This week, Hannah switches things up and interviews Nick Sanville, Office Manager at Summit Dog Training. Nick is not a dog trainer, but he holds one of the most important jobs on his team. He's the first touchpoint for all of Summit's clients and is adept at answering their questions, listening to their needs, and using what he learns to start them off on the right foot with training their dogs. Day in and day out, he acts as the bridge between the trainers and the clients.

Discover:

• How to start off on the right foot in training your dog
• Compatibility in dog-human relationships
• Advocating for your dog and getting comfortable with awkward interactions
• What to evaluate before moving forward with a dog trainer

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Shay Cline and Meredith Decker are back for Puppies: Part Two!

Discover:

• Why it’s normal for puppies’ preferences to change as they grow
• What your training priorities should be to set your puppy up for adult dog success
• Shay and Mer’s favorite pieces of advice for anyone raising a puppy

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Shay Cline and Meredith Decker (dog trainers and Adventure Camp Counselors, Summit Dog Training) are our local puppy gurus. In part one of this two-part interview, they share their individual journeys into the professional dog world, what drew them to puppy training in particular, what challenges puppy parents often fail to anticipate, and dive into the various stages of puppyhood.

Discover:

• Surprising parallels between puppy raising and human raising
• Why puppyhood can sometimes feel like taking one step forward and two steps back
• What happens in our puppies' brains as they grow

Stay tuned for part two, coming up next!

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Angela Murray (dog trainer and behavior therapist, Summit Dog Training) is about to blow your mind. She shares her wealth of knowledge in this conversation with me about how important it is to understand dog body language, why it’s far more nuanced than we think, and how we can use our observations of our dogs to support our relationship with them.

Discover:

• How working with dogs from a young age shaped Angela’s approach to human life
• How to practice intentional observation of our dog’s body language
• How to become an expert on your individual dog’s ways of communicating
• How to support your dog’s self-regulation and teach them how to manage their feelings

“Look At That” Game, https://youtu.be/L4o4kdWx0SA?si=YwcmStR1ca8eT11F

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Amber Quann (CEO and Head Trainer at Summit Dog Training) expertly addresses the hot topic of dog parks and other off-leash adventures in this conversation with me. We explore the place and purpose of environments like dog parks and how to evaluate whether they best suit you and your dog's needs, as well as best practices for working toward successful off-leash adventures with your dog or puppy.

Discover:

• Why "socialization" may not be the right descriptor for the purpose of dog parks
• How to evaluate whether a dog park will be a positive environment for your dog
• What sensory stimulation dogs are likely to experience upon arrival at a dog park
• Actionable steps to set your dog up for successful adventures off-leash

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Sarah Stiles (certified dog trainer and behavior therapist, Summit Dog Training) opens my eyes about what canine enrichment really means. We talk about how everything outside of primary needs for survival is considered enrichment, what enrichment can look like based on our dogs' unique ancestry, and how intentional enrichment can help them cope with challenges and big feelings.

Discover:

• What enrichment can look like outside of food puzzles and toys
• How canine ancestry influences your dog's enrichment preferences
• The effect enrichment has on the canine brain
• Dog sports and activities that are built to enrich

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Dagny Kaspar (owner of The Pals Academy, Michigan's Top Dog Trainer of 2023, and my cousin) sits down with me to explore the crucial role socialization plays in a dog's life. We talk about how to create positive social experiences, manage expectations, and understand your dog's unique personality ... and discuss parallels between dog and human socialization. At the end of the day, we're all just meat sacks trying our best.

Discover:

• Why dog socialization means so much more than just dog-to-dog interactions
• How we can set our dogs up for socialization success
• How empathizing with our dogs' feelings in social settings can help us both
• How to adjust our mindset to celebrate the small wins with our dogs

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Join a dog-mom-turned-dog-nerd as she interviews dog lovers, trainers, and professionals to go beneath the bark, decode our dogs, and unleash our humanity along the way. The SubWOOFer is a shame-free space for all of us to learn more about our dogs and ourselves. Here's to living life to the fullest with our canine companions by our side!

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