Podcasts by How To Train Your Dog With Love And Science - Dog Training with Annie Grossman, School For The Dogs

News flash: Positive reinforcement isn't about being kind! from 2021-02-19T20:50:59

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 misundersta...

SFTD Trainer Maddie Messina on studying animal cognition, dealing with allergies, and more from 2021-02-12T18:11:21

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...

The dog is peeing inside and it's totally okay: A family's practical and economical approach to housetraining a puppy from 2021-02-05T18:53:09

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 i...

Dog Training Q and A! 2/4/2021: Is it okay if my dog only "goes" once a day? Also: Counter surfing, curbing barking in the dog park, helping a dog feel okay about the car after a car crash, and more from 2021-02-04T21:38:33

This is a bonus episode: A recording of a live Q and A.

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A on Listen

How to make sure your dog never swallows a bully stick: Expert advice from Vaso Karras, the inventor of the Bully Grip from 2021-01-29T16:38:42

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...

School For The Dogs’ Group Class Manager Anna Ostroff on straddling a life of theater and dog training, fostering, teaching tricks & more from 2021-01-22T21:54:30

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 F...

Dog Training Q and A! 1/21/2021: Are day cares a good place to socialize your dog? Why did my dog stop liking the crate? Thoughts on wee wee pads? from 2021-01-21T21:40:20

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...

Dog Training Q and A! 1/14/2021: On why it can be useful to teach a dog to go in a bag from 2021-01-20T13:55:31

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 Listen

What happens when you try to run a dog training business using dog training techniques... from 2021-01-15T22:03:42

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 managemen...

School For The Dogs’ Trainer Em Beauprey on conformation, cats, bespoke dog walking and training trainers from 2021-01-08T21:40:15

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 p...

Dog Training Q and A! 1/7/2021: Lickable Treats from 2021-01-07T20:52:04

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 Listen

Annie gets a puppy: On navigating Petfinder, vetting breeders, and falling in love with a new dog from 2021-01-01T22:40:40

Two months after losing her 15.5-year-old Yorkiepoo bestfriend, Annie and her family welcomed a new puppy into their home. In this episode, she talks about the experience of falling in love with...

Dog Training Q and A! 12/31/2020: Can I speak multiple languages to my dog? Is it okay if my dog watches TV? How do I keep my dog off my sofa? & More from 2020-12-31T21:21:30

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 Listen

School For The Dogs’ Private Training Manager Claire Cario on therapy dogs, deaf dogs, and more from 2020-12-25T21:19:11

Meet Claire Cario, School For The Dogs’ Private Training Manager. Annie interviews Claire about her journey into the world of dog training, which began with a childhood love of nature shows and ...

Dog Training Q and A! 12/17/2020: How can I get my dog to stop humping other dogs in order to exert his "dominance?" from 2020-12-22T20:43:24

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 Listen

The Freedom "No-Pull" Harness: On the origins of School For The Dogs' #1 selling harness, with 2 Hounds Design's president Alisha Navarro from 2020-12-18T11:00

At School For The Dogs, we are very picky about products we recommend:  We try to guide our clients towards products that we feel really work well and are made by US-based, sustainability-m...

Dog training with Mary Poppins, Professor Harold Hill and Little Orphan Annie from 2020-12-11T17:13:07

During the dark days of 2020, Annie has been self-medicating. Her drug of choice? Watching clips from old movie musicals she loved as a kid. It turns out that there are a lot of lessons about be...

Dog Training Q and A! 12/10/2020: Should we send our puppy to do a board and train? from 2020-12-10T23:01:06

Shari asks:  "A few months ago we had to put our beloved 17 year old dog Lola to sleep. A few months later, when a friend of mine who runs a shelter got a litter of lab puppies, she in...

Amos from 2020-12-04T20:57:49

Amos Grossman Pedicone died on November 3, 2020. He was 15.5-years old, and lived with Annie Grossman since his puppyhood. He was a black Yorkiepoo who enjoyed playing fetch in the ocean, swimmi...

Dog Training Q and A! 12/03/2020: Answers to new dog owners' common crate training questions from 2020-12-03T20:59:31

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays. Sign up for the next one at schoolforthedogs.com/...

Creating gear for dog adventurers: Meet Ruffwear designer Liz Zarro from 2020-11-27T21:48:01

Meet Liz Zarro, a young designer at Oregon-based dog gear company, Ruffwear, which specializes in making products that help dogs and humans have outdoor adventures together. Liz and Annie discus...

