Positively Dog Training - The Official Victoria Stilwell Podcast

The fabulous Holly Firfer is back on the podcast and talking puppies! Holly is the VP of programming and Development for ReachTV and Scripps News Anchor. She is a former radio DJ, news correspondent and Victoria's podcast companion for many years, but recently she has taken on a new role - mum to Artemis, a rescued pitbull puppy.  What has Holly's experience raising a puppy been like and...

In this episode, Victoria Stilwell hosts Justine Schuurmans from the Family Dog and author of The Dial Method , the busy parent’s shortcut to raising a family dog right. They share personal stories and experiences that emphasize understanding dogs’ needs, improving relationships, and the importance of accessible resources for families and professionals who work with dogs.  “The Dial Method is a mu...

In this episode, Victoria Stilwell hosts Sean Brown, owner of Petsercise UK and a former rugby player. He's featured on "Dog Academy,” a show which can be viewed on Channel4.com . Sean is working with Pawsable Assistance Dogs , helping household pets become therapy or assistance dogs. Victoria and Sean dive into positive training, emphasizing the importance of holistic training, encompas...

In this roundtable discussion, Victoria and her team discuss the exciting newly launched  Positively website and give you tips to help you during the holidays with your dog. As we head into the holidays, we reflect on how much our dogs mean to us.  How can we learn to be better listeners? How can we help them to understand our world? How can we help them become more BRAVE? To find out, head over t...

In this episode, Victoria talks with Niki Tudge, founder of Pet Professional Guild .  Learn more about Niki and what led her to create this amazing organization.  How do you find a good trainer for your dog? What should you look for? Victoria and Niki take a deep dive into these questions and more.  They help you learn to advocate not only for dog, but also for yourself.  

In this episode, Victoria talks with Beverley Cuddy, editor of  Dogs Today Magazine , about the XL Bully ban that will take effect in the UK on January 1st unless something is done to prevent it.   Beverley and Victoria dive into the reason for the legislation, what constitutes an XL Bully dog, and how the legislation will affect families, veterinarians, trainers, and many others. 

In this roundtable discussion, Victoria and her team discuss the labels in dog training.  Labels are often applied to certain behaviors dogs do, training methodologies or protocols, and more.  Are labels helpful or do they muddy the water? 

In this Holiday Episode, Victoria and her team discuss how appreciating what the dog does well now can help us create simple, effective training plans. 

In this roundtable discussion, Victoria and her team discuss whether we should be ignoring behavior we don’t like. Is there a more effective approach that considers what the dog is trying to communicate with the behavior? How can we meet their needs and create a solution that works for us?

Victoria is joined by world renowned reinforcement-based dog sports coach, Kamal Fernandez . With over 25 years of dog training experience, Kamal is a well-known face in the dog training world, both on and off the television.  A much-celebrated trainer on TV shows like Dogs Might Fly and The Dog Academy, Kamal shares his extensive knowledge working with companion and sport dogs around the world. ...

You may have seen her on the hit online show Guardians of the Night, or watched her popular training videos online, but trainer Alex Sessa , also runs Peach on a Leash, a highly successful dog training business in Atlanta and the surrounding area.  In this episode Alex and Victoria recount what it was like filming and working with police dogs for Guardians of the Night, and explore what it takes t...

Do dogs like being trained or are they just tolerating it?  Join Victoria and her team in this month's roundtable discussion as they seek to answer this question from the dog's point of view. 

Pet Abduction is an ever-growing problem in the UK and as it stands now, by law, if your pet is abducted, the crime is treated no better than if a piece of furniture was stolen. Pet Theft Reform aims to change all that and the group has been campaigning since 2018 to make pet abduction a specific offense with access to proper custodial sentences for people who commit these heinous crimes.   How ca...

