School For The Dogs Podcast

This is a bonus episode in which Annie reads aloud the preface to Walden Two, BF Skinner's 1948 novel about a utopian community that he imagines could be closely engineered based on what we know about behavioral science, and cooperatively governed based on principles rooted in positive reinforcement. The book was called "fascism without tears" when it was published and also compared to a plan for a dog obedience school for humans. Three decades after writing it, Skinner wrote Walden Two Revisited, which reflected on how society still hadn't done enough to harness the power of non-coercive, non-punitive control in order to better people's lives. Forty-five years hence, has anything really changed? Maybe dog training can help us better understand what Skinner had in mind...Notes: Clubhouse Reading Group on Walden Two: 4/1 at 3PM ET. Need a Clubhouse Invite? Text 917-414-2625Annie imitates a dial up modem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B8KPvp9eewBuy Walden Two: https://amzn.to/3cKdGL83 minute summary of Walde

When David Adams' girlfriend traveled with her dog, she had an issue: The dog only liked to pee in yards. Adams, who had previously build a site for people looking for short-term apartment rentals, had an idea: What if there where people could rent... yards? So, he built SniffSpot.com, which allows people to rent out their fenced-in outdoor spaces to dogs, hourly. Annie and David discuss how this innovative service may revolutionize the way dogs are able to exercise and socialize. Learn more at SniffSpot.com. Like this episode! Please leave a review on iTunes!Support School For The Dogs by shopping at storeforthedogs.com Download our new app to join the conversation at http://schoolforthedogs.com/community Special thanks to Bill and Lizzie of Toast Garden for creating our Season Three intro song! Find them on Youtube.com/toastgarden---Partial Transcript:Annie:All right, David. Thanks for being here. Why don’t you just go ahead and tell me about yourself and your really interesting business.David Adams:Yeah, y

This is a bonus episode: A recording of a live Q and A.Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays on Instagram @schoolforthedogs.Get alerted about the next one or ask a question in advance at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda.She also sometimes goes live to answer questions on Clubhouse. Find her there: @anniegrossman.Here, Annie talks to an SFTD client who has a young rescue dog who became frightened about going outside after some bad experiences on walks. The owner has been bringing the dog to off-leash time at School For The Dogs in NYC and wants Annie's thoughts on bringing him to the dog park.Mentioned in this episode: Dog Body Language course available at http://schoolforthedogs.com/coursesLili Chin's book Doggie Language https://amzn.to/3cpAO1eSue Sternberg's dog park app Learn more about off-leash offerings at School For The Dogs at SchoolForTheDogs.comDogs under 5 months: https://www.schoolforthedogs.com/services/puppy-playtime/Dogs over 5 months: https://www.schoolforthedogs.com/services/

Professor John B. Watson's 1913 essay argues that psychology should be studied from a behavioral perspective, echoes some of the same conversations that are had today between dog trainers who are approach dog training as a science and those who approach dog training by making assumptions about dogs' internal feelings and motivations. Read "Psychology As The Behaviorist Views it" in full at http://anniegrossman.com/watsonessayThoughts on this? Join the conversation by downloading the School For The Dogs Community appfind it in iTunes: http://schoolforthedogs.com/appfind it in the Play store: http://schoolforthedogs.com/play---Transcript:[Intro]Annie:Happy Monday morning humans. I am going to take advantage of this quiet moment in my home.  Quiet because my daughter’s wonderful babysitter has brought her to the playground.  To share with you an essay I just looked up that I actually have not read in several years, but I remember it left quite an impression on me when I did read it.It’s from Psychological Review

Is all punishment necessarily bad? Nope! There are two kinds of punishment, and one of them is actually frequently used by so called "positive reinforcement" trainers like Annie: Negative Punishment. Here Annie breaks down what Negative Punishment is, talks about how it interplays with positive reinforcement, and explains its role in the "Elevator Game," which is a great exercise you can to do at mealtimes in order to teach a dog to not bum-rush the food bowl. She also reads from Behavior Principles In Every Day Life by John D. Baldwin and Janice I. Baldwin, which talks about a study in which parents used negative punishment at story time in order to discourage children from sucking their thumbs. Behavior Principles In Every Day Life by John D. Baldwin and Janice I. Baldwin,  https://amzn.to/3qd8TXfEileen Anderson on Extinction https://eileenanddogs.com/blog/category/extinction-2/Other episodes and blog posts on this topic: Episode 65: Don't let your dog cry it out: On training dogs to be alone https://annieg

