
A dog training podcast for serious behavior nerds
A behind-the-scenes look into the reality of dog training, behavior, and learning. We love our dogs, we love our jobs, but sometimes it’s not all unicorns and rainbows. Sometimes at the end of the day, you just need a drink and a friend who gets it.
With a heavy dose of humor and a side of empathy, we explore high-level behavior science concepts mixed with real conversations and practical training advice. We keep it nerdy, relatable, and real.
Latest episodes
Podcast #160: Spring Clean up for Dog Trainers, Pt 3: The Things We Overlook
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #160: Spring Clean up for Dog Trainers, Pt 3: Planning and Record Keeping This week we are finishing up our Spring Cleaning series… you’ve already organized all your resources you’ve collected over the weekend, you’ve worked out a new better system for your planning and record […]
Podcast #159: Mentorship with John Anthony Shahor
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #159: Mentorship with John Anthony Shahor Guest: John Anthony Shahor About John Anthony and Redemption Road K9 Redemption Road K9 (RRK9) is a top-rated working dog company, a working dog co-op retailer, and cynology center focusing on Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) with the goal of creating and […]
Podcast #158: Spring Clean up for Dog Trainers, Pt 2: Planning and Record Keeping
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #158: Spring Clean up for Dog Trainers, Pt 2: Planning and Record Keeping In this episode we discuss: Getting a fresh start with your planning and record keeping. What gets in the way of being your best self. Where to start when nothing is working for […]
Podcast #157: Rescuing RiffRaff, Pt 2: Placing a Dog With a Bite History with Gaby Boijsen
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #157: Rescuing RiffRaff, Pt 2: Placing a Dog With a Bite History with Gaby Boijsen Guest: Gaby Boijsen What kind of people adopt a dog with a bite history? This episode is the second in a 2-part special series following the journey of RiffRaff, a rescue […]
Podcast #156: Rescuing RiffRaff, Pt 1: Fostering a Dog With Aggression with Gaby Boijsen
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #156: Rescuing RiffRaff, Pt 1: Fostering a Dog With Aggression Guest: Gaby Boijsen This episode is the first in a 2-part special series following the journey of RiffRaff, a rescue dog with a tendency toward violence. This sounds like a common story, but I assure you… […]
Podcast #155: Spring Clean up for Dog Trainers, Pt 1: Organizing and Applying Your Hoard of Resources
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #155: Spring Clean up for Dog Trainers, Pt 1: Organizing and Applying Your Hoard of Resources This week we are starting a “spring cleaning” of sorts for our training with a decluttering and organizing theme, but I’m not going to talk about how to store all […]
Podcast #154: Training Bloopers with Karen London
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #154: Training Bloopers with Karen London Guest: Karen London Karen B. London, Ph.D., is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Professional Dog Trainer who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of serious behavior problems in domestic dogs. She began working with dogs in 1997, and […]
Podcast #153: Tips for Raising Criteria Without Breaking Everything
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #153: Tips for Raising Criteria Without Breaking Everything In this episode we discuss: The power of starting your session conservatively. How being in a position to increase your criteria rapidly is better than being greedy and being forced to lower it. The importance of avoiding getting […]
Podcast #152: Reactive Behavior with Grisha Stewart
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #152: Reactive Behavior with Grisha Stewart Guest: Grisha Stewart Grisha Stewart is best known among dog trainers for developing Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT), a humane technique for dog aggression, frustration, and fear. Through her international dog seminars, DVDs, books, and in-person and online training schools, she’s […]
Podcast #151: How to Improve Your Timing
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #151: How to Improve Your Timing In this episode we discuss: Why timing matters in dog training and why you cannot escape it. How it’s really about processing time. Reaction time does have a biological basis, so just like we do with dogs, make sure you […]
Podcast #150: How Not to Socialize Your Puppy
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #150: How Not to Socialize Your Puppy Guests: Marge Rogers & Eileen Anderson Marge Rogers, CBCC, CPDT-KA, CCUI, Certified Fear Free Professional, is a certified professional dog trainer, behavior consultant (canine), and author. She has thousands of hours teaching owners, dogs, and other canine professionals. One of […]
Podcast #149: Memory as Behavior… What? with Stephanie Keesey-Phelan
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #149: Memory as Behavior… What? with Stephanie Keesey-Phelan Guest: Stephanie Keesey-Phelan PhD Stephanie Keesey-Phelan is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst. Stephanie began working with dogs in the early 2000s, spurred on by the behavioral needs of her family’s Rottweiler, Rocky. She quickly […]
Podcast #148: Episodic Memory with Marsha Penner
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #148: Episodic Memory with Marsha Penner Guest: Marsha Penner Marsha Penner is a Behavioral Neuroscientist who specializes in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Arizona in 2008, where she did research on how age-related changes in […]
Podcast #147: Nerdy Nail Trims & Enthusiastic Eye Drops with Laura Monaco Torelli
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · 147: Nerdy Nail Trims & Enthusiastic Eye Drops with Laura Monaco Torelli Guest: Laura Monaco Torelli Laura Monaco Torelli is the founder of Animal Behavior Training Concepts in Chicago, Illinois. She began her career in 1991 at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, where she trained with beluga whales, […]
BONUS: I CU Are Stuck
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · Bonus Episode with Leslie McDevitt Bonus episode! Here’s a preview of my upcoming Conference Unleashed session with Leslie McDevitt, which we’re calling “I CU Are Stuck.” Conference Unleashed is taking place virtually on November 5-7. To hear Leslie and my full session, sign up for the […]
Podcast #146: Sniffing and Marking
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · 146: Sniffing and Marking In this episode we discuss: Handling **unwanted sniffing in training. The connection to sniffing and urine marking. How to teach sniffing on cue. Using Premack’s principle. Ways to split to engineer setups so that you can create a progression. Links Mentioned: Zero […]
Podcast #145: Getting Out of a Training Funk
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #145: Getting Out of a Training Funk It seems like so many of us are getting stuck in a funk with our training lately for one reason or another… or maybe for all the reasons at the same time.<gestures vaguely to the general state of the […]
Podcast #144: Pet Trainer Roundtable
Drinking from the Toilet: Real Dogs, Real Training · #144: Pet Trainer Roundtable Guest: Taylor Barconey, Jiovany Alcaide, Kiki Yablon Kiki Yablon is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) based in Chicago. In addition to helping pet owners and fellow professionals through Kiki Yablon Dog Training, […]