I had the great opportunity to interview Sarah Stremming of the Cognitive Canine in Washington on this episode of the Paws & Reward Podcast about understanding a dog’s emotional threshold. Sarah is a dog trainer, agility and obedience competitor, and canine behavior consultant. She travels the globe helping dogs and handlers understand each other better. She also has a well-known … Read More
Episode #5: Separation-Related Behaviors with Jackie Johnston
Join me on this episode of the Paws & Reward Podcast as I interview Jackie Johnston of Believe In Your Dog. Jackie is a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) who helps pet parents modify their dog’s separation anxiety behaviors. In today’s episode, we discuss what separation-related behaviors are, how to address them, and how to know when to get additional … Read More
Episode #4: Nonviolent Communication for Everyone with Kathy Sdao
Join me on this episode of the Paws & Reward Podcast as I interview one of her favorite mentors in the animal training industry, author of Plenty in Life is Free, Kathy Sdao. During the episode, we discuss what Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is and how we can use nonviolent communication with dogs to build connection. When training dogs (and people), … Read More
Episode #3: Kids and Dogs Living in Harmony with Kirsten Kinsella
Join me on this episode of the Paws & Reward Podcast as I interview Kirsten Kinsella, a therapy dog trainer that works with children in NYC. Kirsten shares the tips and tricks that she uses to facilitate successful interactions between kids and dogs and the 5 things you can do today to build better bonds. **Please note: If you are … Read More
Episode #2: Healthy Dog Play with Mara Velez
Join me on this episode of the Paws & Reward Podcast as I interview Mara Velez of the Shelter Playgroup Alliance to discuss what safe and healthy dog play looks like. Mara shares how to facilitate safe interactions, what behaviors to be aware of, how to identify healthy dog play vs. aggression, and when to intervene to keep play safe … Read More
Episode #1: 4 Strategies to Support You During the Training Process with Dr. Chris Pachel
The training and dog behavior modification process can be a daunting task for pet parents. Join me in this episode of the Paws & Reward Podcast for an interview with Dr. Chris Pachel, board-certified veterinary behaviorist. We discuss four important strategies to help support pet parents during the dog training process. Ways to Support Pet Parents During the Training and … Read More
Setting your Dog Training Sessions up for Success
1. Management is your best friend. Management can be a long term solution to a behavior problem or a short term solution while you are training a new behavior response in that context. For example, you can manage your dog’s barking by leaving the blinds closed. You could do that forever OR you can do that for now while you … Read More
5 Tools to Create Successful On Dog Leash Greetings
There is unspoken pressure for all dogs to get along in many different environments such as on leash greeting, dog parks, daycares, breweries….the list goes on! Not all people get along so I am not sure why we would expect that of our dogs?! Many dog owners want their dog to meet other dogs while walking on leash. There are … Read More
Canine Enrichment & Mental Stimulation Toys
Enrichment and mental stimulation are the most important outlets you can provide your dog at any age! It can help reduce many unwanted behaviors in our young puppies and adolescent dogs as well as keep our senior dogs sharp, exercising their cognitive abilities! Enrichment can help prevent these behaviors: Puppy Mouthing Attention Seeking Behaviors Boredom Destruction Anxiety and fear Barking, digging in the … Read More
Dog Training Rewards: A Guide Beyond Treats
What is a reward? Google told me a reward is defined as a thing given in recognition of one’s service, effort or achievement. One of the most important concepts about rewards is to remember that their value is defined by the person receiving them, not the person giving them. For example, if I went to work and instead of a … Read More