Have you ever found yourself trying to get your dog to come to you and feeling frustrated when they don't? You aren't alone! In this episode, my guest Jill from Jack and Jill Dog Training talks us through some of the myths and truths around teaching our dogs to come when called and common trouble spots we can run into when teaching recall to our dogs. Plus we talk about some of the challenges we trainers have faced with working on recall (hint: we have likely run into the same issues as you!). 

Connecting with Jill

Instagram: @jackandjilldogtraining

Website: https://www.jackandjilldogtraining.com/

Mentioned in this episode

Sniffspot

Being the guardian to a reactive dog can be an amazing and life changing experience, and it can also be really freaking hard!

In this episode, Logan Buie from The Misbehaving Mutt joined me to talk about our own experiences not as trainers, but as guardians to our own reactive dogs. We talk about how our lives changed after realizing our dogs needed more support than we anticipated and how working through reactivity impacted our own stress and anxiety. We also talk through some of the strategies we use to support ourselves while also supporting our dogs (spoiler alert: mental health care is an important facet of that for both of us! Shoutout to therapy!).

If you've found yourself struggling with your own thoughts and feelings while trying to figure out how to support your dog through THEIR feelings, we've been there! And we hope this episode leaves you feeling seen and knowing that support is here for you. Enjoy!

Connecting with Logan: https://www.themisbehavingmutt.com/

IG: @themisbehavingmutt

IG: @confidentmutts

Alone time troubles, panic, and stress about leaving your dog at home - let's talk separation anxiety!

In this episode, Jenna Teti from Think Smart Dog Training shares her story of supporting her dog Reuben through separation anxiety that appeared after some life changes, including the onset of the pandemic. We talk about what behaviors Jenna noticed that led her to getting help for Reuben and bust some myths about separation anxiety causes and treatment (spoiler: letting your dog cry it out won't make it better!). We also talk about how both dogs and humans need support when dealing with separation anxiety, and how making space for the human feelings is an important part of the process. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too!

Connecting with Jenna: [email protected]

IG: @thinksmartdogtraining

Mentioned in this episode

Finding a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) - https://malenademartini.com/

Finding a Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer - https://julienaismith.com/find-a-trainer/

Jackie Johnston, CSAT on Instagram @believeinyourdog

To celebrate one whole year of Make It Click (MIC was started in September of 2021!) we are releasing two of our favorite episodes that were previously only available on Patreon!

When you hear a dog described as "shy", what does that mean for you? On this episode, I am joined by Ali Sutch, KPA CTP and owner of Up to Snuff dog training in California. Ali offers insight about what the label "shy baby" means for dogs, how that descriptor can be either a help or a hindrance, and why it's valuable to bring extra compassion to our discussions about shy dogs. We also discuss what skills might be helpful for shy dogs to help them navigate the world more comfortably, plus knowledge and skills that the human guardians of shy dogs can benefit from. Enjoy!

Find us on Instagram at @MakeItClick.club for episode updates and on Patreon at Patreon.com/MakeItClick for community events and live trainer chats!

Download the transcript for this and all of our other episodes here

Mentioned in this episode

Susan Friedman's LLA course for pet professionals

Doggie Language book

Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed series

Find a veterinary behaviorist near you:  DACVB directory

To celebrate one whole year of Make It Click (MIC was started in September of 2021!) we are releasing two of our favorite episodes that were previously only available on Patreon!

For this special re-release episode, I am joined by guest Jenna Teti from Think Smart Dog Training. We sat down to talk about reframing how we live with dogs and how we can adjust our thinking about why we get dogs in order to better serve our dog’s needs. The result was a really interesting conversation about how that “why” can impact welfare and wellness, the ways that our own human stress can change when we reframe our relationship with dogs, and thoughts about what qualities dogs might pick if they had the opportunity to choose their human.

This was such a lovely and honest conversation about how it can be hard to change the ways we think about dogs, how being a dog guardian can be challenging (spoiler: trainer's dogs aren't "perfect" either!), and the journey's both Jenna and I are on to discover how we can best learn and adapt for our dogs. Enjoy!

Find us on Instagram at @MakeItClick.club for episode updates and on Patreon at Patreon.com/MakeItClick for community events and live trainer chats!

Download the transcript for this and all of our other episodes here

Have you heard the phrase "crossover trainer"? This month, my guest is fellow trainer Holly Boyes. Holly and I are both crossover trainers, which means we at one point used aversives, corrections, and punishment as part of training, and then ditched those techniques and shifted to a force-free positive reinforcement methodology. In this episode we share a bit about our journeys from balanced to force-free, what prompted us to switch to a new method, and how being crossover trainers helps us to tap into a specific kind of compassion for pet guardians who are struggling with their dog’s behavior.

Minor trigger warning for this episode: we do talk a bit about our own time as balanced trainers where we reference some of the corrections and tools that we used at that time, so if that discussion will be triggering for you please feel free to skip this episode or listen to one of our other positive reinforcement focused episodes.

Enjoy!

