Pick of the Litter Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

 In this episode, we discuss the different factors that go into choosing the right dog. What breed might be the best match for your lifestyle and setup? Should you dive in and get a puppy or would an adult be the smartest choice? If you hope to adopt a great rescue dog, where do you start? If you're choosing a purebred, how can you be sure (and why SHOULD you be sure) you've got a responsible breeder? And finally . . . should you ever just go with your heart and take that dog who, on paper, seems like a terrible idea but you simply cannot stop thinking about? We hope you enjoy this conversation, and it helps give you a bit more fodder to ponder the next time you approach one of the most exciting decisions we have in life: adding a new dog to the family.  

Do you know how to really PLAY with your dog? The answer is more complicated - and important - than it might seem. True social play between you and your dog can be a powerful tool in building connection and trust, and it can be a much-needed reprieve for a dog living here in our human world. Dr. Amy Cook is the expert on human-canine play, and her "Play Way" approach is our topic for this episode.  

LINKS:

Video of Dr. Cook demonstrating some elements of "The Play Way"

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=681929543785963 

Graphic illustrating highlighting key Play Way concepts

https://blog.doggiedrawings.net/post/614077754120519680

Kathy's article on play in Whole Dog Journal

Teaching your puppy to use the outdoor bathroom is both the simplest and the most challenging part of puppyhood. It's simple because combining the top three strategies absolutely works — but it's miserable because doing it right takes an incredible amount of dedication. This episode is a discussion of how to make this intense phase as short as possible.

Do you ever think that you and your dog aren't communicating very well? You can get much better at it! Dr. Patricia McConnell's work as a zoologist and an applied animal behaviorist been groundbreaking in helping people to understand canine body language — and how our own primate-style body language confuses our dogs, and weakens our relationship.  In this episode, we use McConnell's classic book "The Other End of the Leash" as a jumping off point, discussing all the simple things you can do to improve communication between yourself and your dog.  As the episode continues, we delve into McConnell's fascinating research on vocalizations between species — if you want your dog to come quickly, then don't use one long slow note to call! —  and then finish with a more abstract conversation on the complex issue of "dominance."

NOTES

Patricia McConnell is a delightful speaker, and we highly suggest that you search her out on your podcast app! She has been a guest on:

Drinking from the Toilet

Pod to the Rescue

The Bitey End of the Dog

If you’ve heard of clicker training but you’re not quite sure what it is, this episode is for you. “Clicker training” has become shorthand for positive reinforcement training, and marine mammal behaviorist Karen Pryor is credited with bringing this incredibly effective technique to the dog training world. Here, we talk about Pryor's classic book “Don’t Shoot The Dog,” and cover why, how and when to use a clicker.

In this episode, we focus on the work of dog trainer and behaviorist Leslie McDevitt.  Her deceptively simple pattern games are huge favorites with our clients for good reason: they’re easy to use, and they work. We cover our favorites, explaining how to do them, when to use them, and why we love them: The Up-Down Game, Ping-Pong, 1-2-3, Go & Come Game, Look & Sniff Game, and Look At That

We’re going to kick things off by introducing you to the work and wisdom of Kathy Sdao. Not only does she have an overall philosophy that we’d love to burn into the hearts and brains of our clients, but she also came up with our very favorite training exercise, the one we both use with almost every client, called SMART x 50, which we’ll explain in this episode

Have you ever been surprised by a growl as you tried to take something from your sweet dog? Taken aback when your usually friendly dog bared her teeth as the neighbor's dog came near her toy? Resource guarding is both completely natural AND can be a big problem! We see folks worrying too much in some cases, and not enough in others. In this episode we use Jean Donaldson's book "Mine" as a jumping off point for a discussion on resource guarding: what to watch for, how to use management to prevent issues, how to handle emergencies, and how to keep your dog from becoming a problematic guarder. 

Does punishment work with dogs? Dr. Ian Dunbar has spent five decades at the forefront of the industry as a vet, researcher and trainer, and he's channeled it all into his new book, "Barking Up The Right Tree." In this episode, we focus on the one chapter that is a master class on punishment. Rather than addressing the morality or ethics involved, Dunbar goes straight to the science: Is it effective? When we yell, jerk on the leash, buzz or shock our dogs, what does it teach them? Listen to find out. 

On this podcast, we often talk about authors — and this time, the author is one of us! "Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog: How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend" is Kathy's new puppy guide.  Take a listen to learn why she says your training success will skyrocket if you make this one key mindset shift: think of your puppy as a baby you kidnapped from another planet. While the book offers many tips and techniques regarding the various challenges of puppyhood, the fundamental key is that starting with empathy just may be the best training tip there is.