How To Have A Zen Dog: Recent Episodes
Gordon Fontaine
Whether you're welcoming a brand new puppy to your family, struggling with finding ways to calm your dog down, or already have a Zen Dog and are looking for fun tips - Zen Dog Training is here to help you!
The purpose of this podcast is to cut through the confusion when it comes to choosing the right methods to train your dog.
We will explore the Zen Dog Way of training people and the dogs they love, explain how our approach is Zen, and help you understand what works, what doesn’t, and why.
Join us every Thursday as we explore the zen dog way!
And find us on Instagram, Facebook at YouTube at @ZenDogTraining
One of the first things you should do as a new dog owner is teach your dog to come when called. So for this fundamental episode, we called in some reinforcement!
Our guest Kassady Lemmen is a dolphin trainer based in Tampa, FL with over a decade of dog training experience. She was recently brought into the Zen Dog Training world to review our games and approaches, and help take our training to the next level!
In this episode, we focus on more scientific approaches to training animals, using timing to your advantage in training, the importance of YES markers, and a few positive reinforcement games that will help your dog learn its name, and eventually come when it's called.
Resources
Online Courses - Zen Dog Training
Puppies explore the world with their mouths. They nip and bite and put everything thing in their mouths to process the world around them. Puppies don't have hands! So everything they do is with their mouth.
Something that's pretty common when you own a young dog is this puppy play biting. And it can be so frustrating to get your pups to stop!. But we here at Zen Dog Training believe you can get rid of this habit in just a few days!
Today we’ll dispel some myths, tell you what people are doing wrong when they try to stop that nipping, “shunishment strategies,” the zoomies, and 5 ways to intervene when your puppy starts biting.
Resources
Puppy Boot Camp - Zen Dog Training
Solving Puppy Play Biting Blog - Zen Dog Training
Play Biting Solutions Comic - Zen Dog Training
The Zen part of the training means letting go of our expectations of what we want and accepting the dog we have. The hard part is that more than just words and ideas, training happens with daily interactions with our dog.
Just like exercise, yoga, or zen meditation, dog training requires effort spent every day working together with your dog. Finally, you have to know where to put your energy and effort.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that our dogs are animals and hard wired to do certain things depending on breed.
Today we talk about undersocialized pandemic dogs, the human side of our dog training, share a game to play on your next walk, and meeting your dog where they are (it's a lot like learning your human partner's love language), undersocialized pandemic dogs.
Resources
The Zen Dog Training Way
Many people have heard that in order to train a dog, you must become their “alpha,” based on the belief that dogs are descended from wolves and need a strong pack leader.
Even popular TV shows like The Dog Whisperer have recommended people act like the “alpha”, while many positive reinforcement dog trainers who use science-based training (and trainers at zoos, parks, and professionals who train animals for movies) cringe at the use of the word “alpha” when it comes to training.
We break down the myth of dominating your dog in this episode and discuss peaceful and gentle ways to train your dog without fear or intimidation.
Many people have heard that in order to train a dog, you must become their “alpha,” based on the belief that dogs are descended from wolves and need a strong pack leader.
Even popular TV shows like The Dog Whisperer have recommended people act like the “alpha”, while many positive reinforcement dog trainers who use science-based training (and trainers at zoos, parks, and professionals who train animals for movies) cringe at the use of the word “alpha” when it comes to training.
We break down the myth of dominating your dog in this episode and discuss peaceful and gentle ways to train your dog without fear or intimidation.
Resources
David Mech
Adam Ruins Everything - Alpha Males Do Not Exist
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior statement on punishment
Debunking the "Alpha Dog" Theory - Whole Dog Journal
Being Your Dog's Alpha - Zen Dog Training
In this episode, we’re focusing on a very specific type of dog - a shy, fearful, or protective Dog. Now we've all met a skittish dog like this whether it was our own or maybe a friend's dog that never lets you get near them.
So we’re doing a deep dive on what is by far the most important puppy training lesson, and key to helping your scared dog: socialization to people, places, and things (including other dogs).
Missing the boat on socialization means your dog may grow up to be shy, fearful, timid, anxious, or nervous. In fact, dogs who are fearful can become protective and even aggressive!