This is a bonus episode: A recording of a live Q and A.Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays on Instagram @schoolforthedogs.Get alerted about the next one or ask a question in advance at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda.She also sometimes goes live to answer questions on Clubhouse. Find her there: @anniegrossman. Here, Annie answers three questions: @gussiethehussie asks: "How do you vet the trainers you hire? What sort of continuing ed do they get?"@artielepup asks: "Why is my dog suddenly so reactive" @roxyriddler asks: "My pup is no longer interested in recall unless she sees a treat! Help!"Mentioned in this episode:School For The Dogs' Professional CoursesAssociation For Professional Dog Trainers Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers Tawzer Clicker ExpoClickerTraining.com---Partial Transcript:Annie:Hi.  This is a bonus Q and A episode. I try and go live every Thursday afternoon on the School for the Dog's Instagram account, which is simply @SchoolfortheDogs. If you would lik

We're posting this as a bonus episode because it isn't really about dog training... but it's something we think you will want to listen to if you love dogs and empathize with people who love them.  If you've heard the podcast Dirty John, or seen the dramatization on TV, also called Dirty John, you'll know that it's a story that is... complicated. The hero of the real-life true-crime story is Terra Newell, a soft-spoken dog groomer who was attacked by her sociopath stepfather one night when she and her dog were coming home from a day working at a shelter. Annie and Terra talk about her life with pets, the traumatic experience she and her dog experienced, how her dog impacted her recovery, and more.  You can find Terra on Instagram at @terranewellDirty John Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirty-john/id1272970334Dirty John on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80241855Mentioned in this episode: Don't Shoot The Dog https://amzn.to/37Nn7I2 The Human Magnet Syndrome https://amzn.to/3bzBv7G---Part

When Adam Davis came to work at School For The Dogs in late 2019, he was only in his mid-twenties but already had a decade of working with dogs professionally under his belt. In particular, his background involved a lot of hours spent helping city dogs learn to co-exist, and play, off leash. Today, he runs School For The Dogs' unique School Yard program-- a by-appointment, trainer-supervised members-only dog run -- and also oversees puppy playtimes, in addition to working private with clients. He and Annie discuss his early introduction to the world of science-based training, his interest in police dogs, his rescue dog Sonic, and more.Book a session with Adam at http://schoolforthedogs.com/adamLearn more about School Yard and Puppy Playtime at http://schoolforthedogs.com/servicesMentioned in this episode: The Human Half Of Dog Training---Partial Transcript:Annie:So I am here with Adam Davis. Adam, why don’t you introduce yourself with your official School for the Dogs title.Adam:Hi, Annie, thank you for havin

Anna Heyward is a writer and a School For The Dogs apprentice who has been featured on this podcast. She joined Annie and others to discuss her heartbreaking new article in The New Yorker, "Bad Dog," on Clubhouse. Their discussion touched on the complicated world of behavioral euthanasia, the cultural fog about dog training and the rampant misinformation about it, and more. Former School For The Dogs trainer Anamarie Johnson, also previously interviewed on this podcast, was among those who joined the conversation. Find Annie on Clubhouse at @anniegrossman. Looking for a Clubhouse invite? Text 917-414-2625Read Anna's article at NewYorker.com https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/bad-dogAnna Heyward is on Instagram at: @biggirl.worldMentioned in this article: School For The Dogs courses (including a FREE one) for aspiring dog trainers http://schoolforthedogs.com/courses The Freedom Harness https://storeforthedogs.com/products/freedom-harnessLessons learned from foster dogs: A discussion with our ap

After attending two webinars where people extolled the virtues of positive reinforcement, Annie was left wondering why the term seems to be so misunderstood-- or maybe she is the one misunderstanding it? While she tries to train using positive reinforcement and she believes the world would be a nicer place if people were able to identify positive reinforcement and use it more effectively, she doesn't see it as some kind of sugar-coated panacea. Positive reinforcement can be very mundane! It is why you look at your phone. It's why you put one foot in front of the other when you walk, and why you push the gas pedal to make your car move forward. If a behavior has been encouraged, it has been reinforced. If it has been encouraged because of the addition of something, rather than the subtraction of something, it has been positively reinforced. So why has the term  "positive reinforcement" gotten so mixed up with the idea of kindness? Yelling "No!" can positively reinforce a dog for jumping, and hugging a person m

