Unleashed & Unhinged

A client’s dog walked down his own street yesterday, the street he walks every day, and lost his mind at a fake black cat sitting on a driveway pillar. Halloween has not even happened yet. In this episode I go through why the sensitive dogs are already struggling, and why a fright early in a walk raises the temperature for everything that follows. I also tell the story of what happened at the park straight afterwards. Three dog walkers arriving at once with four dogs each, a loud and tense meet and greet that carried a hundred metres, and the way it rippled outward until every dog we passed on the way out was rattled. There is an honest bit about anticipation too — why I am sitting at home this week quietly hoping nobody knocks and wakes my toddler, and why your dog is doing a version of exactly the same thing. Plus what to actually do about it. Shorter walks, less social pressure, and a serious look at what your dog can access at the front of the house this weekend.

There is one lead I have never once looked at and thought, that is a good idea. It is worse than the extendable, and worse than the one I usually call the worst. I get to it at the end. Before that, something more basic — spatial pressure and leash pressure. Get the leash pressure wrong and you are restraining your dog rather than walking them. In this episode I go through the leads I come across most. Why slip leads belong in a vet clinic and not in the hands of the public. Why I still walk my own dog on a flat collar, and the honest trade-off behind that. And how length should change depending on the dog in front of you and the suburb you are standing in — Surry Hills and the Shire are not the same problem. I also explain the setup I actually use. A three metre flat lead, run like a car with two gears, open when it can be and shorter when it needs to be — shorter being a very different thing to tight. Then the ones I argue with. Flexi leads, including a client I told to keep hers before changing my mind entirely. Bungee leads, and the mechanical reason they make pulling worse rather than better. And then the one at the top of the list, which is worse than both of them.

I raise this in consults all the time and the eyebrows still go up. A lead does not have to be an outdoor item, and used indoors it is often the difference between a training plan that works and one that doesn’t. In this episode I go through the three situations I reach for it in. The dog who charges the window barking, where it blocks the pattern before it starts and keeps the arousal spike small enough to actually recover from. The household where the dog needs to be present but not underfoot. And the hyper-attached dog who cannot settle. I also get into why a tether can work better than a barrier for some dogs, and the bigger problem with shutting a dog away entirely — they never learn how to be near the thing, they just never see it happen. Plus the honest conversation about supervision. Active, passive, and the trap of believing you are watching the dog when the email in front of you is actually the priority. And the practical detail that catches most people out: never use your walking lead for this.

Dogs jump up. A LOT. It is something that the vast majority of people I work with will at least mention, even if it's a throw away comment but often it's something people actually want help resolving. In this episode we look at what not to do, why dogs jump up and what you can actually do that helps solve things. Not all dogs jump up for the same reason, not all dogs that jump up need to be stopped at all and the traditional ideas of turn your back on them and just ignore them will very likely make it worse.

Leadership is one of those terms that when spoken about by dog trainers seems to lead to someone talking about having to be the alpha, how your dog is not respecting you and that you have to be stricter and not let your dogs walk all over you. Unfortunately, leading to people being excessively punitive, destroying relationships and causing more fear and anxiety in their dogs than was ever necessary. Healthy leadership doesn't require you to do any of these things. Healthy leadership requires us to be disciplined, us to take responsibility and accountability and to be consistent with the care of those we are leading. This episode unpacks all of this quickly and concisely.

People ring me about aggression across an enormous spectrum. One house, someone is being bitten regularly and telling me it's fine. Another house, a woman is close to tears because her dog grumbled and turned his head away from a cuddle. Both calls come in under the same heading. In this episode I get into why that spectrum exists, and why some conflict between you and your dog is contextually normal. A huge number of the dogs in our homes were deliberately bred to handle confrontation — herding breeds to push livestock around, terriers to hunt, guarding breeds to be sceptical by default. Working line dogs have an agenda, and an agenda means friction sometimes. None of that means punishment or intimidation belongs in the response. I cover what healthy leadership actually looks like, why we all drop the ball occasionally and so will our dogs, and the question that matters more than any other when it happens: is this a one-off, or is it a pattern? Plus the uncomfortable bit underneath all of it — in every one of these cases, the person is the one who has to change first.

Our dogs love balls and they can be one of the best things in their lives. They can also be a disaster if not used well or in the wrong places. This episode walks you through how to ensure you're using it well, it's an asset in both your lives and it's not causing more problems than you realise.

Who your dog spends time with will influence their social skills, behaviour and preferences. Socialising your dog with a wide range of individuals and in a range of situations helps them learn how to be flexible, adaptable and resilient.