5 of our "go to" treats at SFTD (in ASMR + French) from 2020-11-23T21:22:22

This bonus episode is a recording of an Instagram Live Annie did, which can be seen here.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CH8i617n2mi/...

School For The Dogs' Sasha Prasad on helping animals live happier lives from 2020-11-20T12:00

Sasha Prasad moved to New York City with her three rescue dogs last year in order to get a masters degree in Animal Behavior and Conservation from Hunter. She began working at School For The Dog...

Dog Training Q and A! 11/19/2020: Handmade gifts, dealing with a dog who bites the leash & dog training tips for a toddler mom from 2020-11-19T21:23:15

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.

Sign up for the next one at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda.

Have a questio...

The Charles Mingus' CAT-alog for Toilet Training Your Cat (1972) from 2020-11-18T17:25:29

When he wasn't revolutionizing the world of mid-20th century jazz music, Charles Mingus was home training his cat, Nightlife. Specifically, he was really into training Nightlife to go on the toi...

The Bully Test: How to tell if your dog (or kid or country) is having fun PLUS: FOMO crate training from 2020-11-13T11:00

If two dogs are playing, and you're unsure if your dog is into it, there is a simple "test" you can perform. The Bully Test, which was coined by Dr. Ian Dunbar, is a great way to tell how your d...

Dog Training Q and A! 11/05/2020: Cody doesn't want to go out with walker, Peaches won't pee on the patio & more from 2020-11-12T21:54:23

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.

Sign up for the next one at http://schoolf...

School For The Dogs' trainer Erin Whelan on how dog training changed her life from 2020-11-06T19:40:59

Erin Whelan was a professional French Horn Player. Then she adopted a beagle mix named Oliver and enrolled him in Puppy Kindergarten at School For The Dogs. Then she did the School For The Dogs ...

Dog Training Q and A! 10/29/2020: Helping a puppy pee when its pouring and how to occupy your dog inside from 2020-11-02T11:00

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.

Sign up at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qan...

Virtual private training session: Yoshi, an adolescent Shepherd who jumps on people on the street from 2020-10-31T11:00

Sit in on an initial virtual private dog training session with Annie Grossman and NYC resident Kari. Kari lives near School For The Dogs with an 8-month old Shepherd mix named Yoshi. Yoshi likes...

Recycled treats and retractable leashes: The good, the bad & the hilarious from 2020-10-30T10:00

In this episode, you'll learn about two products, each invented by a woman. The first is something you've probably encountered:  the retractable leash. The second is a new brand of treats c...

Annie's BFF Daisy Carrington on growing up with a stolen dog, being a childhood loan shark & more from 2020-10-27T19:38:20

In this bonus episode, Annie talks to one of her best friends, Daisy Carrington, who she has known since high school. After Daisy recently came in second place at a Moth story telling event, Ann...

Dog Training Q and A! 10/22/2020: Taking the Karen Pryor Academy and e-collars from 2020-10-25T17:15:50

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.

Sign up at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qan...

The "closet behaviorist" running for president: An interview with Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen from 2020-10-23T17:17:49

Did you know there is a woman running for president? Her name is Jo Jorgensen, she is the Libertarian candidate, and the only third party candidate who is going to be on the ballot in all 50 sta...

Dog Training Q and A! 10/15/2020: Dealing with an adolescent dog and trying to find the perfect puppy from 2020-10-22T18:53:08

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.

Sign up at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qan...

Virtual private training session: Heidi, a rescue greyhound living in Manhattan from 2020-10-20T17:25:59

Sit in on an initial virtual private dog training session with Annie Grossman and NYC residents Aquilla and Briana and their new rescue greyhound, Heidi.  Heidi doesn't want to sit and is t...

Sociopaths as dog trainers, Negative Reinforcement at NXIVM & how to train humans to wear masks from 2020-10-16T13:00

Creepy Episode alert! It's all about sociopaths and cult leaders today. Some are both cult leaders and sociopaths! And one is a president. And one is the Unabomber.  Annie talks about anima...

Three funny things and one terrible thing just happened from 2020-10-15T19:49:06

Alternative titles Annie thought of for this episode: 
-Toddlers are hilarious and death sucks
-And the dog dies in the end

Annie is doing a Q and A.  Join at Listen

Dog Training Q and A! 10/8/2020: Reactive Dogs, food toys, management of space from 2020-10-12T16:28:26

Join Annie Grossman for a live Q and A most Thursdays.

