(scroll down for episodes)........................................Eric Brad
Canine Nation – A Positively Scientific Look At Dogs and Dog Behavior
Canine Nation is about discovery. It’s about getting to what is TRUE about dogs and discarding the myth and lore of living and working with dogs. It’s about challenging what we think we know and asking the dogs to tell us what’s real. It’s about giving science, scientific method, and collected data more credibility than hearsay, anecdotes, and the assertions of self-proclaimed dog “experts.”
Canine Nation started as a way to explore the common issues and ideas about dogs and dog training through short, informative essays. The podcast presents these ideas from the personal experiences of dog owners and the creative solutions they have found in behavioral science and positive training methods.
Canine Nation brings the worlds of science and dog ownership together to help promote understanding and satisfying relationships between dogs and their people. Join us for a different look at dogs and our lives with them as we explore the fact and fiction behind the behavior and workings of the canine mind.
Episode 30 - All The Dogs You Can Manage
Training our dogs is important. But maybe more important is how we manage them. Sometimes management is needed while we train and other management is a lifelong project. It could be managing their environment, their access to spaces or objects, it could even by the situations we put them in. How we manage our dogs can mean the difference between a “good dog” and a dog that we are constantly yelling at. Management can be simple but it takes planning and thought. In the end, it’s all to make our dogs and ourselves successful.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 29 - The Lighter Side of Dogs and Positive Training
While debates rage on whether or not using positive training with your dog is a good idea or not, those of us who use it every day are enjoying what it brings to our lives. Many of our dogs have developed very clever and creative ways to get our attention or to earn their rewards. Some have even learned to outfox us and make us laugh. And there is nothing wrong with a little playfulness and joy. Dog training is not all about serious obedience and performance, after all!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 28 - The Tyranny of Small Dogs
Could it be that there is a Tyranny of Small Dogs? Tyranny not because the dogs themselves are doing anything wrong. Quite the opposite; small dogs seem to have a tremendous capacity to lull us humans into thinking that we don’t have to work with them like we would a larger breed. Somehow we expect them to be great little dogs just because they are small and cute and we get to cuddle them. And that could be working against them if we are not giving them the training and structure they need.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 27 - The Quest for the Magical Dog
Our culture is full of images of courageous, loyal, smart, and lovable dogs. Many of those dogs are just fictional ideals, the sort of perfect dog we all wish we could have. Perhaps our idealism goes even further than that if we also attribute the best in human qualities to our dogs. And that’s where we need to be careful. If we put to much expectation on our dogs, do we lose sight of their own qualities that make them so remarkable? Perhaps we should love our dogs for who and what they are and not risk being disappointed if they do not live up to our unrealistic expectations.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 26 - Outwitting Dogs – A Rant
How can dogs be stupid and smart at the same time? How can they have less intelligence than humans and still control our households? For all our intelligence, we humans certainly find our reasons to claim to be both inferior and superior to our canine companions when it suits us.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 25 - Dumbing Down Dog Training
Owning a dog is wonderful and rewarding but it is also a big responsibility. Training and management are not simple tasks as some would have us believe. But with the right teachers, it isn’t all that difficult to learn to do it well. Could we be doing a better job of teaching people about training their dogs?
