Visit us at shapedbydog.com    I'm sharing 10 fun and engaging games of chase to play with dogs to increase food drive for picky eaters. Now, you might have a dog who loves treats, but they will still have a great time playing the games with you, so give them a try! The games are quick to play and are a great way to connect with your dog. Playing will give you treats your dog values that you can use to your training advantage, and you'll also gain a treat delivery system that engages your dog.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • Why transfer of value is crucial in dog traini ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   If you are trying to train a dog who is fussy about food, or if you know someone who is in that situation, you may think, "this dog training is never going to work." And you know, you're probably right! Training will be a challenge unless you have something of great value for the dog. We’re continuing our focus on how to create food drive with a look at how to structure your dog training to get a transfer of value from things your dog loves to any treat.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • Essential strategies for boosting your dog's food drive. • Th ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    This episode is all about my girl This! with reflections on this year's Canadian Dog Agility World Team Tryouts. You are all part of Team This! and I'm sharing my goals, challenges, and joys. These same things can relate to whatever you're going through with your own dog. Never give up. At 20 months of age This! didn't even want to wrap a cone or do a tunnel. We've come a long way, and the story continues.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • An update on my Border Collie This! and our story so far. • A debrief of our 2024 Canadian Dog Agility W ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    How can I train my dog if they're not interested in food? That's a question I'm often asked, and before we get to the how, we need to look at the why! A dog not really wanting to take food is something I've experienced from time to time. I'm covering the top ten reasons why a dog might have low food drive and not be motivated by training treats as a reinforcer.    In this episode you’ll hear:   • About my experiences with dogs not interested in food. • Why singleton puppies might have low food drive. • The impact of a dog’s anxiety or fea ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    How many thresholds does your dog cross a day? It could be a physical or emotional threshold. Training thresholds are important to understand, and thresholds can explain why some dogs seem anxious and refuse to budge, and others get way overexcited. I’ve got tips to help dogs with balancing emotions to cross any type of threshold with calm, thoughtful focus. You’ll also get a peek at what I discovered about my puppy Prophet’s excitement with a see-saw and how I'm counterconditioning the stimulus.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • About unders ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    What if I told you that the secret to unlocking your dog's success lies within the walls of your own home? I've been using a training den for many years, and so have my students. I’m covering how to use a training den to fast track your dog’s success and confidence, what I keep in my training den, and why it creates a bond with dogs and helps them love training. The good feelings you create for your dog in your training den transfer to the training, which transfers to you, and you can generalize that to other places. And don’t worry if you don’t have mu ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Dog training by nature is quite nuanced. Now, there are behaviors that everyone can get at some level with their dogs, like sit and down and fetch, but to get really brilliant behaviors, we need to understand the nuances. The really good news is that even if you’ve never trained a dog before, you can get this dialed in, and I’m covering what to look for with Hot Zone training as an example and have practical tips for you to try right away.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • Why understanding dog training nuances is important. • About the nuanc ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Have you ever been triggered by social media dramas about dog training methods? It's likely something we all experience. There was a recent incident at Crufts that flowed into the social channels this week that had a lot of thoughts flooding into my brain, including the question of how can we, as a community of dog loving reinforcement-based trainers, show up as our best selves when we get triggered by things out of our control? I'd love to open a dialogue on this topic and want to convey the compassion and empathy I have for everybody when sharing my e ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Have you tried shaping a timid, shy, softer or fearful dog and found your dog could not offer behaviors or engage in dog training sessions? The challenge is real! Recently, we looked at shaping high-drive dogs, but what about dogs on the other side of the spectrum who seem unmotivated? Help is at hand, and we’re covering how to shape more reserved dogs to grow their confidence, unlock their full potential, and rapidly increase their joy and enthusiasm for training with you.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • Shaping confidence for reserved, ti ..read more

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   I recently asked ChatGPT to list the top 10 frustrations people experience with dogs and am covering how to break down dog behavior problems to help make things better for everyone.  Making things better is the key no matter what challenge you have, and it will give you relief from frustration and allow you and your dog to experience two-sided joy.    In this episode you’ll hear:   • Top 10 frustrations of dog owners worldwide according to ChatGPT. • Strategies to address these frustrations and make life better for you and your dog. • Impo ..read more