Good Dog Nation

What is dog play and why is it important? In a followup to his article, "Dog Play & Prediction Error," Drayton Michaels, CTC, talks about shaping dog play and the need for getting your dog into regular, supervised play with doggie friends. It's not just us humans that need friends and benefit from the social interaction, so do dogs. Dog play is often misunderstood, by dog owners and professionals, alike. Drayton ...

Little dogs have special needs and are more prone to fear, stress and reactivity. Take a deep dive into all things small this week with Drayton Michaels, CTC, as he discusses the needs of little dogs. From the proper ways to approach and pick up a small dog to how to counter condition using a dog carrier like a doggie Bjorn, we talk about setting up environments that promote positive associations for our tiny four legged friends. D...

Behavior is something all humans do and all humans require from dogs in order for us to live with less stress. Delve into understanding behavior from the dog's perspective, as well as from the human side of the equation with Drayton Michaels, CTC. This episode discusses associative learning and consequence learning with dogs. Drayton explains the application of behavior change and understanding reinforcements, both positive an...

A Sound Beginning is a fourteen day program designed to make it easy for anyone to prevent mistakes and create a positive start from the first day you bring your new dog home. This unique program reduces and eliminates the stress that is part of transition period for an adopted dog to acclimate to it's new home. Based on the book of the same name, A Sound Beginning Program is used in shelters and rescues around Chicago to help...

Puppies are cute and cuddly, but they're a lot of work. Puppy expert, Gila Kurtz, talks to Kim about how to get ready for a puppy and what to do in the first week to help your new furry family member acclimate to its new home. From how to pick a puppy to what to have in your house before you bring your puppy home, you'll get critical information that can help you and your puppy get off on the right puppy paw. Gila and Kim...

Metis Riley, CPDT-KA, discusses her personal growth from a dog walker to a reward based dog trainer in Alaska. She talks about the success of partnering with a local vet and a veterinary behaviorist, when to use these resources, and what it has done for her business. Reactivity is her focus, working not only with clients but also with dogs in shelters, helping them to get adopted. Metis created a unique program that uses canine nos...

Heather Adams, KPA CTP, CBATI, talks about the sport of agility and how it can help dogs learn to focus, as well as gain self-control and confidence, while providing a fun outlet for dog/owner teams. Whether you use agility for fun or join the competitive side of the sport, it offers huge benefits that go beyond having a good time running around the ring. Heather discusses how she incorporates agility training with clients' do...

Dr. Amy Pike, DVM, DACVB, IAABC-CABC, Boarded Veterinary Behaviorist talks about the role a vet behaviorist plays in dealing with aggression and extreme fear in dogs. One of only 84 vet behaviorists in North America, Dr. Pike is a specialist in behavior medicine, who is essentially the "psychiatrist" of the veterinary world. She discusses her field and how she works with dog owners, dog trainers, behavior consultants and ...

Dr. Susan Smyth, Director of the Gill Heart & Vascular Institute joins Kim and Michelle to discuss the therapy dog program being used to rehabilitate heart and stroke patients. Michelle trained both of Susan's dogs, Carmine and Saleh, that work at the hospital three days a week. Carmine is one of a select few therapy dogs, (if not the only one) that is trained to walk with heart patients on EKMO. Listen to discussion on ho...

Maria Gray, with her Newfoundland, is the only American dog team certified by the Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs (SICS). In Italy, there are over 300 dog/handler teams that are certified to patrol the beaches there and work together with the Italian Cost Guard and Fire Departments. Maria has been training dogs for over 20 years and currently runs a nonprofit called The American Academy of Canine Water Rescue, which is focusing...

Stacey Butler, owner of For The Love of Roscoe Dog Grooming, talks to Kim and Michelle about professional dog grooming utilizing reward based dog training techniques and gentle handling. Stacey is also a certified Fear Free groomer and talks in detail about the process to earn that certification, how she has incorporated it into her business, and what impact that has had on her clients and their dogs. Stacey's unique one-on-on...

Good Dog Nation premieres by introducing co-hosts, Michelle McCarthy, CDBC, CTAC, of K9HomeSchooling.com and Kim Meritt, co-founder of GoodDogInABox.com and GoodDogPro.com. Kim and Michelle describe the weekly, one hour format, with the first thirty minutes focused on the dog owner/lover or someone who is interested in getting a dog, while the second thirty minutes is aimed at the dog professional and is only available through a su...