Dr Dunbar's iWoofs Podcasts

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4.05 Training an Intact Newfie

This highly devoted owner has a huge Newfoundland that they’ve been working hard to train all through puppyhood.  Now that adolescence has hit though, the owners are having new problems with controlling their dog’s attention and aggression.  As an un-neutered male dog he is the target of additional hostile attention from other dogs.  With such a powerful dog it’s incredibly important to get things under control as quickly as possible.  Fortunately Kelly & Jamie have some easy tips for dealing with the difficulties of adolescence, testicles included.  A rock-solid sit, with eye-contact on cue, will mean your dog is always under control, and unlikely to provoke an aggressive response.  Add in plenty of classical conditioning and your dog can be calm and collected in any situation.

Super-Sit: http://dogstardaily.com/training/ultra-super-sit

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 4

4.04 The Bite Scale and How to Evaluate Aggression

Our perception of dog aggression is easily distorted by fear. That’s why it’s important to evaluate "dog bites" by an objective measure. The Bite Scale provides a consistent way of looking at a dog’s history of aggression by measuring the amount of injury that was inflicted. 95% of “dog bites" result in minimal harm and are not caused by dangerous animals.

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 4

4.03 John Rogerson & The Mongrel Dog

In this episode the Dunbars respond to and discuss a video by John Rogerson about the declining numbers and quality of mongrel dogs in the UK. You can see it yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s850_3s0C8. Mongrels used to represent the naturally evolved pet dogs of a village, and so they were particularly fit for that community. Today, the demand for pure-bred dogs has distorted the gene pool of our dogs because many are being bred with little regard for their health or temperament.

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 4

4.02 Open Paw & The Not Quite Good Enough Dog

Many dogs end up in shelters because of relatively minor behavior problems.  Unfortunately, most dogs then become less adoptable the longer they spend in a shelter, because whatever housetraining or socialization they do have begins to deteriorate.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  In this episode the Dunbars talk about Kelly "Pet" project, Open Paw, and its vision of making every shelter a dog training and education center.  It actually takes less time and energy to care for dogs using the Open Paw system, and it makes the dogs much more likely to be adopted by a loving family.  Additi

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 4

4.01 Give a Puppy a First Chance

The easiest way to save shelter dogs is to prevent them from being created in the first place. Every shelter dog began life as an impressionable little puppy and in this episode the Dunbars discuss the importance of starting that puppy on the right paw. As dog trainers, it’s our responsibility to make sure that new owners know how to raise a puppy. As dog owners, it’s our responsibility to do our homework, and be sure that our dog comes from a reputable breeder or shelter that is actively educating their dogs with socialization and obedience training.

 

2.13 - Adolescent Mayhem!

All of a sudden, my perfect little puppy… 

Adolescent dog problems take far too many owners by surprise.  Adolescence is going to be a time of change, and every puppy is going to go through it, so get ready for it!  Your puppy needs a gentle mouth and a rock-solid foundation of socialization and obedience training.  Other wise, you’re going to have a very difficult time when your adolescent starts running off or fighting with other dogs.

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 2

3.12 - Learning Theory: Then Now & Beyond

Dog Training is all about learning and teaching.  There is a lot of research that has been done about how animals and humans learn, and the results should inform our approach to dog training.  However, learning theory has been developed from experiments conducted in a lab, and it’s important to recognize how that knowledge is limited or different from real world situations.  Learning theory has a lot to offer dog training, but dog training may have important lessons for learning theory.  In this episode, the Dunbars discuss the science of learning and how it can inform, and be informed by d

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 3

3.11 - Apps for Dog Owners

Apps are all the rage these days.  As more and more people get next generation smart phones and iPhones, a whole industry has sprung up.  These mini computer applications can be anything, and they’re usually relatively cheap and can be accessed from your phone while you’re on the move.  The Dunbars talk about the apps available to dog owners, and discuss which of these are useful or entertaining, and which are just plain fluff.  What would make a good app for dog training?  Listen in and find out!

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 3

3.10 - Tools of the Trade: Dog Training Technology

There are a lot of products out there that claim to help you take care of and train your dog.  Some of these items can make your life considerably easier, while others are a waste of money and some can even be dangerous to your dog.  The Dunbars talk about the best tools you can use in dog training, and how you can use them to make training as easy and fun as possible.  Learn which products can automatically train your dog, which can’t, and what the potential is for reward-based training machines in the future.

 
iWoofs Seas:  Season 3

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