In today's episode, you'll get a seat at the table for a reactivity masterclass with yours truly. We'll go over: what factors contribute to leash reactivity, why your dog's reactions aren't random, the systems I teach my clients, and the mindset shifts that will keep you sane when living with a leash-reactive dog. I'm sharing how I view every dog I work with as a mini science experiment, testing and tracking what works best in different scenarios to support them, what to do when you're trigger stacked and sh*t out of luck, and why supporting your dog's nervous system isn't about doing more...it's about doing things differently. Whether you're a trainer or a reactive dog parent, this episode will inspire you to get curious and build a relationship with your dog that fits the life you truly want.

Here's what you'll hear inside this episode:

- What even is leash reactivity

- What are triggers

- What factors contribute to leash reactivity

- Why focusing more on arousal modulation than obedience is key

- How triggers can vary in intensity

- Navigating trigger stacking

- Strategies to help you reframe your dog's behavior for what it really is

- My favorite tips to improve your walks with your reactive pup

If this episode lands with you, send me a DM on IG @co_regulatedk9s

Work with Ashley 1:1

How to Stay Calm When Your Dog is Losing It Free Guide

My Website

When your dog struggles with problem behaviors, it can feel overwhelming. But what if the solution didn’t always require more training—and instead started with something simpler?

In this episode, I’m joined by Juliana DeWillems, Certified Dog Trainer, Behavior Consultant, and founder of JW Dog Training. Juliana is also the author of Manage It! Hacks for Improving Your Dog’s Behavior, a faculty member at the Karen Pryor Academy, and her expertise has been featured in National Geographic and Forbes.

Together, we dive into:
✨ What “management” really means (and why it’s not just a temporary fix)
✨ How management reduces stress for both you and your dog
✨ Real-life examples of management strategies that actually work
✨ Why management and training are partners—not competitors—in behavior change
✨ Practical hacks you can start using today

Whether you’re dealing with reactivity, counter-surfing, barking, or just day-to-day chaos, this conversation will give you tools to make life easier right away while setting your dog up for long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Juliana:

JW Dog Training 

 DogTraining+ App

Manage It! Hacks for Improving Your Dog’s Behavior

🔗 Connect with Ashley:

Living with a dog who struggles with behavior problems can be overwhelming, emotional, and at times isolating. In this episode, I’m joined by Kelly McCoullough, LCSW to explore the powerful connection between owner anxiety and dog behavior challenges, and the surprising ways human and dog psychology mirror each other.

We cover:

Why anxiety isn’t always bad — and how it can serve as useful information for both humans and dogs.

When anxiety becomes harmful, creating a cycle that fuels behavior struggles.

The realities of living with a dog with behavior problems — including guilt, frustration, and the path to resilience.

What contributes to owner anxiety and how common triggers overlap with what dogs experience.

Parallels between human and canine psychology — stress responses, emotional regulation, and the need for safety.

Practical strategies for managing your own anxiety so you can better support your dog.

Why addressing both ends of the leash is essential for meaningful, lasting change.

If you’ve ever wondered how your own emotional state might affect your dog — or how their struggles affect you — this conversation will give you insights, compassion, and actionable tools for finding more balance together.

Resources Mentioned:

Get in Touch with Kelly at La Jolla Therapy Center - https://www.lajollatherapycenter.com/

Follow Kelly on Insta! @anxietytherapistkelly

Get Ashley's Free Guide: How to Stay Calm When Your Dog is Losing It

Apply to Work with Ashley 1:1: https://calendly.com/ashleycipolletti/discovery-call

Learn More About Co-Regulated K-9s: https://www.coregulatedk9s.com

Follow Ashley on Insta! @co_regulatedk9s

In this episode, I sit down with Mattison Skoog Simpson, founder of Freed by Training, to hear her remarkable story of resilience, redemption, and the healing power of dogs.

Mattison Skoog-Simpson is a multi-certified dog trainer and behavior consultant—and a firm believer in second chances. After learning to train dogs in a prison program, she now helps people build deep, lasting relationships with their complex or sensitive dogs through her business, Freed by Training. Her story is one of transformation, purpose, and the powerful connection between dogs and the people who love them.

This conversation is raw, inspiring, and deeply human. It’s about second chances, the resilience of the human (and canine) spirit, and how training can be a pathway to freedom — both inside and out.

Resources Mentioned

Learn More from Mattison:

 www.freedbytraining.com 

Free muzzle course www.freedbytraining.com/muzzle

Follow Mattison on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedbytraining/

Learn More from Ashley:

www.coregulatedk9s.com

Book a Free Phone Consult: https://calendly.com/ashleycipolletti/discovery-call

How to Stay Calm When Your Dog is Losing It Free Guide: How to Stay Calm

Follow Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/co_regulatedk9s/

What if boundaries aren’t about shutting others out, but about creating safety, clarity, and trust? In this solo episode, Ashley dives deep into the role of boundaries across three key relationships:

Whether it’s managing your own emotional capacity, setting ground rules in your personal life, or teaching your dog where the “line” is in a way that feels fair and kind—boundaries are the foundation of healthy, connected relationships.

