Join the leash reactivity mentorship starting this September 7th. Spots are going quickly!

Reactive dogs face a lot of stressors in their daily lives, and for many, their ability to "bounce back" gets worse with time.

What is resilience? What is going on when a dog's resilience is low? How can you help condition your dog to increase their resilience?

In this episode I talk with Bobbie Bhambree CDBC, CPDT-KA on her and Dr. Kathy Murphy's Reframing Resilience framework. We cover:

• The neurobiology of resilience
• What factors contribute to low resilience in dogs
• Considerations for building resilience for reactive dogs
• The importance of physical and mental health as the pillar of resilience
• And so much more

About Bobbie:

CATCH Canine Trainers Academy Instructor

Agility University Instructor

Co-founder of Brain Camp

Co-creator of the Resilience Framework

Bobbie Bhambree (CDBC, CPDT-KA) is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She is a faculty member of CATCH Canine Trainers Academy and Agility University. Additionally, she is one of the founders and regular contributors to a passion project called Brain Camp, where neuroscience, behavior, and dog sports intersect. Bobbie founded her business, Dogology Behavior Consulting in 2024.

To learn more about the Resilience Framework: https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/the-resilience-rainbow/

What is going on when a dog can stay responsive on their walk, UNTIL another dog comes around?

I'm back with another solo episode, where I break down this scenario and help you better understand why your dog cannot respond to you, and what you can do about it. I cover:

• Proofing behaviors and why you probably haven't prepared your dog as much as you think you have
• How to be more effective at teaching your dog to respond to you around distractions
• How to understand the criteria you are setting, and how to be fluid in any given scenario
• The dance between criteria and thresholds
• And so much more

For dog professionals: Join the leash reactivity mentorship starting this September 7th. Spots are going quickly!

Pet parents: Struggling with your reactive dog? Work with me 1:1 and get the help you need to move forward with more success.

Follow the Rethinking Reactivity Podcast on FB and IG and join me for behind the scenes content, resources on how to help reactive dogs, and more!

Follow the Rethinking Reactivity Podcast on FB and IG and join me for behind the scenes content, resources on how to help reactive dogs, and more!

Sign up for the leash reactivity mentorship for professionals that begins September 7th.

Imagine a world where the average dog is healthy - both physically and behaviorally, for the majority of their lives. Imagine a world where shelters aren't overflowing with dogs because there are plenty of suitable homes for them. Imagine a world where it is the norm to live with a dog who goes through life without experiencing chronic behavior challenges. Where would these dogs come from?

We'd have to breed them. In this episode, I bring in Dr. Jessica Perry Hekman, a behavioral geneticist and one of the founders of the Functional Dog Collaborative, to discuss why this is one of the solutions to bettering the lives of dogs, and therefore, ours.

We discuss:

• What the Functional Dog Collaborative is
• Behavioral traits and how they get passed down
• Physical traits and how we can breed away from ones that aren't serving dogs
• Are there really more dogs suffering from behavior challenges these days? We both chime in on this one.
• Environment vs genetics
• What influences a puppy's development
• And so much more!

About Jessica Perry Hekman:

Jessica Perry Hekman, DVM, PhD, is a behavioral geneticist. She is one of the founders of the Functional Dog Collaborative, a non-profit which seeks to change the conversation around dog breeding in the dog loving community. She also teaches behavioral biology at the Virginia Tech online Masters program for Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare, works with Hecht Lab at Harvard, and offers webinars online and consults with breeders about genetic testing and breeding choices. Perry lives in Raymond, NH with her husband and two dogs.

Check out the Functional Dog Collaborative's podcast and Facebook group.