Robyn Carlson, of Kudos 2 Canines in Salt Lake City, shares years of insight and wisdom from running a highly successful dog training facility while balancing a family life and dog rescue work. Robyn talks about her journey of listening to her rescue heart and trainer brain to find the right balance. Her business website is www.Kudos2Canines.com

Get the inside scoop from the participants of the first-ever Feral Dog Immersion Program. Hear their experiences, what surprised them, and what they learned that will make a difference in the lives of the four dogs who were with us in the program, and help them with all other dogs too. The dogs that participated got a super experience that propelled them towards becoming dogs with a human companion. To learn more about the Feral Dog Immersion Program, check out my website for 2026 dates at www.hart2heartcanine.com and check out my YouTube channel "What Dogs Have Taught Me" for a film of the program.

If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall listening to two great minds discuss dogs and Pit Bulls in particular, then you are in luck. My guest, Diane Jessup, is an author and a legend and author in the world of pit bulls and titling dogs. Her dog Dread had the most titles of any dog of any breed. She competed in many dog sports when not doing her day job as an animal control officer. Diane's shares opinions about pit bulls, sound temperament, safe dog rescue practices, and how her dog Dread acted in a scene with a child movie star. Here is some background info about Diane Jessup taken from her book The Working Pit Bull and her website that lists her Cairn terriers and Dobermans she meticulously breeds, DanBar Ranch.com. Diane worked for 20 years in animal control ,which itself is an amazing accomplishment. But she also was the director of the Canine Aggression Outreach center where she did consulting services for animal control and public services on canine human interaction. Diane and her pit bulldogs traveled to give seminars on dog behavior and law enforcement. Diane competed extensively with her pit bulls and her banddog Dread had the record for holding the most titles in the most sports of any dog of any breed. Diane competed in shutzhund, weight pull, tracking obedience, conformation, and guard work, and herding with Dread and her other dogs. This is all while using positive marking methods for training her dogs. She has written three books, The Working Pit Bull, Colbys Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier, and The Dog Who Spoke with Gods. Her dogs have been in five films and many other media and she has been featured in many TV shows including Oprah and CNN. She is currently retired from official work, but breeds and cares for Dobermans and Cairn Terriers. We are so honored she is joining us today to share her love and knowledge of pit bulsl and other things dog.

What can we learn and observe from wolves that may teach us about our dogs? In this episode I interview Dr. Nathan Varley, co-founder of Yellowstone Wolftracker. Nathan has studied wildlife for his entire life, and specifically was invovled in the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park. Learn what insights he has that relate to wolves and our semi-domesticated little wolves that live in our homes, plus lots of other cool information about the wolves in Yellowstone. Nathan's company website is www.wolftracker.com

Hear real examples and case studies of the dogs that Phyllis and I have trained, illustrating the principle that sometimes less is more. One case is how Phyllis took a dog aggressive pit bull and taught her to live with her pack of dogs. We emphasize the importance of keeping things simple. We start with the foundational elements, which are often rushed when training dogs. We analyze whether a dog follows our lead, how to build trust, and what clients truly need from their training experience. This podcast offers numerous examples of how we have guided clients to change their behavior in order to improve their dogs' performance in lieu of over-training the dog However, this podcast isn't just for dog trainers. Dog owners will also find valuable tips to enhance their relationship with their pets. Phyllis Smuland has been training challenging dogs for nearly four decades. Her clients often become loyal supporters, frequently returning to her for help with multiple dogs across generations. She relied on referrals for nearly 35 years without a website or formal marketing until about five years ago, yet she managed to build a successful income based solely on word-of-mouth recommendations.

