I have a crazy, busy, wonderful life, filled with love and learning. What can you expect to read about here? You’ll be treated to glimpses into my thought processes, training plans and videos, updates, and escapades from my babies (both 4 and 2-legged). There will no doubt be some brags, and probably at least a few rants.
I hope that you will find my words helpful, or at least entertaining. We’ll see what the future holds! For now, I’ll leave you with this quote from Neil Degrasse Tyson, which also describes my philosophy.
“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”
Canine High Jinks Podcast
I had a great time chatting with Elissa Looney and Whitney Taylor from the Canine High Jinks podcast recently. During our talk, we got into: what obedience looks like. the types of behaviors you and your dog must know. some of the common mistakes people make in their...
Hold The Line Podcast
I was happy to sit down and talk with Jo Laurens from the Hold The Line podcast recently. Our conversation was centered around: Food motivation - and how to work with dogs which lack it (especially in the field or in high arousal situations) The importance of planning...
Training for Distance
Adding distance to a behavior is one of those things that sounds simple on the surface, but can get sticky in practice. Intellectually, you know that the secret (which isn’t really a secret) is to gradually increment the distance, reinforcing your dog for performing...
Delivering treats with your clicker hand
Ever feel like you need a 3rd hand to train your dog? You need one hand to hold the clicker, one hand to hold the treats, and one hand to hold the target/leash/dumbbell/etc. Impossible! Wait! It may not be as impossible as you think! You can hold the clicker and...
3-Part Podcast Series with Equosity
I love being first. And being the first official guest on the Equosity podcast was the highlight of my week! I had so much to say - they had to break the episode up into THREE parts. Are you an Equosity fan? Their site is about “all things equine with a special...
What Is A Podcast And How Do I Listen?
I have a podcast! That’s right - now you can not only nerd out with via virtual workshops, live events and articles -- we’ve upped the nerd factor in a major way with Drinking from the Toilet! Listen on iTunes | Google Play | TuneIn Radio | Pocket Casts | Stitcher |...
LOGISTICS: TRAINING IN SITU
Like a red-headed stepchild, it’s easy to overlook those little, everyday logistical behaviors, like taking off (or putting on) the leash, getting in and out of the car, taking the dumbbell from the judge. They are small, you usually don’t get any points for them, and...
Geeking Out On the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast with Melissa Breau
If I could sum myself up in one word, it would be 'geek'. Ok, I lie. Maybe it would be 'nerd'. The jury is out on that one. What the jury is certain on though - is that I 1000% enjoyed geeking out while discussing sits and downs with Melissa Breau on the Fenzi Dog...
Classical Conditioning is a One-Way Street
It is important to remember, classical conditioning always only goes one direction. Bell -> Food The bell has to predict the food for the bell to cause the dog to drool. Food THEN bell will not have any effect. So if your dog doesn’t like a thing, and you want to...
Build an Accountability Exoskeleton
Some people are simply born with self-discipline. I am not one of those people. Making decisions exhausts me. Commitment is hard. My brain tends to switch gears automatically like a faulty transmission when I hit a rough spot or things get difficult. Or I have to make...
How Splitting Can Overcome Motivation Problems
I stand here confronted by the recipe and its associated collection of produce. Step 1: Thoroughly rinse produce. Peel, trim and cut carrots into small dice. My thoughts: How important is it to peel carrots really? How important are vegetables really? How...
Training the Tucked Sit
Why does how my dog sits matter? I was 1/3 of the way to my first open obedience title when I found out that there is more than one way for a dog to sit. We were having a particular problem where my dog would come flying back on the retrieve, punch me in the stomach...