Madcap Radio

This week’s question asks what the earliest is that breeders have observed consistent personality traits in a puppy:

“Out of curiosity, how early have you noticed personality traits developing in your litters that did stick around until the time they went to new homes or even beyond?

In this episode I discuss:

• Various breeders’ experiences with early personality traits.

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This week’s podcast is a fan request about the concerns one breeder has about the “corporate takeover” of veterinary medicine and how that is affecting her puppy owners:

“What information and resources do you use to help your puppy buyers, especially new/first time dog owners, screen and select a veterinarian?

In the past couple of years, and seems like more lately, I get these questions from my puppy buyers that their vet told them something that ranged from harmless but not really accurate to so aggressively incorrect it felt like a scam and even a danger to the puppy. I know stuff can get lost in translation, I know some medical professionals are better than others, and I know vets and their staff are stressed and overworked. But I also fear the rise in this issue is related to venture capital takeovers and it's going to get worse…

Since it feels like a trend, and especially because I have a breed suitable for first-time dog owners, I would like to be more organized and proactive in providing information on how to vet a vet. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and suggestions.

PS - maybe this would be a good podcast episode?”

In this episode I explore:‌

• How the corporatization of vet medicine affects puppy owners

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

This week, my guest, Jean Donaldson, chats with us about how to be a smart dog training consumer.

We delve into both practical and ethical questions when it comes to finding a puppy class, and Jean shares the answers to her three questions you should ask any dog trainer:

• What exactly will happen if my dog gets it right?​

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

This week’s podcast is about puppies and owners who can’t seem to bond with their owners. The original question is long, so here’s the gist of it:‌

“Functionally Mac is excellent. Crate/House training/Obedience excellent…He sleeps through the night. He is great at puppy classes...He is good with other people and dogs…He was good at the vets. No problems so far with loud noises or anything like that…The problem is that we have been unable to build a relationship with him. He doesn’t respond to affection at all. We find it hard to make his tail wag. He will briefly let us stroke him, but this usually ends with a bite. He is unwilling to let us pick him up. He will play enthusiastically with toys, but this will quickly progress to biting and frenzy…We have had rescue dogs before, we have had puppies before, but we have never experienced this lack of relationship…we have tried everything we can think of to improve the relationship... We fear that the situation will become worse”‌

In this episode I explore:‌

• The three most common causes of “non-bonding” between puppies and their owners

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

This week’s topic is the significance of trainer certifications:

“Will knowing a trainer’s certification help you find the “Best” trainer?”

In this episode, I discuss:

• The significance of different training certifications

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

This week’s question is about marrow bones:

“Looking for advice and information on giving puppies bones.  I've heard so much conflicting information about the benefits and risks, but I'm thoroughly confused. A dog dentist once told me not to give my dog anything to chew on that I couldn't dent with my thumbnail. Yet here I see hooves and raw meaty bones being offered. Thoughts?”

In this episode, I lay out:

• The risk and benefits of giving your puppy or dog marrow bones

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

This week’s question is about your changing relationship with your puppy through his teenage months:

"I was talking with a very respected breeder about my ten-month-old Bull Terrier and she told me that this is the age where I need to start being ‘firm’ with him. What does she mean by ‘firm?’"

In this episode I explain:

• What we mean by “firm”

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

This week’s question is about Breeder-Puppy Buyer contracts:

Our puppies are 7 weeks old now and will be going to their new families in 3 weeks. I have been following along each day and this experience with the puppies has been incredible.

Thank you for "holding my hand" throughout. We are getting to the part that I just feel I am not prepared or knowledgeable enough....THE CONTRACT. I, too, want to keep it simple.....feed healthy, train in a positive way, and bring back the puppy if something changes.

Would you be able to share an example or a template perhaps? I would appreciate any assistance you can provide.

Episode highlights:

• How to decide what should be in your contract, and what should be in your puppy application

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

This week’s question is about using temperament testing to help match puppies with owners:‌

They want to train him to do deep pressure therapy for her anxiety.

She grew up helping train hunting dogs and they have trained rescues, so I know she can do this if we get her a good match.

​So how do you find someone to do temperament testing?

In this episode I explore:

• The origins, benefits and limits of puppy assessment tests

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.

I feel like there is a general need for a new kind of dog professional.

Don't you feel that many puppy owners could use something like IN PERSON "puppy parenting coach?" So not dog training per se, more like a breeder-mentor for puppy owners.

It just seems like puppy owners throw a lot of effort agains things that are not really problems, but they don't know those things are not problems because they don't have someone with enough wisdom and experience to point that out. Someone who has raised 100 puppies, particularly if they raised puppies of that breed, could really save those owners a lot of trouble.

What do you think? Would any of you be interested in doing this?

Visit our website, madcapradio.com for further reading.