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...

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...

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...

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. •...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. •...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   High drive, frantic, hyper dogs can be overwhelming! I’ve got shaping tips to help you end dog training frustration. High drive dogs can also be a lot of fun to train once you’ve made a few tweaks and the step by step I’m sharing I’ve learned from my very driven dogs. There are a lot of myths about dogs who seem to get frantic quickly, so we’re covering what’s really going on, why decompression for dogs is important, and what you can do so that your dog can...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     Recently, I asked for your questions about using shaping in dog training, and wow, did you deliver! I’m covering misconceptions about shaping, where shaping went wrong for me in the 90s with my dogs and a wall, what you need to know about successive approximations, and how behavioral blocks set dogs up for success. Plus, I’m answering some of your most popular questions and sharing the steps so you can shape your dog to close a cupboard door.   In this...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Ever wondered if your puppy's behavior is normal or cause for concern? From biting to lunging, fearing to growling, chasing, chewing and more, it can be hard to know what's normal and what's not. There’s a range of behaviors that people might consider problems, but many really are normal, and they can vary based on a puppy's breed, upbringing, and individual quirks. I've got insights and practical tips for understanding and action-taking on common puppy...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   Are you ready to take your dog training to the next level? Whether you're just starting, have been at it a while, or are an experienced dog trainer, I've got hacks to fast track success and take you and your dog to a completely different level of understanding. I'm diving into shaping behavior and why it's the key to unlocking rapid learning for you and your dog. Shaping is not a training method but how all animals learn, and I've got simple yet powerful tips...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Does your dog get hyper and lose focus the closer they get to something really exciting? You are not alone, and I have a training plan to help you create calm and focus for over-the-top dogs. I’m covering why dogs can get out of control near things they love and what to do about it when you want to be a positive reinforcement-based dog trainer. Plus, you’ll get the steps to play the Threshold Game with a case study of a very excited young dog who visits me...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Have you ever wondered how to fix your dog’s unwanted behavior when you want to train with positive reinforcement? In episode 256, I covered the magic question, "What was that cookie for?" that helps us all understand how we may be contributing to the behaviors of our dogs that we want to change. So, I’m following up with my top tips on turning things around. The very good news is that the formula I use to get everything back on track is easy to apply to any...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   With the growing popularity of positive reinforcement-based dog training, there's an increasing popularity of criticizing the use of positive reinforcement. And truthfully, it isn't all unfounded because there can be a huge variability in people's results when they choose not to use physical corrections or verbal intimidation in their dog training. I’m addressing the criticism with a look at 5 different scenarios where dogs get rewarded for things you don’t...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   There are a lot of rescue dogs out there. And bravo for those of you who are opening up your homes and adopting them. In this episode, I'm doing a deep dive into the emotions of rescue dogs, and the priorities I have when I bring a rescue dog into my home. This episode is for everybody, regardless of whether you have a rescue or not. I'm sharing the thought process I go through when evaluating all of my dogs, my training, and the next step I need to take with...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Do you have or know a dog or older puppy who still isn't completely house trained? If this is you, don't worry, I've got you covered! I’m sharing the reasons a dog might not be fully house trained, what to do about it, a common mistake people make, and how to teach your dog to tell you when they want to go outside to potty.    In this episode you’ll hear:   • Common reasons why older puppies or dogs have accidents inside the house. • How I had house...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   I was recently asked, "Do you think there's a way we could instantly make our dog's life better?" and I thought about it and decided it would be a great topic for an episode of Shaped by Dog.  The way I narrowed down my list to 7 things might surprise you. The good news is that putting these proven tips into action will not really cost you any more money and will improve life and happiness for all dogs and people.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • The...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   Feeding dogs raw food and how to train with raw fed dogs are topics I get asked to talk about a lot! I’m covering how I use raw food to my dog training advantage and how I plan what food I’m using when and where. Even if you don’t feed raw, the tips on type of treats for dogs and using treats for training is for everyone.   In this episode you’ll hear:   • What it's like training your dogs when you're a raw feeder. • The detailed strategy I use when I'm...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Non-Reward Markers have long been used in dog training, but are they really necessary? And what drives our choice to use an NRM? An NRM, sometimes called a No Reward Marker, could be a word people use to freeze a dog from making a poor choice during training or even be something like, “ah”, “no”, “hey”, “stop”. I’m covering how things have changed for me and the use of Non-Reward Markers over the years and what we can do instead.   In this episode you’ll...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Recently something happened in my own dog training that I’m sharing in this episode, and it’s all about our expectations of our dogs. Along with our expectations, our beliefs and biases play a role in our relationship with our dogs. We’re all bombarded with unrealistic expectations about dogs daily, so challenging what we think with curiosity can be a fast track to dog training success. Realistic expectations will bring us closer to our dogs, and help them be...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    We’ve got another ask me anything episode, because your questions are so good! I’m sharing answers on topics like training contacts in dog agility, daily training routines for puppies, overcoming fears in dogs, training in multiple sports, feeding schedules for dogs, exercise for dogs, dealing with reactivity between dogs, zoomies in the agility ring and more. Have a question I’ve not covered? Jump over to YouTube and let me know what it is in the comments. ...