Dog Talk by Happy Dog Training

Podcast Episode 33: When Dogs Attack In this episode, we discuss dog attacks. We review the risks and frequency of dog attacks on people nationwide. Taking precautions to avoid unnecessary risks and several self-defense options with a good chance of working. Not a day goes by without dogs seriously injuring and, in many cases killing people somewhere in the United States. These stories make the lo...

If you wonder how to rescue a dog, we have tips for you! Sadly, millions of dogs live in animal shelters across the nation. So when you are ready to add a new member to the family, animal shelters are a great place to find a wonderful companion. You don't have to go to a breeder to get a good dog. Of course, there is nothing wrong with purpose-breeding. It is essential to maintain dog breed and he...

In this episode, I speak with certified, professional canine nutritionist Kay Stewart about the importance of canine nutrition. We should feed our dogs to thrive, not just survive. We discuss the importance of healthy food, limits of veterinary knowledge around nutrition, health improvements from raw feeding, how food can help lower veterinary costs during your dog's life, increased dog longevity...

In this episode, we discuss separation anxiety in dogs. Every dog finds forced isolation unpleasant. No dog enjoys you going to work and leaving them alone for eight to ten hours a day. Dogs are social creatures. While dogs sleep a lot and do need their alone time, most of the time, they would rather be with you than away from you. Some dogs just handle this separation better than others. However,...

In this episode, we discuss the importance of motivation in dog training. Motivation is the most important aspect when training any dog and, sadly, the most neglected. In the sports dog world, the importance of creating the right motivation is understood and used well, but it is ignored in many other areas of dog training. We discuss the two different types of motivation that matter. The motivatio...

In this episode, we discuss emotions in dogs. We explore the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions in all mammals. I briefly overview the Blue-Ribbon emotions and how and why this matters when working with dogs. The information in this episode is largely based on Affective Neuroscience by Jaak Panksepp. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional content and a list of epi...

In this episode, we discuss how the industry of dog training is failing dog owners. Too much ideology gets in the way of helping people live more harmoniously with their dogs. We touch on the current state of affairs, the problems this creates for dog owners, training tool bans, and where all of this can lead. We'll close with a domestic example of where we are heading and some international examp...

In this episode, we discuss if you should train your dog. This may seem like a silly question at first, but it's actually not. If your dog has behavioral issues, yes, hire a trainer. If you have specific requirements for camping, off-leash hiking, wanting to participate in a dog sport, or joining a therapy dog team, you should hire a trainer. But what if your dog is a nice boy or girl, doesn't hav...

In this episode, we discuss dog walking. Dogs love walking, but they naturally would travel up to twenty miles daily if left to their own devices, while humans cover ten miles at best. Dogs naturally travel about four miles an hour, and humans about two miles an hour. People feel a social connection at maybe six to eight feet apart, but dogs still feel connected at 50-100 yards apart. The only dis...

This episode discusses the risks and benefits of spaying and neutering dogs. Studies have shown that we need to make some changes. It is often advocated to sterilize dogs to protect them from cancer. However, it turns out the opposite is true. A study published at UC Davis in 2013, titled Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers found tha...

In this episode, we discuss eleven dog myths that keep persisting despite them being false. This includes dog myths around veterinary procedures, food, training, play, emotions, intelligence, and more. Myth: Don't take your dog for walks before its shots are complete. Myth: Feeding raw food is dangerous. Myth: Letting your dog win during tug-of-war will make it more aggressive. Myth: Don't let you...

In this episode, we discuss why clarity matters for dogs. Clarity matters in communicating with your dog, training your dog, and living with your dog harmoniously. Family dogs do best when they understand how everything in the home functions, how each family member interacts with them, and what each family member accepts and doesn’t accept in their interactions. Not much enrages the temperaments o...