Sign up at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda. 

Have a question? Visit Listen

Be your dog's superhero: An interview with UK-based trainer and pet business coach Dominic Hodgson from 2020-10-09T17:46:31

Here's a cool approach to dog training: Teach your dog that you are a benevolent god. A superhero, if you will. That is UK-based trainer Dominic Hodgson's approach. In this episode, Annie i...

Q and A! 10/1/2020: A new nervous rescue dog, working with dog barking, and helping a dog potty outside from 2020-10-06T15:34:02

Join Annie for a live Q and A most Thursdays. Sign up at http://schoolforthedogs.com/qanda. Have a question? Email Listen

What is a bully stick? A very detailed answer to an awkward question... from 2020-10-02T11:00

Dogs love to chew on bully sticks. We sell loads of them every day at School For The Dogs, and, very often, people ask what they are. The answer? They're penises! This answer makes some people g...

When your home isn't the right home for your dog (and other subjects) from 2020-09-25T19:56:36

Warning: This episode meanders a bit! Annie's Facebook friend made the difficult decision to rehome her rescue dog, and Annie considers what it means to decide that a different family might be a...

Lessons learned from foster dogs: A discussion with our apprentice Anna Heyward from 2020-09-18T17:58

At School For The Dogs, we've been lucky enough to be able to mentor a handful of aspiring dog trainers through our apprenticeship program. One of our current apprentices, Anna Heyward, first ca...

My family thinks I'm crazy: Dealing with those who don't see the "whole" picture of holistic dog training from 2020-09-11T14:37:06

What does it mean to be a holistic dog trainer? To Annie, it means addressing issues using what we know about the science of behavior as it applies to both  dogs and humans, and looking at ...

The Pandemic Puppy Boom: A discussion with breeder Cherrie Mahon of River Valley Doodles from 2020-09-04T12:00

This episode is a second conversation with Cherrie Mahon, with whom Annie spoke last year (Episode 45: Let's talk about dog breeding with Cherrie Mahon). During quarantine Cherrie, like many bre...

Dogs don't think we're dogs: Ethologist Dr. Marc Bekoff on how we can give our "frustrated captives" a good life in a human world from 2020-08-28T12:00

Last week, Annie looked a bit at the career of Dr. Stanley Coren, a writer who recently penned a Psychology Today article suggesting that one way to silence a barking dog is to clamp down on the...

Don’t put a towel over a dog’s head & other lessons not learned from Stanley Coren & Psych. Today from 2020-08-21T21:11:44

Looking for misguided information about dog training? Look no further than Psychology Today, which is publishing new articles that are offering outdated and possibly dangerous information. In th...

There’s so much to love about snuffle mats! Buy or make a fabric work-to-eat toy. from 2020-08-14T21:22:27

We are obsessed with work-to-eat toys at School For The Dogs! Snuffle mats are one type of work-to-eat toy we recommend all the time. Made of fabric, they’re great for hiding dry food or treats....

Restaurant dining with your dog: How to train the perfect outdoor dinner date from 2020-08-07T20:58:51

It's a golden moment for those wanting to eat outdoors with their dogs. Just think: There's so much outdoor dining! And people are keeping their distance from each other! And tables are spa...

Schedules of Reinforcement, “Baked In” Behaviors & How Dog Training Can Help You Take The MCAT from 2020-07-31T22:37:41

A listener who is studying for the MCAT exam wrote in to ask if there were any dog training scenarios that could help illustrate some of the terms she needed to know for the psychology section o...

Mean Talk, Mouse Traps & Water Guns: Rudd Weatherwax’s “Lassie Method” from 2020-07-24T12:00:47

A few weeks ago, Annie interviewed Jon Provost, who played the little boy Timmy on the Lassie TV series in the 1950s and 60s. He talked a little bit about Rudd Weatherwax, who was Lassie's owner...

Is Dominance Really A Thing? Cesar Millan, Libertarianism + A Dog Named Pizza from 2020-07-17T20:23:27

Before she became a dog trainer, Annie assumed that understanding dogs' supposed obsession with dominance was an important part of being a good trainer. She pushed her 18-pound Yorkiepoo into alpha...

Puppy Socialization In The Time Of Quarantine from 2020-07-10T22:03:22

Nothing makes people want puppies quite like a global pandemic! Those who are raising puppies during quarantine may face some challenges when it comes to socialization. But, if you succeed at do...

