Spirit Dog Training Podcast

As a dog trainer who uses a lot of food rewards, one of the most common questions I get us "... And what happens when you don't have a treat?" Today I unravel how to make your dog independent from having to be bribed and lured, and explain why having or not having a treat should not make a difference in a well-trained dog! If you want to start training with our library of over 1,300 training videos for free, visit spiritdogtraining.com/free

Scent work is a fascinating dog sport. It's welcoming to dogs of all ages and physical abilities ... and it's an amazing way to bond with your dog! In this episode we interview highly accomplished scent work competitor, judge and professional bed bug detection dog handler Paige Gordon about how to get started and progress in the sport.

Every day I work with dog owners and help them break through behavioral and training struggles. And every day I know that if dog owners were more mindful of these 6 things ... a lot of issues would NOT happen in the first place! Today I give you a list of the 6 things I wished every dog owner did - implement these to see immediate improvement in your dog. Also in this episode I share a special gift with you ... you can now access all of my over 1,300 online lessons completely free at spiritdogtraining.com/free

Most dog owners with more than one dog would love to train them all at once. But is this even possible? Is it a good idea to have everyone train at the same time? What about dogs that can wait their turn? And what should you do if your dogs are so attached that you cannot separate them? In this episode I answer all of these questions!

Training often fails because we are not progressing skills well. But what does it actually mean to "advance a skill"? How do we break down the training process for our dogs correctly? How many steps are involved in teaching a solid behaviors? In this episode you will find answers to all of these questions!

Do you struggle to motivate yourself to train? Is consistency hard for you and your dog? There actually is a secret to training every day ... I call it "training momentum". In this episode I share how you can reach training momentum, and why most dog owners are only a few training sessions away from breaking through this wall!

Treats are reinforcements and corrective collars are punishments ... but is that really what the definition of those words is? Are you using reinforcers as skillful as you could? And did you know that the environment is constantly reinforcing and punishing your dog, too?

How do you find the right dog trainer for you and your dog? What expectations should you have for a dog trainer? But also ... what is your dog trainer expecting from YOU in the coaching relationship? In this podcast I take a deep dive into my expectations for dog owners and trainers. And I also have a pretty big surprise for you ...

We want our dogs in a happy, eager and enthusiastic state of mind for training ... but what exactly should we do to achieve this? In this episode, I am sharing 10 tips that will make your dog more comfortable - and ultimately, this will make your training more successful, too!

Is your dog reactive towards unannounced visitors? Do they love to chase wildlife when you run into it? Are they barking and lunging ... but only when coming across certain other dogs? Unpredictable behaviors are one of the hardest things to address in dog training. It feels like we don't even have a place to start! The good news it that with the right approach we can tackle these training challenges and succeed. In this episode I share my top 3 tips for moving past the struggles of unpredictable behaviors!

Preemptive doubts can hurt your dog training and hinder your progress! We discuss where the mindset of "this won't work ..." comes from and how to break through it. I talk about how many times I have personally failed, and why this should never be a reason to stop pursuing new training ideas!

If treat training makes you go "meh", this episode is for you. I discuss other forms of rewards (toys, praise, access to the environment) as well as whether rewards are even always needed! This is a big episode to answer all questions regarding treat alternatives.

Not all training problems are equal. Some require immediate attention and intervention ... while others are not as pressing. It can be hard to know whether you need to jump into action or not. This episode discusses the 4 criteria to determine whether you need to start training TODAY - or whether you can sit back and stop worrying.

My own dog training is always evolving ... and yours should be, too! In this episode I explain the continuous feedback loop between you and your dog that will take your training to the next level. I also share how I always improve my own training and online classes!

When training isn't working, both dog and human are left frustrated and demotivated. But it does not have to be this way! There are 5 common reasons why training isn't working ... as well as solutions! In this episode I discuss the most common training roadblocks in detail, and explain how small changes will lead to big improvements!

In this episode I dive into the nitty-gritty of what clickers are and how they work. I bust some myths and explain how to decide whether clickers are going to work for your dog and your training goals. I also share how I have come 180 degrees when it comes to using clickers for my own clients!

In this episode I discuss why some dogs are so unfocussed, impatient, demanding and hard to train ... and why you should NOT hope that they'll grow out of it (they won't!) But don't worry - I reveal the #1 thing you can do today to help your dog grow in all of these skills and become a joy to train!

What does your work stress have to do with dog training? Why does our dog do worse the longer a training session goes on?And how can we predict our dog's seemingly unpredictable outbursts? The surprising answer to all of these question lies in trigger stacking. In this episode, I dive deep into the detrimental effects of trigger stacking - as well as how to navigate them in your training!

Ready to dive into training for 2024? But hold on - Setting the wrong training goals will hinder your progress and demotivate you! In this episode I share the surprising truth about why traditional training goals are bad, as well as 6 goals to will truly accelerate your training progress.

In this episode I talk about a client case study. They reached out to me the day before Christmas with a big ask: To teach their dog and their visitors' dog to stop fighting! Listen in to learn how I handled this, and how to decide between training and "damage control" - especially during the busy holidays!