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "How NOT to Socialise Your Aggressive Dog" If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/ Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "Are Board and Trains a Good Idea?" If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/ Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "Resource Guarding" In particular, resource guarding food between dogs.. Unfortunately there is still lots of really bad advice floating around out there given to dog owners that can make this so much worse and in attempts to prevent this, are actually INCREASING the likelihood of it happening. If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/ Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "What Makes For a Good Reward?" If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/ Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "The Relationship Between Allergies and Behaviour" If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/ Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "Resource Guarding" In particular, resource guarding items between dogs.. Unfortunately there is still lots of really bad advice floating around out there given to dog owners that can make this so much worse and in attempts to prevent this, are actually INCREASING the likelihood of it happening. If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/ Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Anthony De Marinis is a certified professional trainer (CDBC, ADT, LFDM, FFCP), Certified Dog Behavior Consultant- IAABC, Accredited Dog Trainer- IAABC, Licensed Family Dog Mediator, Fear Free Certified Animal Trainer and one of the nicest guys in our awesome industry. I have loved watching Anthony's social media and learning from him online through various webinars over the past couple of years, not to mention listened to his awesome podcast The Canine Classroom - go check it out! He's a very well rounded trainer with an awesome take on all things training and thing that I love about watching him work is how clear he makes things for his dogs. In this episode we dive into this as well as many other topics because trying to keep us on one subject was never going to happen. As always, have a listen and let us know what you think. If you'd like to learn more about Anthony, the show or any of our own platforms then follow the links below: Follow Anthony on Facebook Follow Anthony on Instagram Go to Anthony's Website Unhinged & Unleashed homepage bondibehaviourist.com caninecaregivers.com.au mutleypro.com

Dr Emily Lucas owns and operates The Whole Hound, a unique service in Sydney because she is both a vet and a trainer. Emily is someone that I feel lucky to consider a colleague in this industry, her wealth of knowledge on dogs, dog training and medicine is astounding. In this episode we talk about behaviour medication. An often controversial topic that we thought we'd make even spicier by asking the question "Why Would We Resort to Medication Before Resorting to Punsihment to Change Behaviour?" I'll leave that teaser there because this is a topic full of nuance and something we all care deeply about. It was a pleasure to have Emily on the show so jump in, have a listen and give us a like and follow while you're at it. To learn more about Dr Emily Lucas, her work and the show itself, follow the links to the resources below. Follow The.whole.hound on Instagram The Whole Hound unleashedandunhinged.podbean.com/ bondibehaviourist.com caninecaregivers.com.au mutleypro.com Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "Reactivity Week". The joys of pre-recording an episode and it getting released no where near the actual week we probably should have released it... but that doesn't take away from the fact that this is an important topic and what we covered in this episode can support so many people that hear it. Reactivity is one of these things that is all too common in our dogs in this modern world. So we wanted to unpack it. What is it? How to approach it? What causes it and all that fun stuff. Dive into the episode and let us know what you think If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Dominique also operates as 'The Dog Behavioural Trainer' in Sydney where she helps people and their dogs with training and behavioural issues. You can find her website here: https://thedogbehaviouraltrainer.com.au/ Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Mike Purcell is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer(CPDT-KSA) and a proud U.S. Veteran, his team is driven by an unwavering passion for dogs and an unyielding commitment to their well-being. Mike is a family man and at the time of recording this, we were both had children on the way so we thought it was a great opportunity to talk all things kids and dogs. We talked about the preparation that we have been doing and what to expect in the weeks and months ahead. I've really enjoyed getting to know Mike over the past few months and we've got many more projects in the pipeline together. So keep your eyes peeled and make sure you have a listen to this awesome episode. As always, I loved this episode and getting to meet Hannah was a highlight of my year, so jump in, have a listen and give us a like and follow while you're at it. To learn more about his work and the show itself, follow the links to the resources below. Follow Mike on Instagram All Canines LLC The Unleashed & Unhinged Podcast Site bondibehaviourist.com caninecaregivers.com.au mutleypro.com

Dominique Hone of Canine Caregivers joins me again for another Canine Caregivers episode. In this episode we discuss "The Bridge of Trust". The bridge of trust is a concept that Dominque talks a lot about with her clients. It is what strengthens the bond and communication between both ends of the leash and ultimately is at the core of the relationship. Trust is earned and listening to Dom break this down is a great insight into how important it is as well as some classic do's and don't when it comes to building trust. If you want to learn more about Canine Caregivers, a platform in which we provide courses and webinars on how to live a healthy and happy life with your dog, visit caninecaregivers.com.au because we've got a ton of resources available. Don't forget to follow the show and leave a review if you're feeling generous.

Hannah Branigan is someone that I have personally learned a lot from. I have listed to every single episode of her awesome podcast "Drinking From the Toilet" which is a fascinating deep dive into the use of postive reinforcement in a variety of contexts. It's also a really cool show because over time, you really feel like you're getting to know Hannah which in my opinion, everyone is better off for doing so. Hannah is fascinated by behavior and learning, and passionate about bringing innovative, science-based solutions to the dog/human learning space. Hannah has a background in both human sports and biology. Now she applies that knowledge and experience to the world of animal training and canine competitive sports. Hannah not only trains people and professionals she also enjoys competing in a variety of sports, and has titled her dogs in Obedience, Agility, Conformation, IPO (Schutzhund), and Rally. Her competition obedience DVDs, Obedience FUNdamentals and Beyond FUNdamentals, have received rave reviews from trainers all over the world, and her students have earned advanced titles and in multiple countries. While primarily interested in the training process, she finds the high scores, prestigious awards, and national rankings she has earned to be very reinforcing. Hannah is the host of the popular dog training podcast, Drinking from the Toilet, which focuses on the (often inconvenient) intersection between positive reinforcement philosophy and reality. As always, I loved this episode and getting to meet Hannah was a highlight of my year, so jump in, have a listen and give us a like and follow while you're at it. To learn more about her work and the show itself, follow the links to the resources below. Follow Hannah_branigan on Instagram Hannah Branigan – Wonderpups Training | Dog Training Classes and Seminars unleashedandunhinged.podbean.com/ bondibehaviourist.com caninecaregivers.com.au mutleypro.com