Lassie's Boy Sidekick: Meet Jon Provost, aka Timmy from 2020-07-03T19:50:24

Jon Provost was the boy sidekick to the 20th Century's most-loved dog: Lassie. In the late 1950s and early 1960s a third of American households tuned in each week to watch Lassie, a whip-smart C...

Don't Let Your Dog Cry It Out: On Training Dogs To Be Alone from 2020-06-26T19:15:52

In an ideal world, dogs would all be trained to be able to be alone. It would be a process of shaping a behavior, and helping your dog make good associations with being without you. But, in the ...

Cues & Commands: How We Communicate To Dogs What We Want From Them & Vice Versa from 2020-06-19T19:03:50

Before Annie became a dog trainer, she assumed all dogs were trained using "commands" and cues were for... pool games and stage actors. In this episode, she talks about the difference between cu...

A Pet Food Killed My Dog: Susan Thixton & The Truth About Pet Food from 2020-06-12T20:28:03

Thirty years ago, a vet told Susan Thixton that dog food had given her dog bone cancer, and the dog had two weeks to live.  "That day changed my life," she said. She dove into researching p...

On Racism, Reinforcement, Leashes & Poop Bags from 2020-06-05T16:51:35

Last week in New York City a white woman called the cops on a black man, saying he was threatening her life. Really, he just wanted her to obey Central Park's leash laws. In this episode, Annie ...

The Greatest Animal Trainer On Earth: Ken Ramirez from 2020-05-22T18:50:52

When Ken Ramirez is not training elephants to avoid poachers, teaching dogs to count, coaxing polar bears out of suburban garbage cans or getting butterflies to fly on cue, he is mentoring and e...

The Most Important Behavior You'll Ever Train from 2020-05-15T20:19:37

There is one behavior we teach every dog we work with at School For The Dogs: Touch! 

This is an easy-to-teach building block that you can use to build... whatever you want! In this ...

Separation Anxiety Expert Malena DeMartini on Helping Dogs Learn To Be Alone from 2020-05-08T17:09:53

Some dogs have panic attacks when they are left alone. If you have a dog who can't be alone, and you have any interest in sometimes leaving your home without your dog, you know the agony of cani...

A Different Kind Of Dog Photographer: Meet Andrea Castanon of BowieShoots from 2020-05-01T17:10:51

A few years ago, Annie thought it'd be fun to do yearbook-style posed photos of dogs graduating from classes at School For The Dogs.  She mentioned the idea to a few photographers and they ...

Helping The Sad Polar Bear & Trump's Coyotes: The World Of Dog Trainer Ferdie Yau from 2020-04-24T20:45:49

Ferdie Yau,  behavior consultant at NYC's Behavior Vets, has been training animals in New York City for nearly twenty years. Today...

How do you become a dog trainer? A conversation between two women who switched careers from 2020-04-16T19:01:16

One of the many interesting things about dog training? Every professional has taken a different path. We are in a moment where many people are considering new careers. If you've ever thought abo...

How to train a dog to pee and poop inside from 2020-04-09T00:17

Dog trainers are commonly asked to help dog owners teach a dog to "potty" outside. Well, thanks to this crazy quarantine situation, we're not being asked the opposite question: How can I teach m...

"Nobody Cares About Dog Training Right Now" from 2020-04-01T18:39:07

Someone on the School For The Dogs mailing list sent Annie an angry email accusing her of being out of touch because, with everything going on in the world,  "no one cares about dog trainin...

What dog owners need to know about the coronavirus with Dr. Lisa Lippman from 2020-03-16T18:26:29

Welcome to Season 2 of School For The Dogs Podcast! 

This episode is a conversation show host Annie Grossman had with veterinarian Dr. Lisa Lippman about the thing we are all talking...

Why viral videos are bad for dogs, with Eileen Anderson from 2019-05-17T00:04:36

Pet videos fuel the Internet, but too often they perpetuate false ideas about dog behavior by misattributing a dog's intentions, or by falsely framing their actions.  Why do we seek to anth...

Ask Annie: Dealing with humping and other annoying behaviors from 2019-05-07T19:59:08

Annie  addresses questions from people who are dealing with dogs who have habits that annoy other dogs, and, ultimately, their owners as well. One owner wants to know how to deal with a new...

