Love ’Em & Lead ’Em

Cory and Melaney return from the Alabama Coastal Birding Festival with matching shirts, 35 new lifer birds, and plenty of stories. From painted buntings and loggerhead shrikes to hummingbird research and migration fallout events, they share some of their favorite moments from an unforgettable birding adventure. Then the conversation takes a turn toward a subject they feel surprisingly passionate a...

Choosing a dog trainer shouldn’t feel like guessing… but for most people, it does. You call, ask for pricing, compare a few options—and hope you made the right choice. But here’s the problem: Price alone won’t tell you if a trainer is actually right for you or your dog. In this episode, we break down what you should be looking at (and what most people completely miss), including: Why credentials d...

If introducing your dog to other dogs feels stressful… you’re probably doing too much. In this episode of Love ’Em & Lead ’Em, we break down how to properly introduce dogs to dogs and dogs to cats—and why most people are overcomplicating both. We cover: How to introduce dogs without creating tension, chaos, or fights Why on-leash greetings with random dogs are a bad idea The step-by-step metho...

Rehoming a dog sounds simple… until you’re actually in it. In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most emotional and misunderstood topics in dog ownership—when it’s appropriate to rehome a dog, when it’s not, and the hard truths most people don’t want to hear. We share real client stories (the kind that stick with you), break down common myths like the magical “farm,” and talk about what re...

This week on Love ’Em & Lead ’Em, Cory and Melaney start with birding adventures, slow walks with a bird club, and a few unexpectedly intense 10-mile hikes. But all that time in the woods leads to a surprising training insight. The most uncomfortable thing we ask clients to do… isn’t complicated training, expensive equipment, or extreme discipline. It’s stopping the constant talking to their d...

People ask us all the time: “Will my dog forget me?” “How long are they in a kennel?” “What do they actually DO all day?” In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain and walking you through a real day at Training Camp — from early morning potty breaks to evening tuck-ins. We cover: Why rest after meals is non-negotiable (and how we prevent bloat) Why dogs are out of their kennels an average of...

In Episode 18, we start with Mel being back on her bullsht*—thanks to an orchid rescue that turned into a truly unhinged slap-bet situation (no worries… Cory refuses to slap “a baby,” so the punishment becomes verbal roasting and threatened hugs). Then we get into the real heart of the episode: a diagnosis isn’t destiny—and you have to train the dog in front of you, not the one in the paperwork. W...

Season 2 is officially here — and we’re kicking it off by looking back, looking ahead, and having a little fun along the way. After a big 2025 (new podcast, biggest year ever at Dog Training Camp, and plenty of lessons learned), we’re starting 2026 with our dog training Ins & Outs list — the trends, habits, and choices we’re loving… and the ones we’re absolutely leaving behind. In this episode...

We open with a quick bird-nerd update (hi, northern flicker 👋), then dive into a viral NYC foster moment that shook the rescue world: a severely underweight, sweet-as-pie pup who suddenly redirected on a passing dog during a city walk. No villains here—just real life with real animals. In this episode we unpack: • Why an emaciated dog can seem angelic…until health returns and true preferences sho...

Picking up where Episode 14 left off, we get real about what service dogs can do—and what they shouldn’t be asked to do. We talk through the big sticking point for families: who’s the handler (and why your second-grader probably can’t bring a service dog to school). Then we open the curtain on our hybrid approach: the first month of foundations and task starts with us, followed by lots of real-wor...

Service dogs change lives—but the path to one isn’t simple, quick, or cheap. In this episode, we break down what the ADA actually says (and doesn’t say), what task training really means, why public access skills matter, and how to tell if a dog–human team is a good fit. We share stories from our own case files—mobility tasks, psychiatric alerts, scent work, even siren alerts—plus the hard conversa...

Resource guarding isn’t just about a food bowl — it can be toys, bones, couches, people, even whole corners of the house. In this episode, Cory and Melaney dive deep into why dogs guard, what it looks like in real life (hello, Benny the bernedoodle), and why the old “bait and switch” trick can actually make the problem worse. You’ll hear stories from camp, including the cocker spaniel who guarded...

