Your Dog's Best Life

In this episode, Liane speaks with special guest Nita Gandera about how she is raising her current Australian Shepherd puppy, Nessie. Liane has a puppy from the same litter, so the discussion includes where their training differs as well as where it is similar. Discussed: Critical socialization period, Puppy Culture, Early puppy training, obedience, mistakes people make when socializing puppies, a few scientific segues, and exercise and puppies.

Join us on FB : Your Dog's Best Life

Liane introduces us to her new puppy, Brisco, an Australian Shepherd from working lines. She justifies getting another dog pretty adequately, and for those who haven't met them yet, introduces the rest of the pack

Do you cue your dog, or do you give commands? While these words are synonymous, the mindset behind them can be vastly dissimilar. In this episode, Liane discusses some recent trialling issues she has faced with her herding dog, Cody, and how she analyzes those problems through the lens of cue vs command.

Liane discusses signs that your dog trainer isn't being up front about the methods they're using. Using wishy washy language like, "energy", "joining" or promising miracles 'without using food' are all red flags that a trainer is trying to hide their compulsive training behind language.

Prong colors are designed to cause pain; e-collars are almost always used in a manner that creates pain; there is no magical energy that makes dogs behave. All of these are signs that a dog trainer is shining on their listeners (lying) to get your business.

A basic understanding of the science of dog training helps pet owners choose the right dog trainer.

In this episode, Liane discuses (makes excuses?) for why she hasn't recorded in a moth. She discusses a herding trial in Arizona, and that leads into how she is using punishment to prevent her youngest dog, Tagg, from gripping sheep out of frustration. Liane brings everything home by discussing excited door greetings, jumping, biting, and barking, that can occur when people enter the house, and why what you're doing to correct these behaviors may not have the desired effect.

Join our fB Page, Your Dog's Best Life Podcast

In this episode, Liane takes a break from purely training topics, and describes how she lives with seven dogs.

How we live with dogs is both deeply personal. and built by our society and history with dogs. Liane explores a little bit of how the history of stock keeping in the West informs how she grew up with dogs, and how that affects how she lives with them today.

Please join our Facebook page: Your Dog's Best Life

In this episode, Liane asks agility trainer, and bijorer Ffluffy Nicholas about the sport of bikejoring. Bikejoring is a sport that allows dogs who love to pull an outlet. Perfect for huskies and other nordic breeds, but also, possibly just what the doctor ordered for a lot of bored pit bull types, and Liane's little maniac, Matilda.

Fluffy took up bikejoring in 2020, and fell in love, buying a racing rig, and competing with her dogs. She uses her staff mix, as well as her border collies, and Malinois.

We also discuss canicross, which is a slower version, where the dog simply helps a person run or hike.

In this episode Liane discusses the question with special guest Emily Magnuson. Right now dog training is the Wild West, with everyone doing their own thing, and with educational backgrounds as diverse as, trained my pet dog to PhD and everything in between. Calls for a national standard occasionally arise, and Emily and Liane discuss the pros and cons of such an action, and whether or not it would actually help the dogs in our care.

As all conversations with Emily go, this sometimes runs off the rails, but we think it is a fun listen

Please join us on our new Facebook Page: Your Dog's Best Life

In this episode Liane discusses why and how we can train our dogs using food. Training with food, while popular, still faces some common complaints and problems. How do we train with food if the dog doesn't want it? How do we move away from using food so our dog listens all the time? How do we make food more exciting for our dogs? How do we work with a dog so frightened that it won't take food? Liane discusses and trouble shoots each of these issues.

We now have a Facebook page where this podcast streams! Check out Your Dog's Best Life on Facebook!

Liane discusses her efforts to find a dog sport suitable for her and her border collie, Matilda. She discusses a multitude of sport options and divides them up based on how difficult they are to come into with little or no training, vs sports that require a great deal of preparation to enter. She discusses the sports she has done with her own dogs. Lastly she discusses why sports may or may not be an important part of helping your dog live its best life.

We Now Have a Facebook page streaming our podcast! Check out Your Dog's Best Life on Facebook