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 24 - World Class Dog Behaviors
Getting results can be about good, good enough, or GREAT! It matters how we train. Ask Olympic athletes Usain Bolt and Oscar Pistorius. How you teach your dog can make all the difference in the world.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 23 - The Mysterious Case of the Randomly Disobedient Dog
You know that horrible moment when you are at the park with your dog friends and you call your dog and they ignore you? Yeah, me too. It’s a mystery why dogs sometimes choose not to do what we ask. Sometimes there are very good reasons why they don’t respond. But other times, well, it’s just a mystery.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 22 - Dog Science – Behavioral Backlash
Many think that Behavioral Science treats organisms like machines, manipulating behavior and bending others to their will. But it’s not simple. In fact, there is another side to Operant and Classical Conditioning. What you can learn about your dog while you are changing his behavior might just surprise and delight you. You might just discover that the science can show you your dog’s personality in wonderful detail!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 21 - Practical Everyday Dog Training
The technical stuff is interesting and teaching the cool tricks is lots of fun. But sometimes you just have to do the practical everyday training to make things work with your dogs. This podcast covers some of the things we train to make things run smoothly with our own dogs! It could be moving our dogs from one room to another or making walks a little more pleasant. Simple behaviors can be trained with any dog to make communication better. And it helps that it can make life easier and more fun too!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 20 - Bad Dog- Handling Problem Behaviors
Correcting bad behavior in our dogs can be like putting out a fire. We have to act swiftly and decisively. But if we don’t know a little bit about behavioral science, we could end up making things worse instead of better. Inspired by Dr. Susan Friedman, this article looks at what our options are when we need to deal with unwanted behavior.
Punishing our dog for bad behavior might be the first thing that comes to mind but, according to Dr. Susan Friedman, it is likely that it will be the least effective for correcting behavior long-term. There are lots of options to try before we resort to trying to stop behavior. Being proactive and teaching the behaviors we want to see is a great start!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 19 - Dog Training Hearsay and Heresy
There are a few common phrases that float around in the dog training world that get my hackles up. One of those phrases is 'I use whatever training technique my dogs need.' Not all training techniques are equal in how they impact your dog and your relationship with him. You should know all you can about how a training method works before you try it on your dog. Don’t take the word of your neighborhood 'dog expert' without understanding how it works. If they hearsay doesn’t make sense, don’t be afraid to be a heretic and do things your own way!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 18 - Dog Trainers Roundtable #1 – Positive Discussions
This is a special edition of the Canine Nation podcast. It’s longer than our usual podcasts and it’s features a couple of special guests. We hope you enjoy it.
Petra Wingate is a great dog trainer. She also happens to be my wife. She has been teaching puppy and agility classes for the past few years. Darcie Jennings is a great friend and has been training dogs and their owners through her CommuniCanine business for over 13 years. As we often do, the three of us sat down to talk about dogs and dog training. But this time, Petra decided to record it and also prepared some questions for us to discuss.
The result was a spirited discussion that lasted well over an hour and covered a lot of ground from essential behaviors to what makes us laugh about dogs. We’ve edited down the first part for this podcast. Not every trainer sees things the same way but in this case, we all challenge each other to be better and better.Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 17 - Catch Your Dog Doing Something Right
What if your dog offered you a behavior you didn’t ask for? What if it was a good idea? Being smart enough to catch your dog doing something right is good for both of you. You get what you want and your dog gets to flex his creative muscles!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 16 - Dogs and Concepts – Learning Beyond Behaviors
Sit!. Down!. Fetch!. These are things that most people associate with dog training. But is there more we can teach our dogs beyond simple behaviors? You might be surprised that you already do! And there might be more you can teach them.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 15 - Positively Frustrating Dog Training
Crossing over to positive training can be frustrating. Abandoning old techniques for new is uncomfortable. Especially when you aren’t good at the new stuff. Dog trainer Eric Brad has found that sticking with positive training is well worth the effort for the rewards that come later.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 14 - Dog Training And/Or What Comes Next
Do you ask your dog to do things for you or do you tell them to do them? How we think about working with our dogs matters. It affects our expectations and can lead to cooperation or conflict. It seems to be an AND/OR proposition.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 13 - Confessions of a Positive Dog Trainer
