Heather covers four areas that every dog owner should teach/prepare their dog for. Some of these are pre-emptive skills which come in handy when an emergent situation arises. Think of them as “insurance”. Having knowledge just in case it’s needed

- Using a Muzzle

- Going in a crate

- Being comfortable with another human

- Wearing post-surgical attire

Cooperative Muzzle Training video  : Teaching A Dog To Wear A Muzzle (Muzzle Training) - YouTube

The Muzzle Up Project : The Muzzle Up! Project | Muzzle advocacy, Education, and Training (muzzleupproject.com)

Heather, from embark in Eau Claire, WI, takes us through training our dogs for desired behaviors. Not just what to do, but the psychology behind it.

Surviving your Dog’s Adolescent/Teenage Years

- Just like humans, adolescent and teenage years have their unique challenges. It lasts from when a puppy is just a few months old until they are 2-3 years old.

- What behaviors are prevalent among teenage dogs, such as impulsivity and focusing issues

- Why dogs get relinquished to shelters at a higher percentage during this time. It’s a hard time for both dog and human

- Heather explains the “why” behind the behaviors and the steps that can be taken. And that includes LOTS OF PATIENCE

- “Burning off Energy” is not a simple fix. Instead, its much deeper than that. Including rewarding desired behaviors with treat stations.

- Its okay to avoid things as opposed to forcing a behavior

Brian Munro a certified dog behavior consultant in Minnesota, who joins Heather to discuss the proper training of “bully” breeds of dogs.

Why Brian eschews some training methods that lean on using “dominance” for these breeds. He uses more “reward based” methods.

The arousal level of “Bully” Breeds and how to utilize that in training desired behaviors

Helping these breeds learn how to be calm

What behaviors to capture when you first bring the dog home

https://brianmunrodogtraining.com/

Book:

Canine Enrichment For The Real World https://www.dogwise.com/canine-enrichment-for-the-real-world/

Heather tackles the issue of dogs “jumping up”. She dives into the behavior, which can be a big issue for many dogs and their humans.

- Why do dogs do it?

- Does saying “off” to your dog, or squeezing their paws, serve as proper responses?

- Using the “treat scatter” method to redirect

- Developing the desired behavior through predictable scenarios

Presented by emBark in Eau Claire, WI

Like taking your dog for walks around your neighborhood and need to use a leash? Or think of when you have to leash your dog to bring them to place (like vets or to grooming) Well, that is a trained behavior for your dog and Heather takes us through the process to develop the best “loose leash walkers”

o The human, not equipment, teaches loose leash walking

o Defining what you want loose leash walking to be

o What type of harness Heather prefers

o What does 3AM have to do with anything?!?!?

Define your “take out window”

Heather takes up through recognizing when your dog is getting uncomfortable and what to do.

The fact that almost anything can be a trigger for a dog and what are the signs to look for

Learning how much your dog can handle

Why does your otherwise docile dog growl when you come near their bowl (or another object)?  Heather tackles this topic as she discusses "resource guarding"

-Why do dogs feel a need to guard something they deem valuable (such as a bowl, toy or even their human)

- Finding help or information online can be tricky on this topic

- She brings up cues that this is being displayed by your dog

- This is a part of a dog's natural behavior, but it can be dangerous.  

- So what can be done?

On the debut episode of this series, we are introduced to Heather from emBark.  The podcast includes:

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1) Her background and the start of emBark

2) The best part of working with dogs

3)  The basic dog tips she gives

4) Things to consider when adding a dog to your family

5)  The misconception of "Alpha" dogs

6) COVID-19 impacts on dogs.