Talk Sh*t, Get Bit

Send us Fan Mail Your dog doesn’t need to “act scared” for stress to be real. Sometimes it shows up as lip licking, yawning, panting, sniffing, looking away, refusing treats, or that sudden moment where your dog seems distracted and checked out. Michael Parker and Chris break down what avoidance behaviors actually look like, why they get misread, and how fast they can slide into reactivity, fleein...

Send us Fan Mail You can buy every leash, collar, and gadget on the internet and still feel like your dog “isn’t listening.” We get into the uncomfortable truth: most problems people blame on stubborn dogs are really problems of poor fit, bad timing, and tools being used as shortcuts instead of communication. We walk through the training tools owners ask about the most, starting with flat collars...

Send us Fan Mail Your dog isn’t trying to “test you” the way people think. Most of the time, your dog is trying to solve a simple puzzle: what works today? When the answer changes from moment to moment, you don’t get a calmer dog, you get confusion and conflict. We dig into why consistency is the backbone of dog training, from everyday pet manners to high drive working dogs that need clear directi...

Send us Fan Mail Your dog can’t say “I’m overheating” or “I’m done” and that’s why summer is so dangerous for even the most “normal” family pet. We break down dog overexertion and heat-related injuries the way handlers actually experience them: the first subtle changes in breathing, the difference between content panting and exhausted panting, and the early red flags that mean you stop right now i...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever said “my dog knows better,” we’re going to challenge that with a hard truth: dogs don’t follow your intentions, they follow your patterns. Michael and Chris break down why consistency is the real foundation of dog training, and how small exceptions like “it’s fine when he jumps on me” quickly turn into confusion, conflict, and behavior that feels out of control. We...

Send us Fan Mail Reactivity looks loud, but the real story is usually quiet: fear, uncertainty, confusion, and a dog that learned the world only listens when it explodes. We sit down and get specific about what “reactive” actually means, why “aggression” is often misread, and how a dog can seem confident next to its handler while secretly falling apart underneath. If your dog barks at strangers, l...

Send us Fan Mail A protection dog can be your strongest deterrent or your biggest liability, and the difference usually comes down to training maintenance and decision-making. We get specific about what separates sport dogs from real-world protection dogs and apprehension canines, including the hidden problems that show up when you try to “convert” a PSA or IGP dog. If your dog has been rehearsing...

Send us Fan Mail You can train a dog to find an odor in a controlled space, but search work is a different beast. We’re joined by Amanda Ballard of Co-Operation Canine in New Mexico, a trainer with deep experience in search and rescue K9 work and human remains detection. We get into why SAR K9 teams face a huge range of variables across desert, buildings, vehicles, and loud unpredictable environme...

Send us Fan Mail A trained dog can change the shape of a day—and sometimes it saves a life. We sit down with Joe Gionti from K9 Heroes for Heroes to explore how service dogs help veterans and first responders regain freedom, confidence, and control in places that once felt impossible: gun ranges, grocery aisles, airports, and crowded events. We go past the highlight reel into the work it takes to...

Send us Fan Mail Think a strong pedigree guarantees a stellar working dog? We put that myth on the table and carve it open. We talk candidly about what breeding actually predicts—drives like hunt, prey, play—and what training sculpts over time, from environmental stability to social confidence. You’ll hear the exact field tests we use to separate true nerve from fragile reactivity: slick floors, t...

Send us Fan Mail A Marine-turned-horseman who found his calling in dogs. An Army combat vet who rebuilt his life through service, detection, and patrol work. We kick off our weekly show with raw stories of loss, sobriety, and the quiet power of training that gives chaos a voice and purpose a path. This is a candid look at why we do the work, how we do it, and what it costs when the stakes are real...