Living with a dog who displays fear, anxiety, or aggression is challenging, no matter what. Seeing these behaviors present in your new puppy can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming as you try to jump in and work on the issues (in addition to “normal” puppy behaviors) while also imagining what life will be like for you AND your puppy as they grow and mature into an adult dog.

Today, we’re joined by Mikaela, a client at Instinct Northern New Jersey, to learn more about her experience raising and living with her beautiful dog Lola, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd mix, who began displaying some concerning behavior issues as a young puppy.

Hosts Brian Burton (he/him/his) and Sarah Fraser (she/her/hers) are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of INSTINCT Dog Behavior & Training. Both are Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and have Master's degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College/CUNY.

INSTINCT has 11 locations across the US and services the global community via virtual consults. Over 20,000 students have also taken courses at INSTINCT's online school (with many free courses available): Learn more at https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/

INSTINCT Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instinctdogtraining/

Online School https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

Free Monthly Seminars (Puppy Parenting Roadmap, Rescue Dog Roadmap, Behavior Roadmap): https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars/

Youtube Version of the Episode (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhjY77bLUdU

Today we are going to delve into the question of whether telling your dog 'no' can have a place within a positive training approach. We think it's a pretty fair question and it's one we actually get asked a lot by new clients who come to see us.

It's understandable because there's a lot of emphasis in positive training (as there should be) on trying to set your dog up to succeed, trying to help them make desirable choices, training in a way that they generally enjoy or want to listen to cues, and allowing a lot of choice and control so that they have the option to opt-in or opt-out.

But what about those times when you need your dog to stop doing something or maybe start doing something else in the now, and they're not opting in or following cues (or maybe they don't have those skills under their belt yet)? How do we handle those situations in a way that protects our dog's behavioral health and also protects the relationship that we have with them that supports a healthy relationship dynamic?

This is what we are tackling today.

Hosts Brian Burton (he/him/his) and Sarah Fraser (she/her/hers) are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of INSTINCT Dog Behavior & Training. Both are Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and have Master's degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College/CUNY.

INSTINCT has 11 locations across the US and services the global community via virtual consults. Over 20,000 students have also taken courses at INSTINCT's online school (with many free courses available): Learn more at https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/

INSTINCT Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instinctdogtraining/

Online School https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

Free Monthly Seminars (Puppy Parenting Roadmap, Rescue Dog Roadmap, Behavior Roadmap): https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars/

Youtube Version of the Episode (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EbBny9T4WI

If you are the guardian of a dog with a more complex behavior profile, finding the right care team to work with them (and you) - the right trainer, the right veterinarian, the right pet sitter or boarding kennel - can be a real challenge. When speaking about the training/behavior field, this is made more challenging by the fact that dog training is an unregulated industry, and it can be very difficult to discern what someone’s credentials actually mean, the experience they hold, and the teaching techniques they use with dogs and people.

And even when you find a person or a team you like, learning when and how to advocate for your dog - vs when to trust and follow the lead of the professionals with whom you’re working, even if you feel a little skeptical about it - takes time, and can feel intimidating or uncomfortable.

Today we’re joined by Instinct East Harlem client Kate Tighe, to share her experience with finding the right support team for her dog Teagan - and learning how to become a better advocate for her and for Teagan in the process.

Hosts Brian Burton (he/him/his) and Sarah Fraser (she/her/hers) are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of INSTINCT Dog Behavior & Training. Both are Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and have Master's degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College/CUNY.

INSTINCT has 11 locations across the US and services the global community via virtual consults. Over 20,000 students have also taken courses at INSTINCT's online school (with many free courses available): Learn more at https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/

INSTINCT Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instinctdogtraining/

Online School https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

Free Monthly Seminars (Puppy Parenting Roadmap, Rescue Dog Roadmap, Behavior Roadmap): https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars/

Youtube Version of the Episode (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfkGXWDuvM

While waiting for Season 4 to start in October, we will drop summer mini-episodes in August and September! Episodes will drop each Monday. Also, a reminder that we do have video versions of the podcast in our recording studio, which can be viewed on our YouTube Channel

In this episode, Brian and Sarah give an update on their international move and discuss one of their viral Instagram reels that received over 2 million views and generated a lot of engagement and comments. The video was "How Not to Pet a Dog." You can see that video here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr0-YWBPd-q/

Some video comments were great, some were interesting, and some were very sad. Brian and Sarah discuss why this video is important and how one of the tricky things about living with dogs, because they are so familiar to us and we feel that we know them so well, is that we can have blind spots in our knowledge and understanding of their feelings and behavior.