In this engaging and insightful conversation with fearful and feral dog expert, Julie Hart, we explore the nuances of working with fearful and feral dogs. Julie shares her journey, beginning with her early experiences fostering dogs and how she transitioned into specializing in canine rehabilitation. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing a dog’s innate ability to adapt and learn through natural social interactions rather than relying solely on food rewards and obedience training. Julie shares personal stories, including her deep bond with Chardonnay, a foster dog she ultimately kept, and how each of her dogs has played a role in shaping her understanding of canine behavior. This podcast is from A Dog's Eye View Podcast also available on Spotify

The reason we make dogs sit is usually to gain control over them and help them calm down. But does this method actually work, and are there better alternatives? Which dogs succeed with sitting as a calming technique, and why? Also, are there any dogs that should not be asked to sit? Sitting is offered as a natural behavior by dogs for many reasons such as watching, waiting, and submission or acquiescing. So how can we tell if asking a dog to sit is achieving the desired behavior? Join me and my mentor, friend and guest, Phyllis Smuland of Canine Counselor Inc. as we dissect the common practice of dog sitting, why we do it, and if we need to. There are several photos we reference during this talk. To view the photos please go to my Facebook page Hart to Heart Canine Dated 1-27-25 https://www.facebook.com/share/19gQocof5H/ Also I will post this podcat on my Youtube channel - What Dogs HAve Taught Me - and insert the photos into the audio for you to see. https://www.youtube.com/@juliehartdogrehab/videos Phyllis' website is www.caninecounselorinc.com

I am so lucky that my guest today moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico last year and now I get to hang out with her on a regular basis. Kelly Engel had years of involvement with dog shows, rescue, and animal control before opening her business, Know Thy Dog in Montana. Her facility offered real-world lifestyle training and behavior counseling. Kelly excelled at helping challenging dogs live more fulfilling lives with their families. Currently living with 17 dogs of various shapes and sizes, Kelly believes in the healing power of a pack of dogs and outdoor adventure to bring dogs back to balance. Kelly shares great stories, wisdom from training aggressive dogs for many years, and her thoughts on the challenges dogs and their humans face and how to help them. She also has a Venn diagram for the ultimate balance of skills for dog trainers. With experience, one realizes we can only learn the tippy-tip of knowledge about another species and why it is important to be aware of the many grey areas in dog training. While taking a five-year sabbatical from training, she delved into feral dogs when she moved to New Mexico. This is when Kelly and I came up with the idea of a joint immersion workshop with feral dogs. Find out more information on this 2 and 6-day workshop at my website www.hart2heartcanine.com/store Kelly is opening a new business in Santa Fe in 2025. This area can really use Kelly's expertise and I am excited to see her business succeed. When she launces her website the address will be www.kellyengel.com

Martha Hoffman shares her depth of knowledge and insights about dog temperament, especially when evaluating for hearing dogs, dog behavior, and observations from living in Bali and observing the Bali Heritage Dogs. This one is not to be missed! To learn more from Martha: Her book is Lend Me an Ear: Temperament, Selection and Training of the Hearing Ear Dog Martha's Patreon is https://www.patreon.com/c/faunabotanica/posts Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/martha.hoffman2 The dog photos on the promo for this track are Bali Dogs taken by Martha Hoffman

Anyone that has trained dogs and their people for over 40 years has to have lots of wisdom for us newbies and dog owners. Trish Wamsat of Homeschooled Hounds in California shares her successful mindset, training programs, and what she learned by working at a veternarian's office for over 15 years. Trish and I also talk about challenges of navigating an "always and never" dog training mentality and how it feels to be a moderate. Trish has tried not to stand out by being a tall blade of grass until now. I am honored to have Trish be part of my podcast and share her wisdom with you.

Renowned Attuned Horseman Warwick Schiller shares many insights about energy and attunement with animals and about his Principles of Training. Even though his book is about horses, it is so relevant to our relationship with our dogs, nature and each other. Join me for a Hart to Heart about the best info about dogs that is about horses, and life in general. I highly recommend Warwicks's book "Principles of Training: Understanding the Relationship Between You and Your Horse, and Why Effective Training Works". Warwick's website is www.warwickschiller.com

Nelson Hodges joins me for part 2 of his interview where we discuss the depth of the Canine Human Relationship Institute courses and how changing perspectives can help us help dogs live better lives with humans.