Our trainer Maddie Messina, who started out with us as a walker two years ago, is getting a master's at Hunter's Animal Behavior and Conservation, where she is studying canine cognition. She and Annie discuss her early interest in veterinary medicine, the opportunity she had to work with primates as an undergraduate at Bucknell University, her current focus on working with puppies, and doing it all... while being severely allergic to dogs.Book a session with Maddie at http://schoolforthedogs.com/maddieFollow Maddie at Instagram at @onlyfurendswithdogsJoin our new community app, accessible in the iTunes App store, the Play store, or in any web browser at http://schoolforthedogs.com/community.  Use hashtag #podcastlistener and we'll grant you a moth of Premium app access.Find Annie on Clubhouse @anniegrossman. Want a Clubhouse invite? Text a request to 917-414-2625Like this podcast? Leave a review on iTunes! Need help? See our guide to leaving a review here. https://www.schoolforthedogs.com/subscribe/  ---Parti

Annie has a toddler, a husband who is a busy guy, and a toddler. It's freezing outside, the dog hates the cold weather, and Annie's mobility isn't great at the moment: She's pregnant and lives in a walkup. All this resulted in a her family's inability to get the puppy, Poppy, on the six or so walks a day that she, as a dog trainer, knows would be needed to teach her to go outside on the city streets. The issue could be solved by hiring a dog walker to come a few times a day, but Annie calculated that this would cost at least a thousand dollars a month. So, Annie came up with a plan to teach Poppy to go on an indoor pottying spot -- one that could ultimately be transferred to the outside -- and to use her roof deck some of the time, while also making sure she goes out on the street at least once or twice a day, even if she isn't "bathrooming" out there. Mentioned in this episode:School For The Dogs (Free!) Community App http://schoolforthedogs.com/community Doggie LawnGet $5 off your first Doggie Lawn order wi

This is a bonus episode: A recording of a live Q and A.Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A on Instagram most Thursdays.Sign up for the next one, and/or submit a question in advance, at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda.Discussed in this episode: -How do you get a dog to eliminate more than once a day? -My dog likes dogs on TV but not in real life -What do I do if my dog just wants to bark at other dogs in the dog park but not play with them? -How can I keep my dog from stressing out now that I'm going back to work? -How can you keep a dog from counter surfing? Disclosure: These Q and A's give very cursory to questions that are sometimes pretty complex! We encourage dog owners to seek out personalized profession training help whenever possible. Mentioned in this episode: Ruffwear Load Up car harness https://storeforthedogs.com/products/the-ruffwear-load-up-harnessTreating Separation Anxiety In Dogs by Malena DiMartini https://storeforthedogs.com/products/book-treating-separation-anxiety-in-dogsEpisodes on s

Dogs love bully sticks, and the weird world of dried bull penises (which is what they're made of) has become a bit of an obsession of Annie's. In this episode, she interviews someone else who is obsessed with them: Vaso Karras, the inventor of the Bully Grip. When dogs swallow small pieces of bully sticks, they can cause potentially-fatal intestinal blockages. Karras' puck-like rubber device is designed to slide over a bully stick and lock onto it, making it nearly impossible for a dog to swallow its nub. Annie interviews her about how she dropped everything in order to devote her life to figuring out how to help dogs chewing bully sticks safely. Notes:You can purchase all three sizes of the Bully Grip at StoreForTheDogs.com. https://storeforthedogs.com/products/bully-grip-stick-holder?variant=37868029968580You can purchase bully sticks there, too: https://storeforthedogs.com/products/bully-sticksAnd the Qwizl, which is also mentioned in this episode: https://storeforthedogs.com/products/qwizl-bully-stick-hol

Anna Ostroff is a Tony-award winning theater producer and the head of a non-profit that brings arts education into New York public schools. Somehow, she also manages to work fulltime at School For The Dogs, where she trains dogs with behavior issues, manages (and teaches) group classes, and generally keeps everyone smiling with her sunny disposition and "can do" attitude. Here, she and Annie discuss her lifelong love of animals, her foster dogs, and her passion for teaching tricks to urban dogs and helping dogs deal with fear and anxiety.  Anna's non-profithttp://www.arts-for-all.org/ Anna's theater company: https://infinitytheatre.com/Book a session or class with Anna: http://schoolforthedogs.com/services---Partial Transcript:Annie:So listeners, I am joined today by someone who started out at School for the Dogs as a client, and then became an apprentice and then became a trainer. And along the way became one of my very, very good friends. So I’m happy to have any excuse to talk to her. Anna Ostroff. Hello,

