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This month’s podcast is:

If your dog has practiced a problem behavior for two years, expecting it to disappear in two weeks probably isn’t realistic. In this episode, we talk about setting training goals that give you and your dog a fair chance to succeed.

The magic happens between training sessions, when you’re doing the work. I explain why we start inside the house, build a foundation, and gradually add distractions as your dog is ready. Skipping steps can leave everyone frustrated—and give your dog more practice making the same mistakes.

We also discuss why commands and equipment are only part of the picture. Knowing “sit” or buying another harness doesn’t replace teaching your dog what you want and practicing it in everyday routines.

Here’s what we cover

• Setting realistic goals instead of expecting a quick fix.
• Practicing frequently and consistently between sessions.
• Using management to prevent unwanted behavior while teaching better choices.
• Building skills before moving into more distracting environments.
• Measuring progress over time and choosing a trainer who explains your role in the process.

Dog training is a marathon, not a sprint. Better routines give you something to build on, one step at a time.

K.I.S.S. Dog Training provides private, in-home dog training in Shawnee, Kansas, and throughout the Kansas City metro.

Learn more: https://kissdogtraining.com/

If this episode helped you, please leave a review. Follow the podcast for future episodes and share it with another dog owner who could use more realistic expectations—and less frustration.

Support the show

Mike Deathe owns Keep it Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) Dog training. We can be reached through comments here, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kissdogtraining. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedeathe/, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mikedeathekissdogtraining/. And of course at our website https://kissdogtraining.com/

SEND US A QUESTION OR TOPIC FOR A FUTURE SHOW...

If you enjoy the K.I.S.S. Dog Training Podcast, you can support it for as little as $3 a month. Dog training is my full-time job, and making podcasts, videos, and other educational content takes time away from that work. Your support helps me keep sharing practical, science-based, positive-reinforcement training.

Does your dog start pulling the moment you clip on the leash? Better walks begin with practice before you head down the sidewalk.

In this episode, I start with attention and automatic sits inside the house. From there, we take those skills to the backyard on a 15-foot long line, then to the driveway and front yard. Once the dog can check in with you in those places, we start walking one driveway at a time.

I also talk about teaching “Leave It” as a rewarded return to you, stopping pulling before it gets the dog where they want to go, and letting dogs enjoy time to sniff once the walking foundation is in place. For dogs that react to other dogs, distance gives you room to work; if reactivity is a problem, get help from a positive-reinforcement trainer.

Practice when it’s easy so you stand a chance when it’s hard.

Related reading and videos

• What Happens After Socialization?
• Watch Me: First and Foremost (blog) and Watch Me (video)
• Leave It vs. Wait (blog), Teaching Leave It (video), and Leave It on the Leash (video)
• Chilling Out in the Driveway (video)
• Putting It All Together: Watch Me Do a Walk (video)

K.I.S.S. Dog Training offers private, in-home training in the Kansas City area: kissdogtraining.com.

If this episode helps, please leave a review. Follow the podcast for future episodes, and share this one with someone whose dog could use a better walk.

Support the show

Mike Deathe owns Keep it Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) Dog training. We can be reached through comments here, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kissdogtraining. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedeathe/, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mikedeathekissdogtraining/. And of course at our website https://kissdogtraining.com/

SEND US A QUESTION OR TOPIC FOR A FUTURE SHOW...

SEND US A QUESTION OR TOPIC FOR A FUTURE SHOW...

If you enjoy the K.I.S.S. Dog Training Podcast and want to help support what we do, you can become a monthly supporter for as little as $3 a month. K.I.S.S. Dog Training is my full-time job, and producing the podcast, blogs, videos, and other educational content takes time away from that work. Your support helps me continue putting out solid, science-based, positive-reinforcement dog training information.

Support the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1353841/supporters/new

In this episode, I talk about another one of my books: Forever Home: Dog Training 101 & How to Be a Better Shelter Volunteer.

I wrote this book after spending a lot of time volunteering in shelters and seeing people with really good intentions sometimes accidentally make things harder for the dogs they were trying to help. The goal was to take basic dog-training principles and apply them in a simple, practical way that could help shelter volunteers, fosters, and ultimately the dogs themselves.

We talk about rewarding the behaviors we want, redirecting the ones we do not, helping dogs decompress instead of overwhelming them, and why taking every shelter dog straight out for a walk may not always be the best first step.

A few of the biggest takeaways:

• Consistency and frequency matter more than trying to cram everything into long training sessions.
• Good management can reduce overstimulation and give dogs a better chance to succeed.
• The Readers, Groomers, and Walkers progression gives dogs time to become comfortable with people before asking more from them.
• Matching dogs and volunteers by experience level can help keep both the dogs and the people working with them safer.
• Fostering and shelter work should help prepare dogs for life in a real home.
• The goal is not simply getting dogs adopted. It is helping them stay in their forever homes.

If you want to take a deeper look at the ideas in the episode, Forever Home: Dog Training 101 & How to Be a Better Shelter Volunteer is available here:

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Home-Training-Shelter-Volunteer-ebook/dp/B00CSVQGGQ

K.I.S.S. Dog Training:
https://kissdogtraining.com/product/forever-home-e-book/

K.I.S.S. Dog Training
Dog Training Ain’t Cheap... Experience Counts.

https://kissdogtraining.com/

If you found this episode helpful, please take a minute to leave a review. Reviews are one of the best ways to help other dog owners find the podcast. Follow the show so you do not miss future episodes, and share this episode with someone involved in shelter work, rescue, fostering, or dog training.

Support the show

Mike Deathe owns Keep it Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) Dog Training. We can be reached through comments here, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kissdogtraining. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedeathe/, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mikedeathekissdogtraining/. And of course at our website https://kissdogtraining.com/.

Support the show

Mike Deathe owns Keep it Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) Dog training. We can be reached through comments here, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kissdogtraining. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedeathe/, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mikedeathekissdogtraining/. And of course at our website https://kissdogtraining.com/