Nelson Hodges joins me to talk dog behavior, his beginnings with Pato the Aggressive Duck, and how nursery rhymes have affected our views of our dogs close relative, the wolf. Nelson has been rehabilitating and training severe case dogs for over 40 years.

It takes a special kind of person to stay in dog rescue for 20+ years. My guest Lanya Androlewicz is a unique combination of compassion, stability, honesty and realism that has allowed her to not turn a blind eye to dogs in need. Listen in while we talk about our ethics of dog rescue, how we stay sane, spay neuter from a rescue standpoint, how we run the rescue People's Anti-Cruelty Association, and lots of fun stories intertwined in between.

LIMA (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive) is a popular phrase describing a methodology and approach to dog training. Valerie Ann Erwin and I discuss LIMA & Cynopraxis dog training, what we learned by being in a LIMA workgroup, and how we are applying what we have learned from Mr Lindsay's books.

The challenges of running a rural shelter in New Mexico has not stopped Bea Gallegos, manager of the Las Vegas Animal Care Center in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Bea is intent on giving the dogs and cats in her care the best she can, but this is not always easy. Bea has also developed a method for rehabilitating feral dogs, which makes up about 10% of her shelter's population. Bea and her staff consistently defy the odds that surrounds them, all at the age of 26. Even though her job can be hard, Bea knows she is where she is supposed to be. If anyone wants to learn more about the shelter, or get some amazing dogs for rescue or adoption, please follow the Facebook page Las Vegas Animal Care Center at https://www.facebook.com/share/1NLQ1pUi2LhX6GCw/?mibextid=LQQJ4d The LVAAC website is https://www.lasvegasnm.gov/city-of-las-vegas-animal-care-center. Phone number is 505-426-3289

Trust is something I had to learn how to build by working with fearful and feral dogs. But building trust helps relationships and behavior concerns with ALL dogs. When we build trust with our dogs, we become partners and more relevant to them. This makes everything else we do with our dogs easier. To learn about my course offerings in how to build trust with your dogs, please visit www.fearfuldoghelp.org and click on "It's a Question of Trust" lesson or hart2heartcanineonline.uscreen.io/programs/trust

Many times limitations put on us by others, ourselves, or training methodologies get in the way of connecting or making progress with our dogs. Meet my Dad, Kerry Brock, and learn how he turned limitations into opportunities during his lifetime to overcome poverty in a coal mining camp and reach his goals, so perhaps others can turn some limitations into opportunities.

Does knowing how and when to use food to train dogs confuse you or your dog? My guest, Jason Cohen, explains his ideas and techniques to create a happy & calm dog in a very busy environment, his hometown of Brooklyn, New York. We take a detailed look at how & when Jason will use food to help dogs progress in their training. There are many important details to how Jason trains, including pairing the use of food with structure and advocacy that creates a safe environment for the dog to grow. Jason is an accomplished dog trainer and behavior specialist. Jason's dog training business is www.caninecohen.com in Brooklyn NY. He mentions several helpful videos in this podcast so here is his YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@CanineCohen. The videos he mentions are titled "Helping a Fearful Dog build confidence with a Food Trail" "Overcoming Fear with a Food Trail" "Oso: Helping a Fearful Dog Come Out of the Crate" "Cholula: Using Food to Build Confidence" "Conditioning the Sidekick Leash with Kitchen Open Kitchen Closed"

Dogs are experts at negotiating relationships. Join my friend Angela Leuck and I as we talk about how dogs have taught us better relationship skills from experiences in rescue, with clients, with setting boundaries, and hearing the truth from our dogs. Angela has her own training business in northern Virginia, Anythings Pawsbull, and also works as a certified instructor and admin at Canine Human Relationship Institute.