Good Dog Nation Kim Merritt

Do you have a dog that jumps on visitors, freaks out when the doorbell rings, and doesn't behave when you leave the house? Join Drayton and Kim as they discuss dog etiquette. The secret is dog etiquette isn't all about the dog, it's about people. Dog owners, dog lovers and anyone who encounters a dog all play a role in how a dog is going to behave, in addition to the environment that interaction takes place in. Drayton goes through simple, quick, and easy ways to manage your dog at home and e...

What is dog play and why is it important? In a followup to his article, "Dog Play & Prediction Error," Drayton Michaels, CTC, talks about shaping dog play and the need for getting your dog into regular, supervised play with doggie friends. It's not just us humans that need friends and benefit from the social interaction, so do dogs. Dog play is often misunderstood, by dog owners and professionals, alike. Drayton discusses combating fearful and stressed out dogs with behavior problems with...

Little dogs have special needs and are more prone to fear, stress and reactivity. Take a deep dive into all things small this week with Drayton Michaels, CTC, as he discusses the needs of little dogs. From the proper ways to approach and pick up a small dog to how to counter condition using a dog carrier like a doggie Bjorn, we talk about setting up environments that promote positive associations for our tiny four legged friends. Drayton talks about how to set up little dogs for success, how ...

Behavior is something all humans do and all humans require from dogs in order for us to live with less stress. Delve into understanding behavior from the dog's perspective, as well as from the human side of the equation with Drayton Michaels, CTC. This episode discusses associative learning and consequence learning with dogs. Drayton explains the application of behavior change and understanding reinforcements, both positive and negative. He and Kim discuss consent for dogs and how to achieve ...

Do you have a stress reduction plan for your dog? In this episode of Good Dog Pro, Drayton and Kim discuss how to make every day less stressful for you and your dog. Learn why your dog should be on a schedule, how to use chewing and food dispensing toys as stress busters, the role of counter conditioning and exercise in reducing stress.Support the Show.

A Sound Beginning is a fourteen day program designed to make it easy for anyone to prevent mistakes and create a positive start from the first day you bring your new dog home. This unique program reduces and eliminates the stress that is part of transition period for an adopted dog to acclimate to it's new home. Based on the book of the same name, A Sound Beginning Program is used in shelters and rescues around Chicago to help abandoned dogs get positioned for a healthy, happy, long-term adop...