Dog Talk by Happy Dog Training
by Happy Dog Training
Dog Talk is an informative and fun podcast for everything dog related from Happy Dog Training. Join Ralf and his team and delve into a broad range of dog-related topics from training to nutrition, health, and behavior, as well as fun, quirky things and current dog news.
Episodes
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Episode 56: Dog Management
In this episode, we discuss dog management. Dog management has become the default approach for far too many situations that could be addressed through training. We review some common examples of how dog management and training intersect, when one is more appropriate than the other, and general...
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Episode 55: Service Dog Training with Ivan Balabanov
In this episode, I speak with dog training legend Ivan Balabanov about Service Dog Training. Ivan is best known for his accomplishments in dog sports. He is a two-time world champion in the protection sport IGP but has worked in every dog discipline you have heard of. Ivan is known and respected...
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Episode 54: Using Cannabis for Dogs
This episode discusses using cannabis for dogs. We review what to look for and to consider before grabbing a random cannabis product off the shelf. You learn about the importance of having a Certificate of Analysis, understanding the molecular profile of your cannabis product, and how to avoid...
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Episode 53: Don't Bother Service Dogs
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.
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Episode 52: Dog Socialization
This episode discusses dog socialization. We review how to socialize a dog correctly and what socialization is about. Also, we discuss the importance of socializing early and which dogs benefit most. It benefits all dogs, but some are more affected than others when this is missed. Further, we…
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Episode 51: Hiking with Dogs
This episode discusses hiking with your dog. You can find many resources for human hikers online, but comprehensive information for canine hiking companions is hard to locate. Most articles seem to center around bringing enough water and taking breaks. These points are, of course, important, but...
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Episode 50: The Shock Collar
This episode discusses the likely most controversial tool in dog training, the electric collar, aka shock collar. This tool can get some people's blood boiling. However, most online videos are ignorant of what this tool is suitable for and how to use it. It is either hailed as the greatest thing...
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Episode 49: Ignorance, Nonsense and Stupidity
This episode discusses dumb ideas, some of which have become accepted norms. We review three cases of stupidity in particular. First, trainers attacking dogs as a means of temperament testing. Second, deworming dogs that have no parasites. Third, a relaxation protocol by Karen Overall which has...
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Episode 48: Should You Buy or Rescue a Dog?
This episode discusses the advantages and disadvantages of rescuing a dog from a shelter vs buying a dog from a breeder. We review what you should consider in making the right choice for your family. This includes the different risks and considerations going into this decision. It's not about…
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Episode 47: Stress in Dog Training
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…
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Problems without Resolutions
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...
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Rebroadcast: Play-Based Training
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...
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Animal Welfare for Dogs
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...
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How Smart Are Dogs?
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…
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Natural Remedies for Dogs
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...
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Working with Aggressive Dogs
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...
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Helping Dogs with Cannabis with Dr. Casara Andre
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…
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The Process of Teaching Dogs
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...
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Rebroadcast: Dominance and Submission Explained
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...
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Taking Your Dog to the Vet
In this episode, we discuss veterinary visits with your dog. Taking your dog to the vet can be scary for your furry family member. It’s an unfamiliar place with many different animal smells. Your dog can sense the discomfort of other dogs already there. It can make your buddy tense before you…
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Dog Training Models
In this episode, we discuss dog training models. Generally, models are simplified views of reality to focus on the most important aspects to reduce complexity. As a result, all models are incomplete by nature. Models can be essential and valuable but never encompass all aspects and have gaps by...
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Dogs and Rattlesnakes with Carl Person
In this episode, I speak with biologist Carl Person. Carl founded Animalia Herpetofauna, Inc.—one of the top rattlesnake avoidance training companies. Carl and his team have trained all my dogs to avoid rattlesnakes, and Animalia Herpetofauna is where I send all my clients for rattlesnake…
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Dog Parks
In this episode, we discuss dog parks. On the one hand, they provide a much-needed space for socialization, but on the other hand, they are dangerous places. We unpack the challenges and provide some tips to minimize the risks. Dog parks can be fun for dogs and people. You can bring your dog to...
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Saying Goodbye to Your Dog
In this episode, we discuss the end of life for our canine companions, how to make the last moments less stressful for them, euthanasia, the veterinary process, options to consider for you and your family, and more. This episode covers a very emotional and serious topic. Be honest with yourself...
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Canine Enrichment
In this episode, we discuss enriching dogs' environments. This is a much broader topic than is often acknowledged. Enrichment is important for most species. We all have experienced boredom. It’s the birthplace of regrettable ideas. Just remember some of the things you came up with as a teenager...
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When Dogs Attack
Podcast Episode 33: When Dogs Attack In this episode, we discuss dog attacks. We review the risks and frequency of dog attacks on people nationwide. Taking precautions to avoid unnecessary risks and several self-defense options with a good chance of working. Not a day goes by without dogs…
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How to Rescue a Dog
If you wonder how to rescue a dog, we have tips for you! Sadly, millions of dogs live in animal shelters across the nation. So when you are ready to add a new member to the family, animal shelters are a great place to find a wonderful companion. You don't have to go to a breeder to get a good…
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Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist Kay Stewart
In this episode, I speak with certified, professional canine nutritionist Kay Stewart about the importance of canine nutrition. We should feed our dogs to thrive, not just survive. We discuss the importance of healthy food, limits of veterinary knowledge around nutrition, health improvements from...
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Separation Anxiety
In this episode, we discuss separation anxiety in dogs. Every dog finds forced isolation unpleasant. No dog enjoys you going to work and leaving them alone for eight to ten hours a day. Dogs are social creatures. While dogs sleep a lot and do need their alone time, most of the time, they would...
