FernDog Podcast: Dog Training & Behavior Tips and Advice

In this episode I sit down with Steve Dale, the co-editor of the book Decoding Your Dog to dig through the issues that are really facing those of us living with dogs.

We hit all the hot spots of dogs in this very candid interview. We’ll dive into the book and go over some great ways to make sure you and your dog can stay together happily for years to come.

In this episode

2:30  Hello Steve Dale!

7:30  How pets became Steve’s focus

13:14  The good and bad of Cesar Millan

15:44  The most common issue Steve gets asked about dog behavior

18:00  How the book Decoding Your Dog came about

22:37  Advice from Veterinarian behaviorists

28:15  All dogs need a job

33:40  Enrichment ideas for dogs

39:29  When you need to get to a vet

45:55  Steve online

Links

Leave a review on itunes

Buy the book, Decoding Your Dog, on Amazon

Steve’s blog at Chicago Now

Steve on Facebook

Do you know how to play with your dog? Sounds kind of silly doesn’t it? Well if you’re just letting your dog run around like a crazy dog you could be setting yourself up for some behavior problems.

In this week’s podcast I’ll go over the smart way to play with your dog so that your pooch will be well mannered at playtime and other times as well.

In this episode

0:57  My new website!

3:20  This is all Victoria Stilwell’s doing

5:50  How to most people play with their dog (that’s not helpful to you or your dog)

7:21  Play, the great reward

9:35  The rules of play

10:15  My one big rule for play

11:42  Who’s idea is it?

13:30  Watch the energy

15:54  Using training in play

17:34  Tug of war – good or bad?

Links

My new website

This episode is sponsored by 4Knines: high quality car seat and cargo covers for your vehicle. www.4knines.com

GDA SPECIAL: use this coupon code at checkout and get 10% OFF your purchase: ADVENTUR

I’m a rescue guy so it should come as no surprise that I’m against puppy mills. They are barbaric dog factories where the animals are poorly treated and are creating unhealthy and bad mannered puppies.

What I’m always most surprised at is how many people don’t understand how to identify which places are puppy mills (especially online) and how we can stop them. So invited Carol Araneo-Mayer on the show to give us the real deal on puppy mills. Carol is co-founder National Puppy Mill Day and a board member of The National Puppy Mill Project and has been leading the fight to stop these horrible places. 

In this episode

1:41  How hard it is to find a good breeder

6:10  Definition of a puppy mill

10:19  Is it legal?

13:05  Pet store problems

17:15  How to find a reputable breeder

19:58  Beware of breeders you find online

24:30  Health problems with puppy mill dogs

25:55  What we can do to stop puppy mills

33:46  The condition of dogs rescued from puppy mills

35:16  My assignment for you

Links

National Puppy Mill Project

Adopt-A-Pet New Jersey

Do you know what it means to be a good dog parent to your dog? Have you ever really thought about it?

I invited dog training superstar Victoria Stilwell on the show to help you understand what that means as well as how you can do so that you’re doing the very best for your dog. We’ll go over the consequences of doing it the wrong way and give you some simple tips to ensure you and your dog will live happily every after.

In this episode

1:05  Three cheers for 4Knines.com

3:46  Victoria Stilwell is in the house

5:45  How It’s Me Or The Dog came about

8:58  Defining a good dog parent

11:21  Differences around the world

13:50  How dogs think (and don’t think)

16:07  Victoria’s prescription for being a good dog parent

22:02  What to do when things don’t go according to plan

27:21  Bringing a rescue dog home

31:19  Victoria has a “sense of humor failure”

35:13  How to open other minds

40:10  Victoria’s #1 tip

Links

Victoria’s website

Victoria on Facebook

Victoria on Twitter

Victoria on YouTube

Victoria Stilwell Dog Trainer Academy – Link to come when it opens

Leave a review for the show on iTunes

Victoria’s Puppy Mill Video

This episode is sponsored by 4Knines: high quality car seat and cargo covers for your vehicle. www.4knines.com

GDA SPECIAL: use this coupon code at checkout and get 10% OFF your purchase: ADVENTUR

This is the first guided walking episodes designed to help you do some training with your dog when you’re out on a walk. If you haven’t already listened to Episode 82 you should do so first because that will explain what we’re going to do in this Walk n’ Train Trax.

