DogLogical: Making Sense of Your Dog's Behavior

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood concepts in behavior... positive reinforcement. It’s a term that gets tossed around, misunderstood, and sometimes weaponized through welfare-washing. But the science? It’s clear. Reinforcement exists, but it may not mean what you think it means - and especially when you see it being used in marketing!

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In this episode, I talk with Dr. Conor Brady, an animal nutritionist and the founder of Dogs First Ireland. I have been following Conor for the last few years after watching a presentation he gave on the role of nutrition in behavior. During the presentation, he confirmed what I had already researched and my suspicions about the relation of diet to behavior - so, of course, I wanted to know more! Conor's commitment (and no-nonsense approach) to busting myths about dog nutrition makes the topic far more digestible (pun intended)! Conor is someone that I trust not only to guide my clients through their own diet issues but also the person I trust with my own dog's health. I hope this episode brings more clarity to your search in diet options for your dog.

NOTE: No one should feel shame about what they feed their dog. This episode's advice does not replace speaking to a nutritionist directly about your dog's diet. If you would like to consult Conor, he supplies free resources and very reasonably priced webinars and consultations on his website: https://dogsfirst.ie/ He also has published a book called Feeding Dogs that you can purchase HERE

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Brand new episodes are coming. Get ready for some changes to the format and topics. DogLogical is back and better!

In this episode, Renee chats with Alexis Devine about multi-dog households, the emotional challenges of being a modern dog guardian, how she is helping to shape the future of canine communication and, of course... her new book!

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About our guest:

Alexis Devine is an artist and entrepreneur hailing from Seattle, Washington. A longtime creator of wearable art before her sheepadoodle Bunny, known as "What About Bunny" on social media became an internet sensation in the fall of 2020. Videos of her communicating with assistive technology from FluentPet went viral. Bunny now has over one hundred buttons individually programmed with various words that she uses to communicate needs, wants, and even express when she is in pain. She is part of an ongoing canine cognition research study at the Comparative Cognition Lab at UCSD.

These days Alexis is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Licensed Family Dog Mediator, and a Fear Free Certified professional. Her goal is to further our understanding of the power of connection and importance of empathy, meeting her dogs where they are and understanding them on their terms to facilitate trust and promote an environment that supports them as the incredible creatures they are.

This time, we're discussing BREEDS! We discuss Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) and why BSL can be very problematic.

The article Renee referenced can be found here: https://www.newsweek.com/dog-trainers-advice-breeds-first-time-owners-should-avoid-sparks-debate-1766345 

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In this episode with Kassie and Renee, we discuss the dreaded word... obedience! We will talk about what the term means to us and what place it can have in the welfare-based care of our dogs.

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Join Kassie and me for this episode where we chat with Erin Marion from Down to Earth Dog Lady about blind, deaf and blind/deaf dogs. This conversation is full of some great points on what its like caring for, living with and training disabled dog and, of course, we bust some myths along the way too!

Erin says "I have over eleven years of experience working with dogs. I am a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA), and a Karen Pryor clicker training partner. I absolutely love bringing dogs and their guardians together using the power of positive reinforcement-based training. I love all dogs and all aspects of working with dogs. I have worked in many dog-related areas - large vet hospitals, daycare facilities, feed stores, dog training academies and rescues. Throughout the last 10 years, I have gained a wide range of knowledge about dog behavior, health, emotional care, training, and nutrition. In 2018 I fostered my first deaf and blind dog. After learning how to care for a dog with special needs, I knew that it was what I wanted to truly wanted to focus my career on. I currently have fostered multiple deaf and/or blind dogs and have one of my own (Darla). I also have a fully blind rough coat collie."