Holly Boyes is a multi species force-free crossover trainer, certified trick dog instructor/triple crown coach and a force-free content creator. She is currently working through her DN – DTC, a force-free dog training distinction with DogNostics. She is also a full time reptile breeder and stays busy looking after her many personal pets on her and her husband’s farm in northern Ontario, Canada. Animals have been an obsession from day one and Holly always knew she was going to make a living surrounded by them. She taught the family dog a few tricks as a kid and was completely hooked on training since then.

After discovering trick titles, Holly quickly worked her way up to grand champion with both her dogs but she didn’t stop there. She went on to earn an expert trick title with her cat, and became the first person in the world to earn a trick title with a hedgehog! Gradually making the crossover from balanced to force free training after rescuing a pitbull named Daisy, it’s become Holly’s mission to show others the amazing things that can be accomplished through R+/FF training.

Find Holly on Instagram at @fivefreedomstraining

Download the complete transcript for this episode here 

Chewing and biting and digging, oh my! Having a puppy can feel like pure chaos, but also comes with a lot of joy and learning for both us and our dogs. For this episode, Kelly Fahey from PupScouts of Hunterdon joined me to chat all about puppies, puppy training, and why socialization and safe experiences are so important.

Kelly and I got to talk about a lot of different aspects of puppy life. Kelly shared her thoughts on what to prioritize when bringing a puppy home (spoiler alert: sit and stay aren't the first things on her mind!). We also bust some myths around puppy behavior and talk about what we can learn by observing how our puppies interact with the world. Enjoy!

Kelly owns PupScouts of Hunterdon in New Jersey and specializes in helping puppy parents navigate through the excitement and chaos of puppyhood. She not only works with puppies professionally, but Kelly has also lived with a lot of puppies. Her family has raised 24 Seeing Eye puppies, Kelly has raised her own puppies, she has fostered puppies, and she currently shares her home with her newest puppy Kazoo as well as her adult dog, Toast.

You can connect with Kelly on her website https://pupscoutsofhunterdon.com/ and on Instagram @pupscoutsofhunterdon

A full transcript of this and our other episodes is available for download here

Behavior is nuanced and multilayered for our dogs, and working to accept and get help with that behavior can bring up a lot of feelings in us humans! For this episode, trainer Mallory Kratimenos joined me to talk about the emotional journey she has been on with her own behaviorally complex dogs. We talk about the shame and guilt that can come along with having a dog who needs additional behavior support, especially in a society that has certain views about how a "normal" dog should behave. We also share how accepting our dogs for who they are can help us learn a lot about ourselves, and the importance of finding a support network that will meet you and your dog with compassion and kindness.

About Mallory

Mallory is the owner and sole trainer at Engineering Optimism Dog Training. She specializes in all things small dogs, but has experience with dogs of all sizes. Mallory works with clients to help mediate the relationship between human and dog with the goal of engineering a little optimism and joy on both sides of the equation. Mallory holds two Bachelor of Science degrees from Purdue University and is a Victoria Stilwell Academy Certified Dog Trainer, Fear Free Certified Professional Trainer, a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, and a licensed Family Dog Mediator. She is also the parent of two small terriers, Gracie - a 12 y/o Russell mix, and Ollie - a 7 y/o Rat Terrier mix. You can follow Mallory and her dogs on Instagram at @the.reactive.dog.blog

Download the transcript for this and all of our other episodes here.

Choice matters when it comes to learning, and that's the focus of this episode! My guest, Ran Courant-Morgan from The Dog Behavior Institute, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst as well as a professional dog trainer. For this episode, Ran and I got to chat about the importance of choice. We talked about how we can incorporate choice with our dogs and with people, and how the data we gather about our dogs can influence the way we work through training and life with them. Plus you'll get to learn some fun history about how Ran found their way to dog training and how their dog Beacon has been a part of that journey.

You can follow along with Ran and Beacon's training adventures on Instagram at @RanTalksDogs, and check out @TheDogBehaviorInstitute for fun behavior science info.

Mentioned in this episode

Video about choice from UpToSnuff

Beacon playing the recorder

ACE Freework

Practical Skills for Vet Visits course

Download the episode transcript here

Bringing home a new dog is always exciting but can come with some stressors and a lot of questions too! For this episode, certified dog trainer Em joined me to talk about her recent unexpected experience of integrating a new dog into her household with her resident dogs and cat. She shared what her experience has been like with her newest addition, adolescent chihuahua Jinya, and we chatted about some of the common challenges we face when learning how to balance the needs of resident pets, new pets, and the humans! We also shared tips for pet guardians who are considering adding a new dog to their home.

Em is a certified dog trainer through the Victoria Stillwell Academy and the owner of Misunderstood Mutt. She also has a new business venture called Confident Mutts which she co-runs with KPA-CTP Logan Buie from The Misbehaving Mutt! Em specializes in reactivity and newly adopted dogs and helping dog guardians and their pets live a harmonious life. You can find her on Instagram @MisunderstoodMutt for training tips and content, as well as connecting via her website at MisunderstoodMutt.com.

Download the full episode transcript here.