pit puppy What special training Pit Bulls need How to deal with a dog reactive Pit Bull An easy way to make everyone love your Pit Bull Links My Youtbue Channel 2008 study on dog aggresion by the Applied Animal Behavior Science  My podcast with author Jim Gorant My blog post on pulling on leash Canine Good Citizen test requirements My podcast on leash reactivity Front attaching harness

Lisa Peterson, Director of Club Communications for the AKC comes to party and talk about breed bans and why they don't work and how the Canine Good Citizen program can solve the public safety problem much better. Plus Lisa tells you how you and your mutt or purebred dog can have a blast at AKC events; every dog has a sport they love from digging and tracking to obstacle racing or duck retrieving and the list goes on. Check out www.akc.org and let the dog games begin! Did you know a Rottweiler has double the jaw strength compared to a Doberman? Deborah adds facts about this hot ‘bad to the bone' bad dog issue with party conversation that bites! Future Show: Send in photos of pets you would like ‘read' by Tim Link, author of ‘Wagging Tales' who reads pets thoughts and feelings and tells their stories. The photo must be well lit with both the pet's eyes shown well for it to be chosen. Please send to deborah@petliferadio.com with the subject heading PET READING. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -Pitbulls, & Rotties & Dobies Oh My with Deborah Wolfe

Have you heard about the AKC's new program for puppies? It is like a pre-Canine Good Citizen program for puppies and looks like it will be an exciting opportunity for both trainers and puppy owners. In this podcast, Petra, Kate and I talk about the program and what the 20 exercises are that puppies must pass to graduate from the program. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -The New AKC STAR Puppy Program with Liz Palika on PetLifeRadio.com

www.DogCastRadio.comTop Bichon Frise breeder Matthew Culmore talks about settling a new puppy in to your home. Many national Kennel Clubs around the world offer dogs and owners the chance to participate in the Canine Good Citizen Scheme. Buddy and host Julie have passed the Bronze and Silver levels, and are currently working on their Gold Award. Julie talks to trainer Jill Arnold from Paws 4 Thought Dog Training about what the scheme involves. Buddy has been watching his people, and frankly they have been up to some strange behaviour recently. What makes birthdays so good? Why do they smear smelly stuff from tins onto the walls? Above all, what on earth is in that big glass box? All will be revealed in Buddy's Diary.

www.DogCastRadio.comTop Bichon Frise breeder Matthew Culmore talks about settling a new puppy in to your home. Many national Kennel Clubs around the world offer dogs and owners the chance to participate in the Canine Good Citizen Scheme. Buddy and host Julie have passed the Bronze and Silver levels, and are currently working on their Gold Award. Julie talks to trainer Jill Arnold from Paws 4 Thought Dog Training about what the scheme involves. Buddy has been watching his people, and frankly they have been up to some strange behaviour recently. What makes birthdays so good? Why do they smear smelly stuff from tins onto the walls? Above all, what on earth is in that big glass box? All will be revealed in Buddy's Diary.

The American Kennel Club introduced the Canine Good Citizen program in 1989 and it has taken off. This is for all dogs - not just purebreds - and should be a goal for all dog owners. Listen to the show and find out all about it. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Program, with Liz Palika on PetLifeRadio.com