It's never too late to help your shy dog become more social, and this episode focuses on a number of ways to put your dog in controlled environments while keeping your dog under threshold.
Resources
- Zen Dog Training Free Puppy Course
- Puppy Boot Camp
- Helping a Shy/Fearful Dog
- Shy, Fearful, or Protective Dog Training - Five Common Training Mistakes
- The Power of Treats! - Zen Dog Training
- How to Break the Ice with a Shy Dog
- Socialization Tips for New Puppy Owners - Zen Dog Training
- AVSAB Position Statement On Puppy Socialization
- For Dog Owners | Indoor Pet Initiative
We like to say there are 3 secrets to Zen Dog Training - or three core approaches that we use that inform everything you do when training your dog.
These became the “secrets” of our training program because they are so easy to do but just as easy to miss. Dogs are habit-making machines, so ensuring proper training and habits early on is super important!
We talk today about controlling your environment, rewarding good behaviors, refocusing dogs when they do something bad, and of course, the importance of treats!
Resources:
The Secret to Dog Training Blog
Zen Dog Training Secrets Blog
Good weather is here to stay for the season (we hope). And with those sunny days and long warm afternoons comes more time to be outside with your dog! So today we’re talking about the most universal place where people struggle with their dogs – walking them outside on a leash.
We like to think the Zen Dog way is different from what other trainers do because we emphasize a special way of holding the leash, and actually encouraging dogs to experience and explore the environment around them while on the leash or walking. It's all about balancing that control.
In this episode learn the best full-body leash handling skills, the best style of leashes to buy, tips for your first few walks together, and why we don't like those Flexi retractable leashes for training.
Resources:
- These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Things - Zen Dog Training
- Free Online Puppy Course - Zen Dog Training
- Puppy Boot Camp - Zen Dog Training
- Zen Dog Video Solution Center
- Training Blog
When we think of bringing a new dog home, the image in your head is probably a tiny new puppy. But bringing a dog at any age into a new environment will require some training and patience.
In order to successfully bring a new dog into your home, you must first master these 7 Essential Puppy Training Lessons.
In this episode, we review our 7 tips for easing your new family member into its forever home. We discuss each of these fundamental lessons, including house training, stopping play biting, socialization, and alone training.
Resources:
Mastering The 7 Essential Puppy Training Lessons
Puppy Bootcamp Online Course
Play Biting Solutions Comic
Helping a Shy/Fearful Dog Comic
Zen Dog Training Shop
Deciding on what approach or methods to use is one of the most important decisions you make when it comes to training your dog.
So in this episode, we are going to discuss how our Zen approach is different, and in many ways, how we take dog training to the next level.
We aim to interrupt unwanted behavior but do not correct dogs by using choke chains, prong collars, or other aggressive or fear-based methods.
Today, we talk about trusting your dog trainer, why we don't like boot camp training approaches, and why your job (yes your human job) matters when it comes to training your dog.
Why should you take our advice? Well, life is short and we love our dogs too much to make dumb mistakes!
Resources:
The Zen Dog Training Way
Welcome to the first full episode of How To Have A Zen Dog! Today we want you to get to know a bit about us and our mission.
Zen Dog Training methods and approaches go beyond positive reinforcement to help people better communicate with their dogs and train through mutual understanding. We want to cut through the confusion when it comes to choosing the right methods to train your dog.
In this first episode, get to know a bit about us: host Caitlin Whyte & Zen Dog Training owner Gordon Fontaine. We will explore the Zen Dog Way of training people and the dogs they love, explain how our approach is Zen, and help you understand what works, what doesn’t, and why!
Whether you're welcoming a brand new puppy to your family, struggling with finding ways to calm your dog down, or already have a Zen Dog and are looking for fun tips - Zen Dog Training is here to help you! How To Have A Zen Dog is a weekly podcast with me - Gordon Fontaine the founder of Zen Dog Training, and host Caitlin Whyte.
The purpose of this podcast is to cut through the confusion when it comes to choosing the right methods to train your dog. We will explore the Zen Dog Way of training people and the dogs they love, explain how our approach is Zen, and help you understand what works, what doesn’t, and why.
Join us every Thursday as we explore the zen dog way! And find us on Instagram, Facebook at YouTube at @ZenDogTraining