Once you’re ready, put in your earbuds, grab the leash and lets go!

Links

Wooftrax app

This is the first guided walking episodes designed to help you do some training with your dog when you’re out on a walk. If you haven’t already listened to Episode 82 you should do so first because that will explain what we’re going to do in this Walk n’ Train Trax.

Once you’re ready, put in your earbuds, grab the leash and lets go!

Links

Wooftrax app

You’ve heard me go on and on about how important walking your dog is but did you know that you can use your walks as training opportunities?

Oh yes – working on some training with your dog while going for a walk is a great way to get some better leash manners from your dog, increase your communication and make your stroll more of a team activity.

This episode will get you set up on how to use your walks as partial training sessions, and the following 2 episodes (GDA83 and GDA84) will guide you through your walk.

In this episode

1:10  Why the walk is so important

1:55  Defining the walk

3:23  Mix it up

4:01  Who’s walk agenda are you on?

5:59  Intro to the Walk n’ Train Trax

8:07  Setting expectations

11:00 Equipment needed

Links

Wooftrax app

As football season begins once again, I can’t help but think about Michael Vick and what happened to those poor dogs in his dog fighting ring.

The book The Lost Dogs tells the story of these amazing dogs and shows us not only the horrors that they endured but their loving resilience as well. It’s one of my favorite all time dogs books and in this episode I bring the author Jim Gorant on the show to give us the inside story on the Vicktory Dogs.

In this episode

1:03  My mini Michael Vick rant

3:59  4Knines.com

5:18  My new shirt design

7:45  Who is Jim Gorant and how he ended up writing the book

9:35  Pit Bull impressions

10:47  The “little brown dog”

14:00  Meeting some Vick dogs

16:22  How the dogs surprised all the experts

18:02  Gotta love Johnny Justice

19:12  Public reaction to the book

Links

The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant

My Vicktory Dogs t-shirt

This episode is sponsored by 4Knines: high quality car seat and cargo covers for your vehicle. www.4knines.com

GDA SPECIAL: use this coupon code at checkout and get 10% OFF your purchase: ADVENTUR

You want a better dog. I know you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be here listening in.

Everywhere you look there is information on how to go about getting your dog to behave better and there is no shortage of people offering their advice on the topic. But with so many ideas and so much to do it’s hard to know where to start and to understand what activities will be the most successful.

That’s what this episode is all about. Here I’ll trim it all down to the 5 basic things that you can do that will have the biggest impact on your life with your dog. Do these five things and watch the positive effects it will have on your dog for years to come.

In this episode

1:30  How dogs spell love

3:58  The power of scheduling

5:25  Learning with your dog with me

7:01  Human life is boring!

9:12  Don’t expect your dog to know what to do

11:18  The right way to use rewards

12:38  How much walking is enough

14:30  Recognizing when you have a problem

16:17  Dangers of taking short cuts

17:10  Please review the show in iTunes

If your dog is like most, he likes food. His food is good but your food is way better. And some dogs go to great extremes to attempt to get your meal when you’re sitting at the dinner table trying to enjoy it. This guys are annoying and embarrassing.

Well, if that sounds like you help is here!

I’ll talk about how to train your dog not to beg, steal or pester you when you sit down to eat your dinner. Prepare to eat in peace from this day forward.

In this episode

1:30  Thanks to today’s sponsor

3:30  Are you inadvertently enabling your dog’s begging

3:50  A calm association to food is critical

5:03  Strategy #1 to train your dog be a pest at the table

7:25  Pick someone to work with the dog at meals

9:04  2nd strategy to get better behavior at the table

11:25  The reward schedule

12:48  Next round of classes is about to begin

15:48  Who is this class right for

Links

My video on impulse control

Basic Obedience & Manners online class

This episode is sponsored by 4Knines: high quality car seat and cargo covers for your vehicle. www.4knines.com

GDA SPECIAL: use this coupon code at checkout and get 10% OFF your purchase: ADVENTUR