This episode discusses stress in dog training. It is a supplement to The Layered Stress Model episode. We review unavoidable learning stress moments that come with all learning. Understand what kind of stress is important to avoid and what stress is short-lived and irrelevant. We further review why stress measurements in many dog training studies are misleading. The episode closes with a brief review of the Salirli study on learning stress from different training tools. You will be surprised to hear about those findings. Visit the Podcast Episode Page to watch the video version, see additional ..read more

This episode discusses problems without resolutions. A skilled dog trainer can address many challenges with dogs successfully. However, with experience comes perspective and a deeper understanding of what can and can't be addressed through training. Some problems are simply not fixable. Sometimes management is the only viable option, and failing to understand that just causes frustration. Also, in some cases, a dog may be inherently unsafe to live with, and the answer is, unfortunately, predetermined. We discuss some unfixable scenarios that are easy to manage and some sobering, sad cases wher ..read more

Play-based dog training is the most effective form of dog training there is. Because it speaks to the fundamental nature of dogs. Canines refine their innate hunting skills through rough-and-tumble play with their littermates. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional content and a list of episode references. Buy Ralf's book If Your Dog Could Talk - Understand Your Dog Like Never Before (5th Edition) on Amazon ..read more

This episode discusses animal welfare for dogs. The permanent management of unwanted dog behavior has become a pandemic. It’s all the rage with veterinary behaviorists, force-free dog trainers, animal rights organizations, and other groups unburdened by knowledge or understanding of typical dog behavior. The approaches and characteristics are multi-fold. They include walking your dog during off-hours, avoiding certain homes or situations, buying enrichment toys, drugging dogs, and many more. This creates animal wellness concerns for dogs. Visit the Podcast Episode Page to watch the video versi ..read more

This episode discusses the intelligence of dogs. How smart are they? We review the two experiments that place the dog's cognitive ability around the age of a 2-year-old child. Discuss Chaser, the Border Collie from 60 Minutes and how to look at the intelligence of dogs compared to people. Visit the Podcast Episode Page to watch the video version, see additional content, and access a list of the episode references. Buy Ralf's book If Your Dog Could Talk - Understand Your Dog Like Never Before (5th Edition) on Amazon ..read more

This episode discusses natural remedies for dogs. I am not a veterinarian and this is not health advice. I am sharing my own experiences with natural approaches that have worked well for me for over a decade. If these approaches are right for you and your dog is your personal decision. This is a purely informational episode. I review my practices and experiences dealing with parasites, ticks, fever, cleaning sprays, and ear mites. Visit the Podcast Episode Page to watch the video version, see additional content, and access a list of the episode references. Buy Ralf's book If Your Dog Could Tal ..read more

Living with an aggressive dog is stressful. Never being sure what will happen on your daily walk, potential injuries, vet bills, legal consequences, etc. You don’t have to live like this. This episode discusses our training approach to working with aggressive dogs. We are specialized in resolving dog aggression of all types and will do all we can to give you the dog you always wanted. We have over 18 years of experience resolving aggression in dogs. Visit the Podcast Episode Page to watch the video version, see additional content, and access a list of the episode references. Buy Ralf's book If ..read more

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Casara Andre about helping dogs with cannabis. I met Dr. Andre during a dog trainer conference in 2019 and subsequently worked with her team to assist two of my dogs with ailments, injuries, and aging through the use of cannabis. The results were remarkable, and we discuss them in more detail in this episode. Dr. Andre founded Veterinary Cannabis, helping animals with physiological challenges. She also leads Medicine of Wonder, providing a holistic approach to helping animals with emotional dysfunctions. Further, Dr. Andre is at the forefront of researching an ..read more

This episode discusses the different phases of teaching dogs new skills. We review acquisition, fluency, discrimination, generalization, and maintenance. Further, we examine two often ignored aspects of the learning process—first, the difference between visible and internal progress. Second, the learning law of readiness was first documented by Edward Thorndike in 1910. Visit the Podcast Episode Page to watch the video version, see additional content, and access a list of the episode references. Buy Ralf's book If Your Dog Could Talk - Understand Your Dog Like Never Before (5th Edition) on Ama ..read more

Unfortunately, far too many dog trainers fail to understand the ethological meaning of the terms dominance, submission, and aggression and misuse them. If this topic interests you more, I highly recommend the books by ethologist, Roger Abrantes and animal behavior expert Temple Grandin. Dominance and submission are terms ethology defines, not dog trainers. To explain these, we have to examine their origin briefly. This starts with a look at the dog's ancestors—wolves. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional content and a list of episode references. Buy Ralf's book If Your Dog Could Talk ..read more