How to train your dog to walk on a loose leash from 2019-04-24T15:21:03

Leashes, collars and harnesses are some of the first accessories most dog owners acquire when they get a dog, and very soon they come to depend on these tools. But, in this guide to teaching a d...

How to live with seven dogs and three cats in a one bedroom in NYC from 2019-04-15T21:23:38

Native New Yorker Gloria Bardin lives in a one-bedroom apartment with three Dobermans, one pitbull, a Havanese, two mixed breeds and three cats. And yet... she seems totally sane. Annie talked t...

Surfer, author, rapper, adventurer, humanitarian: Meet Pip The Beach Cat from 2019-04-08T17:59:03

Last fall, Emily Meadows and her husband took in a stray orange tabby kitten who they called Pip. Pip repaid the kindness by terrorizing their other cats and destroying their Ocean City, Marylan...

A busy person's guide to Operant Conditioning from 2019-04-03T16:00:45

Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Positive Punishment and Negative Reinforcement: You may have heard these terms thrown around, but they're often misused or little understood. Toge...

The Museum of the Dog opens in NYC from 2019-03-26T02:20:38

Up until last month, one of the world's largest collections of dog-related art resided outside St. Louis inside a museum that most of the locals didn't even know about: The Museum Of The Dog. Th...

The body builder & the Boston: Joe & Lenny on their journey to Westminster from 2019-03-19T18:53:59

In 2012, Joe Freni's wife surprised him with a puppy they named Lenny. Lenny, they felt, was simply perfect. In fact, he was so perfect that they decided to start enrolling him in competitions. ...

Are you talking to your socks? Marie Kondo, Cesar Millan & training humans with snake oil from 2019-03-13T16:51:54

The sprightly Japanese organizing guru Marie Kondo has gained worldwide acclaim for essentially being an excellent trainer of humans. Specifically, she trains people to "tidy up" their homes. Wh...

Ask Annie: Separation anxiety, tips for crate training and an overview of attachment theory from 2019-03-04T20:55:15

In this Q+A episode, Annie answers a question from a puppy owner whose dog is scared of the crate and stresses out when left alone, and then considers another dog owner who asks if "Attachment T...

Let's talk about dog breeding with Cherrie Mahon of River Valley Doodles from 2019-02-26T02:19:08

A few years ago, after years of volunteering at rescue organizations and owning both shelter pups and purebred dogs, Cherrie Mahon, a professor of business in Rochester, New York, did something ...

New "Diggs" for your dog: Zel Crampton's dog crate revolution from 2019-02-12T02:22:20

We use dog crates every day at School For The Dogs. They're an integral part of dog training: We recommend them to clients who are house training puppies, incorporate them into class exercises, ...

Teaching a stellar "Down" with a verbal or visual cue from 2019-02-06T00:03:20

Every dog already knows how to lie down -- your dog lies down all the time! The trick to training a "down" is to teach your dog to do it when you ask for it. That involves adding a cue. In this ...

Let’s talk about dogs & babies with Jessica Jacobson of Dapper Dog Training from 2019-01-29T03:41:59

You might consider your dog your "baby," but what happens if you decide to add an actual infant to your family? Jessica Jacobson, owner of NYC's Dapper Dog Training, has spent years coaching fam...

French Bulldog Lola Barksdale: A Floofdragon's guide to Instagram stardom from 2019-01-22T02:06:38

When we first met Lola Barksdale,  she was a tiny Frenchie puppy in our Kindergarten classes. We had no idea that she would become an Instagram star, or that she was secretly obsessed with ...

Dog training pet peeves: The word "energy" and the misuse of the word "positive" from 2019-01-07T22:25:57

In the modern era of dog training, people often rush to blame a person or a dog's "energy" for behavior issues.  In this episode, Annie addresses why all the talk about using or observing "...

Training "Look" using the "Invisible Triangle" method from 2018-12-05T01:17:49

Everyone is impressed by a dog whose eyes meets a human's gaze with magnet-like intensity on cue. Teaching a dog to "touch" his or her eyes to your eyes is a great exercise to practice no matter...

Part 2: How I used punishment to train my husband to cover his mouth when he yawns from 2018-11-27T02:41:43

In this episode, Annie offers a follow up to the previous episode, which featured a candid conversation with her husband about her ill-fated attempt to use punishment to keep him from showing he...

