FernDog Podcast: Dog Training & Behavior Tips and Advice

For dog lovers like us there is nothing more devastating than losing our furry best friends. The lifespan of the domestic dog is so short compared to ours which means that at some point we’ll have to deal with losing our dogs.

You never know how you will react to the loss of your dog until it happens. This week I’ve invited Joe Dwyer, fellow dog trainer and counselor with The Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement, to talk about how we can deal with such a loss, ways to cope with our feelings and how to better support those around us are suffering a loss. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Common emotions that people go through when losing a pet
• How long the grieving process should be
• How to deal with insensitive people how don’t understand your loss
• How to know if and when you’re ready for another dog

Links:

Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement

Joe Dwyer

Shelby’s Grace

Daniel the Miracle Beagle

Life Quest Podcast – the other show I co-host with Joe

My Youtube channel

The Loss of Pet book by Wallace Sife

Sarah Silverman’s writing about her dog

There are so many different ways to leash up your dog and it seems like new tools are being introduced every day. With so many choices available it’s hard to know which one is the best. To add to the confusion, everyone seems to have a different opinion on which one you should use. So in this episode I’m going to give you my personal list of which collars and harnesses I feel are the best to use and which ones I recommend you avoid.

Over the last 11 years with my dog and the thousands of dogs I’ve worked with as a dog trainer and rescue guy, I’ve tried just about every single training tool out there. I’ve learned that there’s no one tool for everyone and what works best for me with my dog might not be the best choice for you to use with your own pooch. You really need to see what works best for you, with your dog, in your world.

I’ll go over what collars and harnesses work best for certain dogs and situations so that you can figure out which one might be the best tool for you to use with your own dog.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What 4 collars I really don’t like
• How using the wrong collar could harm your dog
• Why you should be working to get off any training collars
• My top 2 choices to walk your dog with
• A couple of collars that need to be used for specific dogs and situations

Links:

 My blog post on leashes, collars and harnesses

Slip Lead

Front attaching harness

You probably already know that you need to exercise your dog. And you also might think that you are providing enough exercise right now but listen to this – you might discover that you could be doing much, much more.

Being a dog trainer for the last 6 years and working with hundreds of clients and dogs I’ve learned that most people have no idea what adequate exercise really is, and that most of us really underestimate the impact that providing our dogs with enough physical and mental stimulation. 

To give you all the facts and to go over specific ideas and tips on how to better exercise your dog I brought in Tracey Patterson from Exercisemydog.com. Together Tracey and I go over everything you need to know about your dog’s exercise needs.

In this episode you’ll learn

• How much exercise your dog really needs
• How age and breed effect exercise needs
• Some exercises you can do with your dog that will satisfy his breeding
• What breeds need the most exercise
• Cool products to exercise your dog

Links

Exercisemydog.com

Kong

Flirt Pole

Make Dogs Your Life Podcast about Wallace the Pit Bull

Petocracy

Bringing a new dog into your life is a big decision that many people take for granted. However if you don’t take the time and effort to really consider your choice you can be headed for some big problems. All too often people get a dog for the wrong reasons without understanding what’s truly important when trying to figure out what kind of dog is the best fit for you, your family and your lifestyle.

In this episode I’ll go over exactly what you need to realized before you go looking for your new furry friend and how you can set yourself, as well as your new dog, up to have a happy life together. 

Here’s some of the things you’ll learn:

• Are you really ready for a dog
• What questions you should ask yourself before going to look for a new dog
• What’s the best place to get a dog
• How to be properly prepared for your new dog
• How to help your new dog adjust to his new home

Links

The Dog Bible

The FernDog Rescue Foundation

Written Transcript

My video on Teaching Impulse Control

 

Before you get a dog watch this:

 

What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments. 

I’m joined by fellow dog trainer and author Sarah Hodgson in a discussion all about dog dominance. There’s no other topic in the dog training world more misunderstood and controversial, and Sarah and I sit down and hash out exactly what dominance means and how it pertains to your and your pooch.

We share our own personal stories and training philosophies when it comes to dog dominance and shed some much needed light on this often misused term. 

Here’s some of the things you’ll learn:

• Why there is so much confusion about what dominance is
• Why it’s okay to sometimes let your dog dominate you
• The mindset shift that can really impact your dog
• How to really teach your dog what you want

Links

When Dogs Talk – Sarah’s website

Sarah at The Huffington Post

Sarah on Facebook

The Teaching Lead 

Lightest Long Line

Sarah’s Books:

• Puppy Perfect
• Dog Perfect
• Teach Yourself Visually Dog Training
• Dog Tricks and Agility For Dummies
• Puppies For Dummies

In this opening podcast I go over 10 very important lessons I’ve learned (often the hard way) while being a dog trainer for the last 6+ years. These are things that I didn’t realize back when I first got my dog and boy do I wish I did.

Understanding and implementing these 10 things can have great impact on your relationship and your life with your dog. So many people mistakenly concentrate on the things that seem necessary but are minor in the big picture of your dog’s world colliding with yours.

Here’s some of the things you’ll learn:

• What are the best rewards and how to properly utilize them
• What’s the single best thing you should be doing with you dog
• Why dog bites really happen
• 2 important distinctions you need to understand when doing any training with your dog

Links

Make Dogs Your LIfe Podcast with Sue Sternberg

Make Dogs Your Life Podcast with Ariana Kincaid