In this episode, we discuss leash aggression in dogs. Most dog owners use this term if their dog loses their mind at other dogs, people, cars, bikes, or whatever, when on a leash. Off-leash the dog may even be fine. Just on a leash, it acts like a lunatic. And there is, of course, the close relative of this term, leash-reactivity. Both are used interchangeably, so to explain this behavior, I will...

In this episode, we discuss dog misbehavior. That generally means any behavior by your dog you don't care for. But much of what is called dog misbehavior is rooted in genetic frustration. Most misbehavior is not that but simply a normal—and perfectly fine—behavior expressed in an inappropriate context. If a frustrated herding dog that lives in a backyard and gets a walk here and there...

In this episode, we discuss food aggression in dogs. When I was a less experienced trainer, I thought this was an issue of poor pack hierarchy in the home. I know many dog trainers continue to believe this. Today I know better. I wasn’t completely wrong back then; my knowledge was just incomplete. Food aggression in dogs can certainly be a rank issue, but most of the time, it isn’t. We generally d...

In this episode, we'll discuss the concept of punishment. This is the follow-up promised in episode nine about reinforcement. But, while reinforcement is about creating behaviors, punishment is about controlling and stopping behaviors. Punishment hardly sounds good and evokes all kinds of emotions. Instead of piling on, we keep it factual to clear up misconceptions. Understand how punishment is in...

In this episode, we discuss veterinary care. Understand what to look for from veterinarians and how to manage and prepare for emergency veterinary expenses. Learn how pet insurance and services like Care Credit can help you when you need it the most. We also discuss different types of veterinarians, including holistic vets and board-certified veterinarians. The differences for spay/neuter procedur...

In this episode, we discuss the flaws of many scientific dog studies. Instead of peer-reviewed, validated, solid scientific studies, we deal with far too many manipulated, unverifiable 'studies' that are meaningless at best and misleading or manipulated at worst. We discuss how science is supposed (and used) to work. Learn why studies based on surveys and questionnaires are mostly useless. Underst...

In this episode, we discuss what goes into creating reliability in dogs during training. We review the stages of learning: acquisition, fluency, generalization, discrimination, and maintenance. We review which aspects of learning science come into play during the process and how dog training tools factor into the equation. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional content and a list of episode...

In this episode, I discuss how we increase the confidence of dogs. We review the general principles and discuss the overall approach. We review realistic goals for a fearful dog and what limits we likely have to accept . This episode expands on episode 8, 'Fear and Anxiety in Dogs,' which focuses on explaining and understanding what your insecure or fearful dog is going through. Now we are adding...

In this episode, I discuss how we handle allergies with our personal dogs. We go over why an allergy test is the best way to get started and what other options to consider when addressing your dog's allergies with the help of your veterinarian. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional content and a list of episode references. Buy Ralf's book If Your Dog Could Talk - Understand Your Dog Like N...

In this episode, I share my thoughts on dog food. We go over how to evaluate commercial dog foods, kibble quality, special veterinary dog foods, and alternatives, Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in dogs, my journey of feeding dogs from kibble, to cooking, to raw feeding, and why raw feeding is safe. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional content and a li...

In this episode, we discuss canine consent. It is the idea that dogs are sentient beings who deserve agency in their lives. According to this concept, dogs should be allowed to make their own decisions and not made to do anything they don't want to. We explore if that makes sense, or is nonsense, or if it's a good idea taken too far. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional content and a list...

Every dog has a threshold at which it fails to perform. There is always a breaking point. That can mean distractions become too intense for a dog to follow obedience commands still. It can be that a fearful dog is getting too stressed and shuts down or blows up. It can be that an aggressive dog acts upon its triggers. When the stress is too high, the dog fails. Stress has multiple layers. For exam...

In this episode, we'll discuss reinforcement. There are many misconceptions on the internet, YouTube, etc., about reinforcement. Especially positive reinforcement is advocated as the singularly required approach for everything around dogs. Instead of adding to the opinion pile, I want to provide some context on the complexity of reinforcement and discuss some of the fundamentals that are often ign...