Part 1: How I used punishment to train my husband to cover his mouth when he yawns from 2018-11-19T22:31:44

Annie is happily married to a man named Jason Pedicone, who is basically perfect in every way except... he doesn't cover his mouth when he yawns. So, she decided to use her talents as a dog trai...

How to shape your dog to go to a mat (and to be a polite Thanksgiving guest) from 2018-11-13T00:36:58

"Shaping" is simply the process of breaking a behavior down to its smallest components and slowly raising your criteria in order to build new behaviors. By reinforcing successive approximations,...

Let's talk about NYC's 1st dog-friendly cafe with Logan Mikhly from 2018-11-05T22:37:15

Earlier this year Logan Mikhly and her father Coppy Holzman opened a business unlike any other in NYC: A dog-friendly cafe. Logan has a background in animal rescue, Coppy is a dog-loving serial ...

Halloween & Dogs: How to make costumes less scary for pets from 2018-10-29T18:51:37

Halloween can be a scary time… for dogs! But it can also be a time to think about how to use training to reduce fears and overcome challenges. In this episode, Annie discusses, among other thing...

Our student Nelson: Life with a muzzled dog from 2018-10-22T18:56:57

After years of researching breeds, Joanie Comenzo of Manhattan decided to get a Welsh Terrier. When she went to pick up her new dog, Nelson, the breeder pushed him into her arms and said "Your p...

A modern dog owner's guide to sidewalk leash greetings from 2018-10-15T17:29:34

As much as we want our dogs to be social beings, the sad fact is that city streets are not an ideal place for leashed dogs to socialize. The close confines of the sidewalk can keep dogs from hav...

Let’s talk about the future of dog food with The Farmer's Dog's Brett Podolsky from 2018-10-08T15:49:28

When Brett Podolsky's dog was chronically unwell, he had an idea: What if he bought the same ingredients listed and in the commercial brand he was feeding her, and made her fresh food? The chang...

Katie Sturino, mom to @ToastMeetsWorld, on Instadog stardom from 2018-10-02T00:09:11

Katie Sturino is many things: A publicist, an influencer, a fashion blogger, a product developer and more. You might know her from The12ishStyle, the blog and Instagram account where she suggest...

Teach a foolproof DROP and COME using Classical Conditioning from 2018-09-24T13:43:41

There are two types of conditioning we use in dog training: Operant (aka learning by consequence, or "Skinnerian Conditioning") and Classical (aka learning by association, or "Pavlovian Conditio...

A better mousetrap: Building the perfect bully stick holder from 2018-09-17T16:22:37

If you have a dog, you've likely encountered bully stick chews. They're great for keeping dogs occupied, but there is always the risk of swallowing them, especially when they get chewed down to ...

Let’s talk about in-home dog grooming with Ani Corless from 2018-09-10T22:55:59

Ani Corless is a dog groomer and the owner of the NYC-based business Luxury Groomer. Unlike most groomers, Ani goes into her clients' homes to groom their dogs. Annie and she discuss her path to...

Ask Annie: Navigating dog runs and managing elevator manners from 2018-09-04T02:09:03

In this Q+A episode, Annie discusses how to deal with dogs in elevators, and how to navigate dog parks. She also talks about what to do if your dog gets off leash, and how to help a dog who atta...

Let’s talk about SFTD's origins with co-founder Kate Senisi from 2018-08-27T20:58:38

In 2011, Annie Grossman and Kate Senisi were both trying to figure out how to make a business out of dog training. They met through the Association for Professional Dog Trainers' message board, ...

Being BF Skinner's daughter: Deborah Buzan dispels the myths from 2018-08-21T00:25

Renowned behavioral psychologist BF Skinner codified much of the science behind positive reinforcement-based animal training, and is a hero to many dog trainers. But for over half a century, his...

Wonderful "Work To Eat" toys: Feeding Dogs In Slow Food Bowls from 2018-08-13T08:54:25

Every time you feed a dog, you have the opportunity to channel some of her energy into an appropriate activity, to tire her out, and to give her a sense of purpose. "Work To Eat" toys provide do...

How to train a dog to "sit" from scratch from 2018-08-06T08:31:55

Newsflash: Your dog already knows how to sit! But he may not know the cue you want to associate with that behavior. Annie breaks down how to use the "capturing" technique to teach "sit" anew and...

The Dog Training Triad Part 3: Timing from 2018-07-30T15:38:48

So, you have a carefully engineered environment (see: The Dog Training Triad Part 1) where your dog is likely to do lots of things you want him to to do, and you have also selected really approp...

