Positively Dog Training - The Official Victoria Stilwell Podcast

Victoria is joined by world renowned reinforcement-based dog sports coach, Kamal Fernandez.

With over 25 years of dog training experience, Kamal is a well-known face in the dog training world, both on and off the television.  A much-celebrated trainer on TV shows like Dogs Might Fly and The Dog Academy, Kamal shares his extensive knowledge working with companion and sport dogs around the world. 

Kamal shares his insights about reactivity and what you can do if your dog is reactive to people or other dogs. A seasoned competitor at Crufts, Kamal explains how doing competitive obedience or sports with your dog enriches the relationship between you.    

You may have seen her on the hit online show Guardians of the Night, or watched her popular training videos online, but trainer Alex Sessa, also runs Peach on a Leash, a highly successful dog training business in Atlanta and the surrounding area. 

In this episode Alex and Victoria recount what it was like filming and working with police dogs for Guardians of the Night, and explore what it takes to build a successful dog training business. A powerful advocate for positive training methods, Alex discusses how real world positive training for companion and working dogs supports a healthy emotional life. 

Do dogs like being trained or are they just tolerating it?  Join Victoria and her team in this month's roundtable discussion as they seek to answer this question from the dog's point of view. 

Pet Abduction is an ever-growing problem in the UK and as it stands now, by law, if your pet is abducted, the crime is treated no better than if a piece of furniture was stolen. Pet Theft Reform aims to change all that and the group has been campaigning since 2018 to make pet abduction a specific offense with access to proper custodial sentences for people who commit these heinous crimes.  

How can you keep your dog protected and what can you do to support the cause? Join Victoria and guest, Animal Geographer and Pet Theft Reform campaigner Dr. Daniel Allen, as they delve deep into the tragedy of pet abduction.

If you are a British citizen, show your support and sign the Pet Theft Reform petition to make pet abduction a specific criminal offense: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640101

TV Presenter, Radio DJ and host of the BBC’s hit show, Long Lost Family, Nicky Campbell, is back to talk all things family, music and dogs. 

What do the Rolling Stones, finding long lost family members, elderly Labradors and West Highland Terriers have in common? Nicky Campbell of course! Nicky has had a long and distinguished career as a radio DJ, a TV presenter, and an animal lover. Along the way he has interviewed legendary bands, presented Top of the Pops, hosted his own successful radio shows, and has always been in the public eye, but it wasn’t until a nervous breakdown that he truly came to understand the power of animals. 

Adopted at a young age, Nicky understands what it is like to discover family members again, which makes him the perfect presenter for the achingly beautiful TV series, Long Lost Family.  But it is his dogs that fill him with joy and it is their power that has helped him on what has been, at times, a difficult journey. 

Join Victoria and Standish Dog Trainer, Jo Pay, as they take you behind the scenes of Channel 4’s hit TV show, The Dog Academy. 

Training dogs is challenging at the best of times, but training dogs on TV adds another layer of difficulty that is not for the faint of heart. Victoria and Jo share their experiences working on Channel 4’s popular show, The Dog Academy, and unleash some of their dog training secrets along the way.

How can you live successfully with a nervous/fearful dog? Jo relates how living with a dog that has special needs has given her a deeper understanding of how they experience the world, and how this journey has inspired her to help other dog lovers live successfully with their fearful dogs. 

Victoria is joined by dog trainer and behaviourist Carolyn Menteith to discuss why the UK government’s commitment to ban shock collars in England starting in February 2024 needs to be upheld and why there is a possibility the government could renege on this commitment. The pair discuss how shock collars (e-collars) work, why these devices are so popular in some parts of the world yet are banned in others, and why shock collar use is so problematic. 

Should dog trainers be regulated? Victoria and Carolyn discuss dog trainer regulation and why the formation of the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter benefits every dog lover in the UK and beyond. Find out more about the Charter here.

To show your support for the shock collar ban and urge the government to honour their commitment, please write to: 

• The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 

Please thank Lord Benyon for the work he has done to support the ban and urge him to please bring a debate in September so the ban can go into effect in February 2024.  You can email Lord Benyon here: [email protected]  #BanShockCollars

There's a reason Animal Centred Education founder and dog genius Sarah Fisher has joined Victoria on the podcast perhaps more than any other guest - she's one of Victoria's favorite people to talk to about dogs and how we can serve them better. This week, Sarah talks with Victoria about her upcoming 2023 Dog Behavior Conference presentation, "Patterns, Habits & Familiarity."

There’s nothing more important than keeping babies and children safe around the family dog. Victoria talks with #DogBehaviorConference presenter and Family Paws founder Jennifer Shryock about critical steps needed to help guardians create and maintain a safe environment in the home and beyond to avoid catastrophe.

Dr. Kristina Spaulding joins Victoria for a deep dive into the world of her #DogBehaviorConference presentation, “The Neurobiology of Aggression” and why understanding what that is helps guardians and trainers better serve aggressive dogs.  Geek out about the processes behind how behavioral scientists approach this all-important topic and how it applies to real-world dog training. Plus…  two bonus topics: building resilience in puppies and why not all stress is bad for dogs.