Is it more ethical or moral to use positive dog training? For Eric Brad, the reasons are less lofty and more practical. And sometimes the simplest reasons can be the most compelling.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 12 - Learn Positive Dog Training
Have you heard about positive training but aren’t sure what it is or how to get started? Well, I can give you a road map to success with four great books to get you on your way!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 11 - A Broken Dog – Part 2 (Understanding Dawns)
When a dog’s behavior suddenly changes, a good dog trainer does not turn to training techniques and behavior modification. They turn to their veterinarian. Chances are there is a very real health problem that should be dealt with first.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 10 - A Broken Dog – Part 1 (Breaking Down)
It would be great if positive training and behavioral science made everything perfect and wonderful with dogs. Most of the time, it does exactly that by providing a way to communicate effectively with our dogs. But sometimes things can break down. Eric Brad shares a story of a frightened dog that needed more than food treats and positive reinforcement.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 9 - The Crossover Files – Considering Positive Dog Training
Coming to Positive Reinforcement training from more traditional methods is called “crossing over.” It’s not easy to cross over from more familiar and socially accepted forms of dog training. There are lots of reasons not to consider it. But many do. In this series, Eric Brad looks at what it takes to ‘cross over.’ Change is difficult and frustrating and something most of avoid if at all possible.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 8 - What A Dog Can Teach You
Dog trainers are supposed to be teaching their dogs. Eric Brad has found that there is much that the dog can teach the trainer as well. In this installment, Eric says “Thank You” to his dog Tiramisu for the lessons he has learned. Listening to his dog has made him a better trainer.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 7 - My ‘Dominant’ Dog and How I Cope
Is your dog ‘dominant’ or willing to submit? Could you be living with a dog determined to take over and control your household? Dog Trainer Eric Brad looks as his own dog to see if the warning signs described by so many web sites could mean his dog is a tyrant in the making!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 6 - For the Dogs: New Year, New Challenges
Eric Brad challenges his listeners to question what they think they know about dogs. As the Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “The high-minded man must care more for the truth than for what people believe.” Our best source of information about dogs is the dogs themselves! Perhaps it’s time to ask them and see what they say.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 5 - Maybe It’s Not The Dog That’s The Problem
Some dog trainers use a kind of shorthand when they are describing dogs. Dog trainer Eric Brad thinks that some of those common terms can unfairly shift the responsibility for success or failure off of the trainer and onto the dog.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 4 - Improve Your Dog Training With Prompts and Fading
When training dogs, it’s sometimes helpful to prompt them for the behaviour we are looking for. Trainer Eric Brad cautions that “prompts” can be as much a distraction as a help. Knowing how to “fade” them out of the picture can be just as important in good training.
How we get our dogs to do the things we are trying to teach them matters. There are lots of techniques to try and each will come with their own pros and cons. I think it’s worth taking the time to look at how we go about teaching our dogs and make things as clear and easy for them to understand as possible. Sometimes that means getting unnecessary or distracting actions or sounds out of the way so they can learn!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 3 - Training Your Dog and All That Jazz
Dog training can sound almost like a chore that needs to be done. But dog trainer Eric Brad finds it an almost musical experience. Working with your dog in training can be a wonderfully creative experience.
Training your dog can be an incredibly creative experience. Communicating with a different species is challenging and can be very rewarding for both the dog AND the trainer. You just need the right approach and the ability to think outside the box a bit. You might be surprised at what’s possible with positive training and a little creativity.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 2 - Some Dogs Won’t Work For Food
Food is something every dog has every day. Unless they are ill, there should be no reason for our dogs to turn down any snacks we offer them. But many dog owners claim their dogs won’t work for them for food treats as a reward. How can this be? Dogs are scavengers by nature. Could it be something we humans are doing that puts them off sometimes?
There can be other reasons dogs won’t take food such as anxiety, distraction, or arousal. It’s best to make sure that a dog is within their tolerance for these things before attempting to train them or offer them food. Failing to do so could create more problems than it solves.
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com
Episode 1 - 2011 – A Year For The Dogs and The Canine Nation
It’s been a great year. 2011 was a very positive year for Canine Nation and I want to thank all of my readers and podcast listeners for their support and comments over the past 12 months. I’ve learned a lot writing and producing the podcast and reader/listener comments have been a great source of information for me as well. Here’s wishing you all a successful and joy filled 2012 with your dogs!
Questions or Comments? Send them to: eric@petliferadio.com