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Creating Motivation
In this episode, we discuss the importance of motivation in dog training. Motivation is the most important aspect when training any dog and, sadly, the most neglected. In the sports dog world, the importance of creating the right motivation is understood and used well, but it is ignored in many...
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Emotions in Dogs
In this episode, we discuss emotions in dogs. We explore the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions in all mammals. I briefly overview the Blue-Ribbon emotions and how and why this matters when working with dogs. The information in this episode is largely based on Affective...
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The Dog Training Industry is Failing Dog Owners
In this episode, we discuss how the industry of dog training is failing dog owners. Too much ideology gets in the way of helping people live more harmoniously with their dogs. We touch on the current state of affairs, the problems this creates for dog owners, training tool bans, and where all of...
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Should You Train Your Dog?
In this episode, we discuss if you should train your dog. This may seem like a silly question at first, but it's actually not. If your dog has behavioral issues, yes, hire a trainer. If you have specific requirements for camping, off-leash hiking, wanting to participate in a dog sport, or joining…
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Dog Walking
In this episode, we discuss dog walking. Dogs love walking, but they naturally would travel up to twenty miles daily if left to their own devices, while humans cover ten miles at best. Dogs naturally travel about four miles an hour, and humans about two miles an hour. People feel a social...
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Spaying and Neutering Dogs
This episode discusses the risks and benefits of spaying and neutering dogs. Studies have shown that we need to make some changes. It is often advocated to sterilize dogs to protect them from cancer. However, it turns out the opposite is true. A study published at UC Davis in 2013, titled…
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Dog Myths
In this episode, we discuss eleven dog myths that keep persisting despite them being false. This includes dog myths around veterinary procedures, food, training, play, emotions, intelligence, and more. Myth: Don't take your dog for walks before its shots are complete. Myth: Feeding raw food is...
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Clarity in Dog Training
In this episode, we discuss why clarity matters for dogs. Clarity matters in communicating with your dog, training your dog, and living with your dog harmoniously. Family dogs do best when they understand how everything in the home functions, how each family member interacts with them, and what...
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Leash Aggression
In this episode, we discuss leash aggression in dogs. Most dog owners use this term if their dog loses their mind at other dogs, people, cars, bikes, or whatever, when on a leash. Off-leash the dog may even be fine. Just on a leash, it acts like a lunatic. And there is, of course, the close...
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Dog Misbehavior
In this episode, we discuss dog misbehavior. That generally means any behavior by your dog you don't care for. But much of what is called dog misbehavior is rooted in genetic frustration. Most misbehavior is not that but simply a normal—and perfectly fine—behavior expressed in an inappropriate...
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Food Aggression
In this episode, we discuss food aggression in dogs. When I was a less experienced trainer, I thought this was an issue of poor pack hierarchy in the home. I know many dog trainers continue to believe this. Today I know better. I wasn’t completely wrong back then; my knowledge was just…
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Understanding Punishment
In this episode, we'll discuss the concept of punishment. This is the follow-up promised in episode nine about reinforcement. But, while reinforcement is about creating behaviors, punishment is about controlling and stopping behaviors. Punishment hardly sounds good and evokes all kinds of…
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Veterinary Care
In this episode, we discuss veterinary care. Understand what to look for from veterinarians and how to manage and prepare for emergency veterinary expenses. Learn how pet insurance and services like Care Credit can help you when you need it the most. We also discuss different types of...
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Scientific Dog Studies
In this episode, we discuss the flaws of many scientific dog studies. Instead of peer-reviewed, validated, solid scientific studies, we deal with far too many manipulated, unverifiable 'studies' that are meaningless at best and misleading or manipulated at worst. We discuss how science is…
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Creating Reliability
In this episode, we discuss what goes into creating reliability in dogs during training. We review the stages of learning: acquisition, fluency, generalization, discrimination, and maintenance. We review which aspects of learning science come into play during the process and how dog training…
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How to Build Confidence in Dogs
In this episode, I discuss how we increase the confidence of dogs. We review the general principles and discuss the overall approach. We review realistic goals for a fearful dog and what limits we likely have to accept. This episode expands on episode 8, 'Fear and Anxiety in Dogs,' which focuses…
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Allergies in Dogs
In this episode, I discuss how we handle allergies with our personal dogs. We go over why an allergy test is the best way to get started and what other options to consider when addressing your dog's allergies with the help of your veterinarian. Visit the Podcast Episode Page for additional…
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Dog Food
In this episode, I share my thoughts on dog food. We go over how to evaluate commercial dog foods, kibble quality, special veterinary dog foods, and alternatives, Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in dogs, my journey of feeding dogs from kibble, to cooking, to…
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Canine Consent
In this episode, we discuss canine consent. It is the idea that dogs are sentient beings who deserve agency in their lives. According to this concept, dogs should be allowed to make their own decisions and not made to do anything they don't want to. We explore if that makes sense, or is nonsense,...
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The Layered Stress Model
Every dog has a threshold at which it fails to perform. There is always a breaking point. That can mean distractions become too intense for a dog to follow obedience commands still. It can be that a fearful dog is getting too stressed and shuts down or blows up. It can be that an aggressive dog...
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Reinforcement
In this episode, we'll discuss reinforcement. There are many misconceptions on the internet, YouTube, etc., about reinforcement. Especially positive reinforcement is advocated as the singularly required approach for everything around dogs. Instead of adding to the opinion pile, I want to provide...
About this show
Dog Talk is an informative and fun podcast for everything dog related from Happy Dog Training. Join Ralf and his team and delve into a broad range of dog-related topics from training to nutrition, health, and behavior, as well as fun, quirky things and current dog news.
Hosted by
Happy Dog Training