Canine Conversations

For the final episode of Canine Conversations before we transition fully to K9 Conservationists, we're talking about consent with Erin Jones. We cover what consent is, why it is important, and how you get - and maintain - a dog’s consent to participate in training or a behavior treatment plan. Links Mentioned in the Episode Genealogy of Obedience Erin’s website, Instagram, and Facebook You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists. K9 Conservationists Website Go Fund Me

Hello and welcome to the K9 Conservationists Podcast! We've got a new name! As our loyal listeners know, we recently lost my beloved cohost Ursa. After giving it a LOT of thought, I've decided to pivot the focus of this podcast. Rather than focusing broadly on dog behavior, the K9 Conservationists podcast will focus on the field of conservation detection dogs. We'll interview wildlife biologists, community scientists, dog behavior researchers, and handlers throughout this amazing field. I hope that you decide to stick along for the ride. I plan to bring the same level of enthusiasm, nerdiness, and dog-centric thinking to this endeavor. I've got episodes in the works: on the humane hierarchy with Dr. Susan Friedman, the body language of scentwork with Steve White, a fascinating episode on combining thermal imaging and scent detection dogs, and SO MUCH MORE. I really, truly want to thank all of our listeners for the support thus far. I dearly love Canine Conversations and will miss producing it, but my long-ter

Ursa is leaving the podcast for new and exciting endeavors. But before she goes, we're tackling a Patreon question and another round of HOT TAKES!  Patron Question Answered: “In episode 34 you talked about using chasing squirrels as a reward for your dogs. Kayla said this made Barely more desperately want to chase squirrels but Marissa said this made Sully’s desire to chase squirrels go down. My dog is veryyyyy excited about squirrels and it is one of the things I’ve been trying to teach her to not lose her doggy mind over since she does not listen to me at all if she sees a squirrel. So basically, would using chasing squirrels as a reward for her impulse control or checking in with me help or with any other dog with a high prey drive? Or do you think any dog who is already extremely excited about squirrels have a reaction similar to Barely? Thanks!” Hot Takes Answered: Using dogs in a way that put them in harm's way (ie military and police dogs, livestock guardian dogs) Training dogs to bite and latch

Today we’re talking to Hannah Branigan about cueing versus shaping in your training sessions. Now this might sound a bit nerdy - and it probably will be - but it’s actually really important for novice trainers! I know I personally got stuck on this a lot when I was starting out as a new trainer. And Hannah is EXACTLY who I wanted to talk to about this topic. Hannah is the host of Drinking from the Toilet, one of my favorite training podcasts. She’s also the author of Awesome Obedience and its accompanying field guide. She teaches at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and runs Wonderpups training. Hannah has a real skill for breaking down training into teenie tiny increments and creating clean loops of training. It’s one of the things I admire about her most.

Kayla and Ursa provide updates on their life and play another quick round of hot takes. They take turns pulling a topic from a hat, then they have 3 minutes to give their thoughts on it – then the other person has 2 minutes to add their thoughts. Hot takes covered: Praise based training Head collars Vibration collars

Discussed in this episode: Creating plans for non-trainer dog handlers Working with clients vs working with conservation problems Elephant migration  Chimpanzee project  Remote conservation vs captive conservation  How to get involved with conservation training Working with detection dogs Using the “all clear procedure” Maintaining enthusiasm in “no find” environments Ensuring the learner has all their needs met Putting the dog first

Kayla and Ursa return for another Hot Takes. They take turns pulling a topic from a hat, then they have 3 minutes to give their thoughts on it - then the other person has 2 minutes to add their thoughts. Remember, you can now support the podcast through Patreon for as little as $3/month! Patrons can submit questions, which we’ll answer at the end of each episode. Join the conversation over at patreon.com/canineconvos.

Kayla and Ursa try out a new format they're calling Hot Takes. They take turns pulling a topic from a hat, then they have 3 minutes to give their thoughts on it - then the other person has 2 minutes to add their thoughts.

Kayla speaks to Rebecca Hintz of Wintegrity K9 in Vacaville CA about deciding where to get a puppy. For the purpose of this episode, we are only comparing getting a dog from a responsible breeder versus a shelter. We are not discussing getting a dog from a pet store, online marketplace, grocery store lot, or backyard breeder because we do not support those venues of puppy acquisition. If you’re unsure how to find a responsible breeder, stay tuned for upcoming episodes.

In today’s episode, Kayla hopped on the line with Marissa, our former co-host. On the show, we discussed how to provide your dog with the necessary daily enrichment while also taking into consideration what you need from the relationship as a pet parent. We share 6 different ways you can meet your dog’s needs along with a list of questions to consider, inviting you to personalize this content for you and your dog!

Ursa and Kayla chat about Madge, Kayla's uber-fearful foster dog from earlier this spring. They also get a great update from Madge's new family!

Kayla sits down with Kim Brophy to discuss dominance in dogs and dog training from an ethological lens.

Kayla and Ursa discuss management strategies and training solutions to help make holiday gatherings less stressful for you, your dog, and your friends/family.

Kayla and Ursa revisit the difficult topic of behavioral euthanasia.

Kayla chats with Kim Brophey about the study of ethology, and how that creates a different framework with which to look at dog behavior.

Kayla and Ursa discuss the tough topic of behavioral euthanasia  for pet and shelter dogs.

Ursa and Kayla tackle MORE dog training myths, including: 1. Greeting a dog after an absence creates separation anxiety 2. You need to always end training sessions on a good note 3. You need to eat first/walk through doors first/not let your dog on furniture or your dog will be alpha 4. You have to support the hierarchy between dogs 5. Aggression to kids = dominance structure 6. Pinch/prong collars are equivalent to corrections from mom

Kayla sits down with Dr. Jessica Hekman of the Functional Dog Collaborative to talk about breeding dogs for behavioral and physical health. They talk about how the FDC aims to help

Kayla sits down with Jio and Taylor from Smart Bitch Dog Training, Curtis from Pet Parent Allies, and Allison from Dog Liaison to talk about whether or not dogs can be racist. Canine Conversations has been excited to get this episode out for a while, and we recognize it might be perceived as “late to the party.” I hope that instead we can view it as a continuation of an important discussion that is already fading from the news cycle. I am so grateful to all for joining me when they are so busy!

Kayla talks to Michael Shikashio about the Aggression in Dogs Conference and Michael's new podcast, The Bitey End of the Dog.