TV Presenter, Radio DJ and host of the BBC’s hit show, Long Lost Family, Nicky Campbell , is back to talk all things family, music and dogs.  What do the Rolling Stones, finding long lost family members, elderly Labradors and West Highland Terriers have in common? Nicky Campbell of course! Nicky has had a long and distinguished career as a radio DJ, a TV presenter, and an animal lover. Along the w...

Join Victoria and Standish Dog Trainer, Jo Pay, as they take you behind the scenes of Channel 4’s hit TV show, The Dog Academy.  Training dogs is challenging at the best of times, but training dogs on TV adds another layer of difficulty that is not for the faint of heart. Victoria and Jo share their experiences working on Channel 4’s popular show, The Dog Academy, and unleash some of their dog tra...

Victoria is joined by dog trainer and behaviourist Carolyn Menteith to discuss why the UK government’s commitment to ban shock collars in England starting in February 2024 needs to be upheld and why there is a possibility the government could renege on this commitment. The pair discuss how shock collars (e-collars) work, why these devices are so popular in some parts of the world yet are banned in...

There's a reason Animal Centred Education founder and dog genius Sarah Fisher has joined Victoria on the podcast perhaps more than any other guest - she's one of Victoria's favorite people to talk to about dogs and how we can serve them better. This week, Sarah talks with Victoria about her upcoming 2023 Dog Behavior Conference presentation, "Patterns, Habits & Familiarity....

There’s nothing more important than keeping babies and children safe around the family dog. Victoria talks with #DogBehaviorConference presenter and Family Paws founder Jennifer Shryock about critical steps needed to help guardians create and maintain a safe environment in the home and beyond to avoid catastrophe.

Dr. Kristina Spaulding joins Victoria for a deep dive into the world of her #DogBehaviorConference presentation, “The Neurobiology of Aggression” and why understanding what that is helps guardians and trainers better serve aggressive dogs.  Geek out about the processes behind how behavioral scientists approach this all-important topic and how it applies to real-world dog training. Plus…  two bonus...

The art of raising well-adjusted assistance dogs - specifically Golden Retrievers - is a passion of this week’s guest, VSPDT trainer and #DogBehaviorConference presenter Abigail Witthauer. Victoria and Abigail share thoughts on what goes into her unique approach at her Alabama-based Roverchase Foundation as well as what she’ll be discussing during her DBC talk, “ Service Dogs: Lessons learned whil...

Victoria geeks out chatting to one of the most formative influences on her life and career as a dog trainer: Suzanne Clothier. Suzanne shares her fascinating background as a groundbreaking thinker in the world of animal training and behavior, especially surrounding the concept of what she coined Relationship-Centered Training and the unique journey her approach has undergone over the past several...

Good Morning Britain's Pip Tomson joins Victoria to talk about her work fighting the dog meat trade in South Korea. Victoria compares her experience shutting down a dog meat farm with Pip’s, and the two celebrat e dogs’ adaptability and resilience in the face of the worst that mankind can sometimes impart. Victoria offers advice regarding how to help support dogs who have suffered trauma and...

How can we make training our dogs easier? Most dog trainers know about functional assessments and the ABC’s of dog training, but DBC speaker, VSA Faculty Advisor and PhD in Philosophy Maia Huff-Owen shares a new way of considering the ‘C’ in ABC’s (consequences). Maia and Victoria discuss Maia’s upcoming Dog Behavior Conference topic, “After the Click: Completing the training picture,” as well as...

Acclaimed author, speaker, researcher and professor Dr. Alexandra Horowitz of Barnard College, Columbia University’s Dog Cognition Lab joins Victoria to dig deep into the fascinating world of the anatomy, physiology and behavior-related wonder of the canine nose. What makes dogs’ noses so powerful and different from ours? Can they smell fear? Why do they use one nostril at a time? How do pheromone...

Victoria shares plans for the upcoming season of the Positively Podcast, including celebrity guests, expert advice and more! Plus details about the upcoming online 2023 Dog Behavior Conference . Get dog training solutions at Victoria’s official Positively website. Become a dog trainer with the Victoria Stilwell Academy.