A listener asked a great question about our “Zuko” episode: why did that dog like Cory but come after Melaney? Short answer: dogs read us—our body language, heart rate, even our scent—better than we read ourselves. In this conversation we unpack how your mental and physical state can flip a session from smooth to sketchy, why thresholds and territory matter, and how tiny life changes (a vet visit...

Two puppies are always better than one… right? In this episode of Love ’Em & Lead ’Em, Cory and Melaney dig into the messy reality of littermate syndrome — the hidden challenges of raising two puppies from the same litter (or close in age). From sibling squabbles to tag-team chaos, they’ve seen it all. You’ll hear stories of families who got more than they bargained for, what breeders and resc...

This week’s episode dives deep into one of our most medically complex (and emotionally rewarding) cases yet — a little Frenchie named Guinness. After being rescued from a life of breeding, he came to us with major potty problems, a seizure disorder, and more medical question marks than we’ve ever seen in one tiny body. Euthanization was on the table… but his dad wasn’t giving up, and neither were...

What we thought was excited jumping takes a turn when we meet Zuko — a powerful, sweet-faced, intensity-packed dog with a serious guarding streak and a zero-chill attitude. What started as a leash reactivity consult quickly became a masterclass in body language, impulse control, and surviving a close call (spoiler: no one got bit, but it got real close). Later, we balance the chaos with a sweet up...

In this episode of Love 'Em & Lead 'Em, we’re unpacking a recent rescue situation involving four small dogs with some very big opinions. From tangled potty routines to sibling squabbles and split living arrangements, it was clear this family needed a reset — fast. Join Cory and Melaney as they unpack the lessons from this multi-dog rescue case, explore codependent human-dog dynamics, and share...

In this episode of Love 'Em & Lead 'Em, we’re unpacking a recent rescue situation involving four small dogs with some very big opinions. From tangled potty routines to sibling squabbles and split living arrangements, it was clear this family needed a reset — fast. Join Cory and Melaney as they unpack the lessons from this multi-dog rescue case, explore codependent human-dog dynamics, and share...

In this deeply personal episode, Melaney and Cory pay tribute to Harvey—the unforgettable black German Shepherd who brought them together and helped shape both their business and their friendship. From service dog struggles and wild training stories to grief, mental health, and the messiest lessons dogs can teach us, this episode is a raw, honest reflection on the dog who started it all. You’ll la...

In this deeply personal episode, Melaney and Cory pay tribute to Harvey—the unforgettable black German Shepherd who brought them together and helped shape both their business and their friendship. From service dog struggles and wild training stories to grief, mental health, and the messiest lessons dogs can teach us, this episode is a raw, honest reflection on the dog who started it all. You’ll la...

Welcome to Love ’Em & Lead ’Em—a podcast about real dogs, real life, and the messy, meaningful work of training both. Hosted by Melaney, a former Military Police K9 handler, and Cory, a former special education teacher focused on behavior disorders, we’re the duo behind Dog Training Camp USA in Louisville, Kentucky. We’ve helped hundreds of families ditch the gadgets, skip the hot dogs, and bu...

Who we are, why we’re here, and why you’ll want to stick around.

In this short trailer, we introduce ourselves—Melaney, a former Military Police K9 handler, and Cory, a recovering special education teacher and co-owners of Dog Training Camp USA Louisville—and share the heart behind our approach to training. You’ll hear why we started this show, what you can expect in upcoming episodes, and how we help dog owners stop choosing between loving their dogs and leadi...

This one’s for the crusty white dogs, the bird nerds, and anyone who's ever been told to “fake it till you make it.” In this episode, Mel and Corey dive into their early days of dog training chaos — from rogue German Shepherds and crusty little biters to leadership clashes and business-growing pains. They reflect on what it takes to lead people and dogs, share hard-won lessons from the field, and...

Is your dream dog the kind that trots beside you leash-free, ready to recall at a whistle? In this episode, Melaney and Cory break down the fantasy and reality of off-leash dog training. From personal stories of their own pack to real-world client struggles, they tackle what it actually takes to build a reliable off-leash recall. Discover why long leash training, relationship-based obedience, and...