Dr Dunbar's Iwoofs Podcasts

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!  No puppy class is perfect, but an off-leash puppy training and socialization course provides one of the most wonderful learning opportunities in dog training.  Puppies can play together without worry that any of them are aggressive, learning

People get dogs for a lot of different reasons.  In this episode we hear about the different dogs Kelly and Ian have had throughout the years, and the variety of roles the fulfilled for them.  Dog can provide a lot of things in their relationships with humans, with the most obvious being

The Holiday Pet Hokum:  Every December a lot of puppies are purchased as presents for their families. Sometimes these puppies are purchased as a surprise for children who will not be able to properly train the new pets, and as result some of them end up being surrendered to shelters.  A puppy is a

Living with multiple dogs can be a lot of work, even in the best of cases.  If those dogs don’t get along though, it can turn your entire life into a stressful nightmare.  As with all dog aggression, the first question is how good is their bite inhibition.  If the dogs are aggressive, but

Resource guarding is a very natural behavior for dogs.  It’s very important that you take the time to teach your dog that they have no need to guard objects from humans.  Otherwise, you’ll have a ticking time bomb that’s eventually going to scare or hurt someone.  Meanwhile, they’ll live

Dogs have needs.  They’re dogs and they were born to do certain doggy things.  If you try to stop your dog from ever barking, chewing, digging, chasing it’s going to go crazy.  It’s just not fair to the dog.  The secret to success is teaching your dog when and where to do the things they

All of a sudden, my perfect little puppy…  Adolescent dog problems take far too many owners by surprise.  Adolescence is going to be a time of change, and every puppy is going to go through it, so get ready for it!  Your puppy needs a gentle mouth and a rock-solid foundation of socialization and

Puppy problems may look harmless now, but unless you do something about them, they’re going to get bigger and badder.  Puppies don’t naturally grow out of their biting, jumping up, barking or chewing habits.  Instead you have to train them how to do these things appropriately.  Fortunately,

Punishment is one of the most misunderstood elements of dog training.  There is certainly a place for punishment in dog training, but there is no reason it has to be painful or mean.  Successful punishment decreases the frequency of an undesirable behavior, and can be phased out as the dog

Good dog training goes through several important steps.  Using lures and rewards to teach a command is just the beginning.  A dog that sits on command while you’re alone in the living room and holding a cookie is not necessarily going to sit on command at a BBQ in the park, surrounded by playing

In dog training the concept of respect can be a dangerous thing. Too many owners expect their dogs to behave appropriately out of sheer respect. While that would be nice, it’s simply not the case, and it’s foolish and inhumane to expect that. If you want your dog to listen to you, first you must

Getting a dog is always a big decision and everyone in the household should be a part of the process. Of course, this includes any dogs that you already live with. You certainly don’t want to bring home a new dog without first checking that it will be a good fit for your household. The Dunbars

Separation anxiety is a phrase that gets used a little too much in dog training. That’s not to say it doesn’t exist, but that some people are too eager to use it as a scapegoat and an excuse to put their dogs on drugs. Anxiety is a terrible thing for a dog, but it’s usually easy to fix with

One of the biggest mistakes people make in dog training is blaming their dog’s behavior problems on “leadership” or “dominance” instead of poor training. The Dunbars explain how dog hierarchies actually work, and why it doesn’t really matter when it comes to your relationship with your

The dog park can be a scary place, especially if you are worried about your dog's socialization skills. The Dunbars discuss when to be worried about your dog being dangerous, and how safety is really all about off-leash control. The park can be an exciting place, so work your way up to it. Hang out

Finding a good dog trainer can be a difficult process. Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to make sure that the trainer you find will be a good fit for you and your puppy. The Dunbars discuss what to look for in a good trainer, whether it’s for puppy classes, adult dog training, or

Some dog behavior problems can put your dog in jeopardy. These need to be addressed in order to ensure the safety of dogs and their owners. The Dunbars respond to listener questions and discuss the importance of highly reliable emergency commands and boundary training. With training for safety,

Long-term and short-term confinement, indoor and outdoor doggy toilets, night shifts and long days, rewards and reprimands. When it comes to training your pup to use the loo, the devil is in the details. The Dunbars discuss housetraining specifics, including how to set your new puppy up for success

Do your homework before you get a dog! The Dunbars discuss some of the questions you should ask yourself before adopting a dog. What do you want from a dog? How do you imagine your ideal canine companion? The first step in training a dog is determining your lifestyle and expectations. Also it's

Over the past 30 years or so, pet dog training has evolved as a specialized field of dog training. Pet dog training is one of the most complicated, challenging, sometimes frustrating, yet most thoroughly rewarding of endeavors. Pet dog training differs markedly from teaching competition dogs or