This is a bonus episode: A recording of a live Q and A.Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A on Instagram most Thursdays.Sign up for the next one, and/or submit a question in advance, at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda.Here Annie addresses questions about socializing dogs during quarantine, using wee wee pads if the goal is to teach a dog to only go outside, getting a dog to like a crate again,  using daycares to get a dog some social time, and more. ---Partial Transcript:Annie:Hi, thanks for those of you who came to my little Instagram live demo just now with adorable little Poppy.  Hope that was helpful. I did have a couple of questions that came in that I wanted to answer as always. I try and go alive every Thursday at 3:00 PM. Eastern. If you want to ask a question or want to be notified when I’m going live on Instagram, just go to schoolforthedogs.com/qanda, and you can submit a question or sign up to be notified.Oh, hi Duke. Nice to see you there. Okay, so this question comes — I have two questions f

This is a bonus episode: A recording of a live Q and A.Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.Sign up for the next one at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda.Here, Annie answers two questions, and offers a similar suggestion to help deal with both issues: Train a dog to go in a bag! K9 Sport Sack Dog backpacks: https://storeforthedogs.com/collections/backpacksBoat and Tote: https://amzn.to/3p8bhPm---Partial TranscriptAnnie:Thank you for joining me folks. I have two questions here that were submitted.  As always, you can join me for these Q and A sessions live in two places, either in the new School for the Dogs app, which is free and you can get there by looking up School for the Dogs community in the app store or play store, or going to schoolforthedogs.com/community.  Or you can join me in webinar format schoolforthedogs.com/QandA. And you can submit a question in advance as some people have done here at anniegrossman.com/ask.So two questions this week and they have a common thread in my answer

A decade ago, Annie and Kate set out to become dog trainers.  They ended up with a dog training business. They both knew a lot more about dog training than they did about business management, so they attempted to use what they knew about animal behavior to manage the company... In this episode Annie talks about four business lessons she's learned that stem from what she knows about dog training. She talks about the importance of creating shaping plans (something she is bad at, both when training dogs and when managing staff), the difficulty of using money to reinforce behavior, and how to use environmental environment and antecedent arrangements to change employee behavior (hint: don't). She also talks about how classical conditioning, and focusing on people's conditioned emotional responses, is just as important to think about when dealing with clients as it is when dealing with dogs.Find Aubrey Daniels' books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ii810T---Partial Transcript:Annie:I was recently emailing with a podcas

Em Beauprey came to School For The Dogs in 2017 when he was working as a vet tech and running his own dog walking business. He started out as an apprentice, and went on to build SFTD's walking program from scratch, and to helm our professional program. These days, when he isn't putting the finishing touches on Born To Behave, our forthcoming free and open-source course for aspiring professional dog trainers, Em can be found doing virtual training with puppies and walking his cat on the streets of Portland, OR. Em and Annie discuss a youth spent training dogs for conformation trials, why knowledgeable dog walkers are so valuable, cat training, and more. Want to be updated on the launch of Born To Behave? Sign up for our newsletter to be alerted when it launches! https://schoolforthedogs.activehosted.com/f/23Annie's 2005 NY Times article on part-time pets https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/fashion/sundaystyles/instant-best-friend-for-the-day.htmlMore on SFTD's Professional Program: https://www.schoolforthedogs.

This is a bonus episode: A recording of a live Q and A.Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.Sign up for the next one at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda or join in the School For The Dogs app at http://schoolforthedogs.com/communityIn this episode, Annie discusses why she loves using viscous treats with dogs, and reviews some of her favorite types of lickable treats. All of them can be found at storeforthedogs.com. https://storeforthedogs.com/collections/lickable-and-spreadable-treats---Partial Transcript:Annie:Today, I actually want to answer a question that came to me from my husband. As I mentioned on the podcast last week, we have a brand new puppy. Her name is Poppy, and it’s been a lot of fun. She’s really a wonderful, wonderful girl. And my husband and I were talking and he said what has changed for you? Or, I guess he said, what do you think has changed in the world of dog training since you last had a puppy, which was in 2005, when I first got my dear my dear dog Amos.And it’s a big