Hosts Brian Burton (he/him/his) and Sarah Fraser (she/her/hers) are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of INSTINCT Dog Behavior & Training. Both are Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and have Master's degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College/CUNY.

INSTINCT has 11 locations across the US and services the global community via virtual consults. Over 20,000 students have also taken courses at INSTINCT's online school (with many free courses available): Learn more at https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/

INSTINCT Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instinctdogtraining/

Online School https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

Free Monthly Seminars (Puppy Parenting Roadmap, Rescue Dog Roadmap, Behavior Roadmap): https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars/

Youtube Version of the Episode (video): https://youtu.be/qeLs2OEpaCs

This week we are talking about dogs in urban environments. We discuss some of the most common challenges facing urban dogs, and also some of our favorite hacks for navigating city life to protect and enhance your city dog's welfare; because let's face it, living in an urban environment can be pretty stressful for dogs AND humans.

During the conversation we also discuss which personality traits, and breeds typically do well with, or find urban environments challenging. We also discuss ways to make living in an urban environment with your dog more enjoyable and less stressful for both of you.

Guests:
- Lauren Jones-Wenzel (she/her/hers) CDBC is a Certified Behavior Consultant at INSTINCT Northern New Jersey, INSTINCT Jersey Shore, and INSTINCT Philadelphia.

- Stephanie Collingsworth (she/her/hers) CDBC is a Certified Behavior Consultant at INSTINCT Portland

Hosts Brian Burton (he/him/his) and Sarah Fraser (she/her/hers) are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of INSTINCT Dog Behavior & Training. Both are Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and have Master's degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College/CUNY.

INSTINCT has 11 locations across the US and services the global community via virtual consults. Over 20,000 students have also taken courses at INSTINCT's online school (with many free courses available): Learn more at https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/

INSTINCT Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instinctdogtraining/

Online School https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

Free Monthly Seminars (Puppy Parenting Roadmap, Rescue Dog Roadmap, Behavior Roadmap): https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars/

Youtube Version of the Episode (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfvhH04Er2o

Leash reactivity (lunging and barking at dogs and people) is one of the most common issues people come to us for help with, and so many of our clients experience a ton of judgment and disparaging comments from other dog owners when out on walks.

People ASSUME things about them and about their dog, based on that reactivity; "What's Wrong with that dog?" or "Why does their owner allow them to keep doing that?", or "They should really get some training".

In this episode we discuss why these assumptions can be exceedingly incorrect, and how you (with your non-reactive dog) may be contributing to the issue.

Whether you have a leash reactive dog or not, this episode is for you.

Guests:
- Ella Tirado (she/her/hers) CPDT-KA is a Certified Trainer at INSTINCT Hudson Valley.

- Jessica Wheatcraft (she/her/hers) CDBC, Founder of INSTINCT San Diego

- Jenna Slutzky (she/her/hers) KPA-CTP is a Certified Trainer with INSTINCT Nashville.

Hosts Brian Burton (he/him/his) and Sarah Fraser (she/her/hers) are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of INSTINCT Dog Behavior & Training. Both are Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and have Master's degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College/CUNY.

INSTINCT has 11 locations across the US and services the global community via virtual consults. Over 20,000 students have also taken courses at INSTINCT's online school (with many free courses available): Learn more at https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/

INSTINCT Resources:

Online School https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

Free Monthly Seminars (Puppy Parenting Roadmap, Rescue Dog Roadmap, Behavior Roadmap): https://www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars/

Youtube Version of the Episode (video): https://youtu.be/rIlq0D_sa34