Pick of the Litter Podcast

Pulling on Leash: Strategies for a Better Walk

Does your dog pull on leash? Probably! Why? Because walking steadily forward in a straight line is not something a dog does naturally. It's a big ask we humans make of our dogs, which is why this challenge takes some time, and a multi-faceted approach. In this episode we talk about the strategies and equipment we find most successful in getting to a walk that's enjoyable from both ends of the leash. 

Jumping Up on People: Strategies to Keep 4 on the Floor

When tiny puppies jump up to say hi it can be so cute! Whoops . . . it's not so cute later on when kids are getting knocked over, clothes are getting muddy, and grandma gets hurt. To eliminate that jumping, it's key to teach (and reward) different ways for dogs to greet people, or express their desire to engage. In this episode we'll cover all the things you can do so that your dog learns that keeping four on the floor is the most direct route to the affection, play and up-close smells they're after. 

Potty Training: The Basics

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.

Canine Body Language & Dr. Patricia McConnell

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
 

Clicker Training & Karen Pryor’s ”Don’t Shoot 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.

Pattern Games from Leslie McDevitt

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
 
 

Positive Reinforcement & Kathy Sdao’s ”Plenty In Life Is Free”

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