The Dog Training Triad Part 2: Rewards from 2018-07-23T08:12:51

Once you've set the stage to up the chances that you'll get lots of behaviors you want (see The Dog Training Triad Part 1), you'll need to figure out how to reinforce those behaviors. In this ep...

The Dog Training Triad Part 1: Management from 2018-07-16T13:00:24

There are three major ingredients required in any positive reinforcement-based dog training plan. They are: Management, Timing, and Rewards. This episode is about Management, and is the first of...

Let's talk about dog walking with DivaDog's Shelley Goldberg from 2018-07-09T17:18:50

In New York City, a good dog walker can be hard to find. Dog owners open up their homes to them, and put their most beloved and vulnerable family members in their care, but a majority of walkers...

Let's talk about dog photography with Milla Chappell from 2018-07-03T00:00

This episode is all about Real Happy Dogs, the NYC-based photography business started by Milla Chappell, who is known for her photojournalistic approach to capturing the lives of dogs and their hum...

Ask Annie: Curtailing jumping and helping scaredy dogs from 2018-06-25T13:50:47

Annie answers questions from listeners dealing with jumpy dogs, and also addresses how to acclimate a nervous dog to all the stimuli she needs to interact with on a daily basis. Have a training ...

What you need to know about the dog flu from 2018-06-18T14:43:53

In NYC in the last month there have been nearly 100 dogs diagnosed with the dog flu. To learn more, I interviewed Dr. Andrea Y. Tu of Park East Animal Hospital and Veterinary Behavior Consultati...

Let's talk about dog parties with Hayley Mehalco from 2018-06-11T11:58:23

Not long after throwing her own English Bulldog a princess-themed birthday party, Hayley Mehalco decided to leave her job as an event planner at one of New York's poshest hotels in order to beco...

A modern dog owner's guide to nipping from 2018-06-04T15:46:57

Nipping is something that tends to drive new puppy owners batty. A lot of the advice you'll find on the Internet suggests scolding a pup for nipping; usually people are told they should use a hi...

Our student Basket: Helping geneticists improve pedigrees from 2018-05-28T17:12:11

School For The Dogs' clients Samantha Schwartz and Ben Ment wanted to find a mixed-breed Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, figuring that it'd be less prone to health issues than a purebred Bernese. Wh...

Let's talk about Pavlov with dog trainer Anamarie Johnson from 2018-05-21T13:33:16

Anamarie Johnson has been with School For The Dogs for three years, and, in that time, has won us all over with her pep, humor, and training chops. In this episode, we discuss her background in ...

Let's talk about veterinary house calls with Dr. Lisa Lippman from 2018-05-07T19:39:27

Dr. Lisa Lippman, a visiting vet in Manhattan, isn't just a knowledgeable medical professional: She is also a savvy business woman who is using the Internet to build her in-home practice. She an...

Let's talk about dogs in the workplace with Carly Strife of Bark from 2018-04-30T01:28:52

Annie interviews Carly Strife, COO and Co-founder of Bark, the company behind the incredibly successful BarkBox subscription service, which has earned more than half a million subscribers since ...

Our Canine Cousins: On behavior & evolution from 2018-04-09T21:18:28

Humans and dogs have more in common than what initially meets the eyes. As non-extinct land dwelling mammals, we are both species that are in a special category that makes up 1/20th of 1/20th of...

Let's talk about dog food with Hanna Mandelbaum of Evermore from 2018-03-27T01:59:03

Annie interviews Brooklyn-based dog food entrepreneur (and sometimes trapeze artist) Hanna Mandelbaum on why it matters what we feed our dogs. Together, they consider some of the many choices, i...

How to house train a dog from 2018-03-18T14:59:24

Training a dog where to pee and poop is a major priority for most new dog owners. But there is a lot of misinformation on how to do it -- we don't even have a term for it that make sense! Are we...

What is “Good” dog training? from 2018-03-08T16:59:41

There are lots of approaches to training dogs, but they’re not all equally “Good.” Annie breaks down common labels for the kind of training School For The Dogs promotes, including “positive rein...

Meet Annie and learn how School For The Dogs came to be from 2018-03-03T23:57:30

In our very first episode, meet your host, dog trainer Annie Grossman, School For The Dogs' co-founder. Learn about her journey from average-jane dog lover to passionate defender of ethical dog ...