Ashley shares why boundaries aren’t about control or punishment, but about creating predictability, safety, and freedom for everyone involved. If you’ve ever struggled with feeling “mean” for setting limits, or wondered how boundaries can actually strengthen the bond with your dog, this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Ready for more support?
Grab my free guide on "How to Stay Calm When Your Dog is Losing It" to start building clarity and confidence in your training: Linked Here

Want personalized guidance for you and your dog? Book a free phone consult with me today Linked Here

Tired of dirty paw prints on your clothes the second you walk in the door? In today’s quick training tip, I’m breaking down how to teach your dog a calmer way to greet you and your guests. You’ll learn why dogs jump in the first place and my simple, step-by-step strategy to replace that jumping with a behavior you actually want. Whether you have a bouncy puppy or an adult dog with a long history of springing up, this tip will help you set clear boundaries and keep greetings stress-free for everyone.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why dogs jump and what it communicates

How to stop reinforcing jumping without realizing it

The exact behaviors to teach instead

My favorite management tricks to prevent jumping in the first place

How to get your friends and family to not dread coming over

Links & Resources:

Follow me on Instagram for more daily training tips

Apply to Work with me 1:1 if you need customized training support

Can positive reinforcement be... coercive? 🤯 In this episode, I sit down with dog behavior expert Karishma Warr (@transformbehavior) to explore the often-unspoken power dynamics that can show up even in the most well-intentioned training. We talk about choice, consent, emotional pressure, and how to recognize when your dog is simply complying — not healing. If you're interested in truly ethical, relationship-based training that goes beyond surface-level R+, this is a must-listen. 

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

What coercion really means in a positive reinforcement context

The 3 pillars of coercive relationships with our dogs: Deprivation, High-Stakes, and Authoritarian

How power dynamics and pressure can show up even in “force-free” training

Genetic coercion in dogs and its impact particularly on "high-drive" breeds

The evolution of dog training, and how simply using rewards in training is not enough

CONNECT WITH KARISHMA WARR
Instagram: @transformbehavior
Website: www.transformbehavior.com

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY CIPOLLETTI

Instagram: @co_regulatedk9s
Website: www.coregulatedk9s.com

🎁 FREE GUIDE
Want to stay calm when your dog is losing it?
Grab my free guide:
👉 How to Stay Calm When Your Dog Is Losing It

What if the way we shape behavior—of dogs, of people, of ourselves—could change the world?

Today’s guest has spent his life proving that it can.

Ken Ramirez is more than one of the greatest animal trainers of our time. He’s a visionary. A mentor. A global leader in applying the science of behavior to build trust, connection, and possibility across species.

From training over 900 species across zoos, sanctuaries, and conservation projects worldwide, to leading one of the most respected training organizations on the planet—Ken has taught thousands how to use reinforcement not just as a tool, but as a philosophy.

In this conversation, we explore how positive reinforcement is a quiet revolution. One that can shape communities, change outcomes, and challenge the very way we define leadership, learning, and love.

Whether you’re a pet parent, a professional, or simply someone who believes in a more compassionate world—you’ll want to hear this.

This is a conversation I’ll never forget.

We discuss how the principles of positive reinforcement go far beyond getting animals to perform behaviors — they become tools for building trust, enhancing welfare, and even saving lives in conservation settings around the world.

Whether you're a pet parent, dog trainer, or wildlife enthusiast, this conversation is packed with golden insights about:

🔹 Why effective positive reinforcement is deeply compassionate — and not permissive
🔹 How training in conservation settings differs from pet training — and what stays the same
🔹 Why observation is one of the most powerful tools in training
🔹 How Ken reduced chimpanzee poaching by 86% applying behavior science principles
🔹 What livestock guardian dogs can teach us about coexistence with wildlife and cheetah conservation
🔹 The hardest part of conservation: navigating human stakeholders and building consensus
🔹 Why curiosity, not control, is the key to connection — with animals and people
🔹 How we can teach animals without ever touching them — and why that matters
🔹 Why you can (and should!) set boundaries without using punishment

You’ll leave this episode with a deeper understanding of how training shapes not just behavior, but relationships — and why being thoughtful, intentional, and compassionate makes you a better trainer, scientist, and human.

Ken Ramirez – Karen Pryor Clicker Training

Cheetah Conservation Fund

Get the latest from Co-Regulated K-9s

In This Episode We Talk About:

Why positive reinforcement builds real trust (in humans and animals)

The role of curiosity and observation in effective training

Ken’s first conservation project that helped protect chimpanzees

How livestock guardian dogs support cheetah conservation

Building consensus with multiple stakeholders in conservation work

How training helps you become a more thoughtful and compassionate human

Where to Find Us!

In this solo episode, I’m diving deeper into a topic that sparked a lot of interest after my conversation with Mike Shikashio—the role pain can play in a dog’s reactivity. Could discomfort, injury, or even subtle chronic pain be the missing piece in your dog’s behavior puzzle?

I’ll explore:

Signs that pain might be contributing to reactivity

Why pain is so often overlooked in behavior cases

How physical discomfort can change perception, stress thresholds, and coping skills

What to do if you suspect your dog is in pain

And I’m also getting personal in this one. I share my own journey living with chronic pain—how it impacted my emotional regulation, relationships, and even my ability to show up for others—and what’s actually helped me find relief and resilience.

Whether you're a pet parent or a professional, this episode will challenge you to look beneath the surface and approach behavior with more empathy and curiosity.

Let’s connect:

Instagram: @co_regulatedk9s

Website: www.coregulatedk9s.com

Leave a review if this episode resonated with you 💛

In this episode, I sit down with world-renowned aggression expert Michael Shikashio, CDBC, to talk about what aggression really is—and what it definitely isn’t. We dive into how he got started in the field, the lessons he’s learned from teaching around the world, and the importance of staying curious and non-judgmental in our work with both dogs and people. Michael shares insights into handling disagreements in the industry with grace, why leading with compassion matters, and tips for anyone consulting on behavior cases. Whether you’re a professional trainer or just passionate about dogs, this conversation is packed with wisdom and heart. In this episode, we cover:

Connect with Michael Shikashio:

Website https://aggressivedog.com 

School https://aggressivedog.thinkific.com

Facebook Business https://www.facebook.com/AggressionInDogs 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/michaelshikashio/ 

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu6htNW022cxP3ecTYqBfjA 

Bitey End of the Dog Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1185767