Cog-Dog Radio

Play has a powerful role in our dogs’ lives (and in ours). It is vital to all development, and it allows the mindbody to repair and restore in ways that rival sleep. So what the hell is it, and how can we make sure our dogs are doing it? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

Have you ever labeled a dog distracted after or during a session? Were you sure that the dog was just distracted, or might the dog have been uncomfortable? How would you know, and are there ways to respond in the two scenarios? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

What quadrant is this? Or even, “is this punishment?” can be worthwhile questions. Or they can be minimizing questions that fail to keep the full spectrum of relationships and emotions front of mind. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

Dog trainers are often tasked with helping dogs feel less afraid of things in their daily environments. This can be loud noises, it can be strangers, or it can even be slick floors or novel sights. The well known stimulus-stimulus pairing approach trainers call counter conditioning is not as effective as it has been made out to be, and this complex emotion requires more nuanced planning. Be sure t...

SAR K9 training, chronic pain, a follow up question about off leash skills, and more! Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

You taught your dog not to pull on leash, and mostly they are good about this rule. But occasionally they still do, so what gives? Why does this behavior have such a strong tendency to resurge and what should you do about it? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

If you find yourself asking “when do I actually get to train dogs?” in your role as a dog trainer, you are not alone. There is a place for Dog Training in the world of behavior, but it comes after welfare interventions. The best professionals are good at both, and the excellent ones know what to do, when. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www....

One of the biggest buzzwords in dogdom is “arousal.” Join Sarah and guest Megan Foster for this special crossover episode with the Fostering Excellence in Agility Podcast to discuss what arousal is, what behaviors are actually driven by it, and what to do if you believe your dog to be “wrongly” (or “over”) aroused. www.fxagility.com Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming....

If there is a quicker or easier way to get somewhere, why not take that route? So often in dog training we hold ourselves to an unnecessary standard. If the shortcut doesn’t require extra work, doesn’t cause anyone distress, and allows you to get the desired outcome faster, then take it! Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdog...

Dogs want to remain in attachment to us; so when they have a hard time participating in our sports or games sometimes training is the culprit but not always. What if the dogs we label “soft” are actually sick? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

A young dog that is chasing cars, how to shape a tighter radius on walks, a puppy who isn’t decompressing around other dogs, and more! Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

It is common for fear, anxiety, and a general lack of confidence to be confused in both the professional and guardian space. Understanding the difference between these three, and therefore how to treat them, is vital to addressing these welfare-threatening mindsets our dogs experience. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogra...

Did we throw useful stuff out with the dominance theory bathwater? A vital shift in dog behavior occurred when trainers and behavior consultants everywhere, from all walks, threw out the outdated and debunked theory that dogs are always striving to dominate us. But when we stopped thinking about dogs as living in packs with humans we also stopped talking about them as living in family units with h...

For the final four episodes of Cog Dog Radio in the year 2024 we are focusing on overlooked or misunderstood areas of healing in the world of dog behavior. Unsurprisingly these are concepts our society and culture could stand to better embrace. For the first in this series we will explore adult friendship, whether dogs need friends or not, and what it might mean to decide for them that they don’t....

We live in a fast-paced society and therefore, so do our dogs. As a consequence of selective breeding, training, and just plain captivity, our dogs do not access “calm” states well. We all need a little slow school from time to time. So take a deep breath, sit down, and listen to this one. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon....

The research is clear: being outside is good for us. And it is good for our dogs, too. When we know this to be true–with or without empirical data–why do we still find it so hard? Are there solutions to this? Is this actually worth doing? Isn’t a quick stroll around the block better than nothing? Vow in 2025 to go outside more with your dog; you will not regret it. Sign up for courses and join the...

Disordered eating is normalized in our society and it is normalized in our dogs, too. Dogs should want to eat. Their GI should function normally. These are not radical statements, and yet most dogs Sarah sees in her private behavior work have some kind of damaged relationship to food. Dig into why this happens and what we can do about it. Then eat, drink, and be merry yourself on this holiday. Sig...

There are essentially three ways to be with a dog in the human world. You can regiment them either physically or mentally, or they can be free. They want to be free, but the situation, the dog’s skills, the dog’s mental stability, and the human’s skills all need to be taken into account. When should we choose physical regimentation over mental or vice versa? When can they actually be free, and wha...

Have you heard the rule “never punish a growl”? Dog training has come a long way since the yank and crank days, but some of the adages birthed from the changing tides, like “never punish a growl,” deserve a deeper look. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

In the episode about border collies Sarah referenced the concept of the “mental prison.” In this episode she elaborates on that thought, on what dogs get trapped in prisons of their own making, and on ways to help them escape. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

In this crossover episode with the Functional Breeding Podcast Sarah and friend of the pod Dr Hekman discuss a recent paper revealing some interesting differences between the brains of herding dogs and “normal” dogs, particularly Sarah’s beloved border collies. The paper is "Genomic evidence for behavioral adaptation of herding dogs." and you can find it here: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1...

Border collies are special; they have a highly specialized mind and a supremely athletic body and both deserve care that matches the degree of their uniqueness. Whether you are thinking about adding a border collie to your life or already a border collie guardian, enjoy some food for thought regarding what it might mean to care for this exceptional breed of dog. Sign up for courses and join the me...

Behavior pros, is AI coming for your job? Yeah, kind of. Let’s get real about what’s wrong with this, and what is within our control. https://www.bestlifedogservices.com/ Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

A skill you need to help your dog navigate tough environments is vigilance that doesn’t come with heightened emotions on your part. You’ve got to watch out for potential dangers and challenges while also staying cool about it all; and that’s legitimately hard to do! The good news is, you can learn how. Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https:/...

Your first dog was fun, easy, and you had a lovely time in dog sports. But for your second you decided you wanted a faster model. You upgraded. Or, did you? Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogdogradio Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay