Dog Training DisrUPted

Does your dog run to the door when you pick up your car keys? Or run to the door with the sound of your partner's car pulling? Or jump off the couch when you click off the tv? These are triggers that create habits - good habits!  But what about habits our dogs have that are not what we perceive as "good" or "wanted".  These habits lead to unwanted behavior, but mainstream...

Welcome! Adopting a dog over the age of six months is rewarding and fun. When initially integrating dogs into a family, we can expect some challenges. As with humans, change in eating habits is a common reaction to stress caused by change in environment or physical ailments.  When physically healthy dogs who are adapting well to their new environment refuse to eat, it can be scary and a bit of a m...

Welcome! We all want the same for our dogs - to give them their best lives! But what happens if they are simply too scared, reactive, or incapable of enjoying activities with us?    This year has seen a big focus on canine anxiety, and some of the info out there can cause anxiety! So let's unpack what your options are, and how to determine if it is the right one for your dog, Is distraction a...

Welcome to  the final episode of 2021!  This episode was a challenge. So much happened in 2021 in relation to spreading awareness of Canine Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, making connections, collaborating, and learning about the industry. I decided to share, in brief,  the pitfalls of the industry, which, for those who listen other episodes, know all too well.  Through the closed doors I received f...

Welcome!   You are going to love this chat with Michael! Michael Overlie is a Canine-Partnered Coach, Energy Healer, and Author. Michael provides men with the tools to be not only a great dog-dad, but also the best human they can be,  by changing their perceived need to be the tough guy, or use their dog as a status symbol.  Amazingly, Michael accomplishes this in the most relaxed, holistic, and c...

Welcome! In this episode, we chat with author, Ciaran Walsh, on how his newly released book gives parents a "get out of jail free card" when their child asks for a dog. This questions ("Can I have a dog pleeeeeeease?") is asked hundreds of times around the world daily. Are you prepared for the answer? Although a children's book, the underlying purpose is to provide parents...

The adolescent stage can be very challenging, even for the most experienced dog owners, irrelevant of the dog's upbringing, breed or training history. In this episode, I refer to dogs that have had a traditional upbringing - that of the same home since puppyhood and exposed to socialization, non-aversive training, and positive experiences.  When these dogs suddenly rebel and seemingly forget...

Street Dogs in Costa Rica learn many skills to survive. In this ep, I talk about my findings on a study on how they read and decipher street lights.  I provide info on how to recognize and harness these cognitive skills when adopting dogs from the street.  I follow this with a story on how I got one of my Mexi-Rescues and how it brings to light the question as to why some dogs can survive on the s...

Welcome to our first mid-month episode where I provide insight and info on dog behavior, followed by an guest speaker who is in an expert in their field.  Let's talk about Anxiety Rehabilitation!  Conventional methods, ones common in mainstream dog training, adhere to the principles of Conditioning Methodologies. They are intentionally designed to teach and encourage expected behaviors, and p...

Welcome! This episode was inspired by a ClubHouse Chat with the Director of the Thinking Dog Centre and Asst Prof at Hunter College, Sarah Byosiere, who talked about cognitive abilities in dogs and puppies. I often get asked why I do not work with puppies - find out why!  How are the cognitive skills of puppies harnessed and applied differently to that of dogs? Yup! Marc Bekoff sent me an email ab...

Adopting a dog is rewarding, but can be challenging due to inherent stress.  A reaction to stress is, as with humans, not eating, which can be scary! Common techniques often fail because they are not addressing the reason - in other words, we need to find the reason to determine solution. What if the dog is not stressed? What if their are no physical ailments?  Maybe the solution requires logic an...

This ep. is all about reading and understanding our dogs, respecting their needs, and adapting to their personalities and they grow and change. Liz Murdoch is an animal communicator with a passion for helping people bond and understand their pet on a whole new level. This is a great chat full of surprising tidbits of info. I follow this with three examples of feedback I received from the challenge...

This is THE episode where I reveal a platform exercise, and, well, it is pretty simple - all that is required is for your dog to enjoy going for a walk! And speaking of, we have Kerry Cooke, creator of Spleash, as our featured guest talking about her hot product that will make your walks and hikes with your dog a safe and easy. Kerry is passionate about helping survivors of domestic abuse, which l...

A listener, who is a scientist, asked a great question - "Can positive reinforcement training reach the cognitive side of the brain?" Great question. I had to think about this and am excited to share my thoughts. We then explore Canine Enrichment exercises, their benefits, and if they reach the cognitive side of the brain. I then use an example provided by a professor as to what CBT is a...

Billie uses 4 scientific studies on dog cognition to explain why we need a method grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy to address a common unwanted behavior in dogs over 6 months. In this episode we explore four cognitive abilities by introducing the studies which prove dogs have these abilities. I discuss how these abilities, although considered positive, can cause common unwanted behaviors a...

Welcome to the first episode of 2021 where we dissect a scientific study which, although valid and adhering to professional standards, begs the question as to whether the exercise,  grounded in positive reinforcement training used to determine the results,  is a factor in creating the change in behaviors commonly associated with the adolescent stage. In other words: are the methods we use to solve...

Welcome to the final episode of 2020, where I give a short description on my developments with professionals in the early part of 2020 and then moved onto researching and pursuing ways to spread awareness of CBT for dogs by making connections with all kinds of interesting people and professionals. I talk about the surge of scientific studies in dog behavior and provide an example of how a common s...

Adam is the Chief Veterinary Officer at MJH Life Sciences and oversees the veterinary division that includes Fetch, dvm360,  Firstline and VettED.   He advocates for pet parents and animals and is passionate about spreading awareness on many topics so we decided to loosely focus on shelter vet care, but as what often happens , we talked about a number of interesting topics , including foster care...

We are excited to introduce Jessica Heaton, who shares with us her experience volunteering in Morocco for a remote rescue organization that specializes in rehabilitating dogs with disabilities. Jessica's knowledge of dogs and her professional and volunteer work with dogs with disabilities inspired her to create a children's book for people of all ages, to spread awareness on the abilitie...

Kashton Weinber is an entrepreneur, a volunteer,  artist and a philanthropist.  At eleven years of age, he has made a huge impact on the lives of  animals and the people who help them.  He is the founder of Kash's Kreations and donates money generated from the sales to local rescue organizations, and he has adopted animals, including a very special dog who had a checkered past resulting in an...

Dominance is a buzzword, and often controversial topic, in the dog world. Why?  Well, it has a negative connotation, yet at the same time, dog owners are often told they need to gain dominance over their dog.  What is acceptable? Is gaining Dominance really our goal? Is expecting our place on the hierarchy ladder and our rules and policies to be respected asking too much? This  thought-provoking p...

Megan Hensley is a renowned donkey farrier and expert, and also a rebel in her profession because of her unique approach to working with donkeys. Sound familiar? Yes, Megan and I have a shit-ton in common.  We recognize the need to change the human mindset and perception to achieve our goal of bettering the lives of animals.  This chat is full of surprises, laughs, information and genuine passion....

Are behavioral issues unique to geographical locations?  level of abuse? lifestyle during puppyhood?  How do these effect the personality or needs of a dog? Perhaps all of these have an effect, but what is most important are the way the dog thinks and processes based on experiences, which are not as unique to geographical location and/or breed as one may think. How a dog is  forced to think and ho...

We explore the role of women and our reaction when the behaviour of the dog is causing disruption to the family dynamics. Women are often the main care givers and we tend to blame ourselves when things are out of balance.  If you are frustrated and feeling defeated, learn why it is not your fault and how you can make changes to re-empower yourself and help your family. This episode was created aft...

Meet Dr, Kuhu Roy, who, along with her mom,  Hansa Roy, a geo-scientist, have devoted their lives for three decades to the street dogs in India.  Kuhu shares her experiences and talks candidly about the need for change.  Their two initiatives, Bridging Rainbows and Give Animal a Break, are helping people and dogs globally. This episode is dynamic and heartfelt. Our Gems of the past & present -...