Author Archives:
Attend the 2023 Dog Behavior Conference
Posted on: December 8, 2022 - No Comments

The 10th annual Dog Behavior Conference will be held on April 21-23, 2023 as a global online event. The Dog Behavior Conference (DBC) is an interactive online 3-day virtual conference experience which brings together experts and leaders in the field of animal training & behavior with dog lovers, dog trainers, groomers, pet sitters, dog walkers, Read More
A Message from Victoria
Posted on: December 6, 2022 - No Comments

Some techniques are so brilliant and simple that they end up "in the water" or in this case, in the water bottle. Today, I find myself in the position of wanting to ensure that those techniques, and one of their authors, get the credit she and her work deserve. I want to be clear: In Read More
Buzzword: Enrichment (What Does That Mean?)
Posted on: April 20, 2022 - 3 Comments

Enrichment, you can hear this word everywhere in the dog world these days. But what does it mean exactly? And do some enrichment activities create a different mental state than others?
Creating a Connection: Beyond Ownership
Posted on: September 9, 2021 - 1 Comment

The word owner, in relation to dogs, has never been my favorite noun. I am a parent. Not of human children, but a parent all the same.
Episode 838 – Nicky Campbell
Posted on: June 17, 2021 - No Comments

What do the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Long Lost Family have to do with dogs? BAFTA winning radio and TV presenter, Nicky Campbell joins Victoria to talk all things music, TV, and most importantly, how dogs make the world a better place.
NEW SERIES! Dogs With Extraordinary Jobs premieres on the Smithsonian Channel
Posted on: June 10, 2021 - No Comments

Victoria's latest TV series, Dogs With Extraordinary Jobs, premieres in the US on the Smithsonian Channel on Wednesday, June 30 at 8pm ET.
Episode 837 – Beyond the Operant
Posted on: April 13, 2021 - No Comments

Obedience training has long been the accepted path to teaching dogs’ manners, but the concept of obedience might be doing dogs a disservice. Andrew Hale joins Victoria to go beyond the operant.
Episode 836 – Free Work and Adolescent Dogs
Posted on: April 6, 2021 - No Comments

What is Free Work and how do dogs benefit? Dog behaviour expert Sarah Fisher joins Holly and Victoria to discuss how Free Work is changing dogs’ lives all over the world.
Episode 835 – Major Biden and the Emotional Sink
Posted on: April 1, 2021 - No Comments

After a second ‘nipping’ incident in the White House, Victoria is joined by Veterinary Behaviorist Sarah Heath to discuss why some dogs like Major Biden show conflict behavior, and why understanding dogs’ emotional experience is the first step to helping them acclimate to new environments.
Episode 834 – Genius Dogs and Social Learning
Posted on: March 8, 2021 - No Comments

Is the dog in your home a genius and are some dogs smarter than others? Adam Miklosi, ethologist and founder of the Family Dog Project in Budapest, Hungary unlocks the canine mind.
Nice Dogs Don’t Growl
Posted on: February 23, 2021 - 1 Comment

So often we hear that 'bad dogs’ or 'aggressive dogs’ growl. 'Nice dogs’ don't growl, surely? Well, that's a bit like saying that only 'bad' people shout in frustration when someone drives inconsiderately and nearly causes an accident or only 'aggressive' people have disagreements with their partners/ family. For some reason, it’s considered normal and Read More
That’s Cheating!
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'That's cheating!’ ‘That’s cheating!’. I looked up to see a man shouting over to me. He continued: ‘When your puppy came back to you then, you gave it a treat. That’s just bribing: they should do things because they want to please you.’ He walked off saying: ‘A pat on the head should be enough’. Well, Read More
Reality Check, Part 2: Five More Things That Your Dog Wants You to Understand!
Posted on: February 17, 2021 - 7 Comments

Knowledge is a fluid thing. We move forward regularly, only to move backward again, when inaccurate information becomes suddenly becomes popular. We can only continue to continue to educate, with the hope that our parroting of the facts, helps said facts to remain solidly in the public eye. So here we are back in the Read More
Episode 833 – Dogs and Wolves
Posted on: February 15, 2021 - No Comments

Dogs share a common ancestor – the wolf – but how did wolves turn into dogs and what can we learn from wolves that might help us with the relationship we have with our dogs? Behavioral scientist Clive Wynne joins the podcast to talk about the similarities and differences between dogs and wolves.
Episode 832 – Dogs and Aggressive Behavior
Posted on: February 8, 2021 - No Comments

Aggression is a serious behavior issue that is all too common in our domestic dogs. Aggression expert Michael Shikashio joins Victoria and Holly to talk about why dogs aggress and what dog lovers can do about it.
Episode 831 – How to Treat Separation Anxiety
Posted on: February 1, 2021 - No Comments

Why do dogs become anxious when home alone and how can this be prevented? Dog trainer Lisa Waggoner joins Victoria and Holly for this podcast on a common behavior problem that is hard to treat.
Episode 830 – Rescue and Pitbull Type Dogs
Posted on: January 25, 2021 - No Comments

Do people respond differently to Pitbull type dogs? Holly and Victoria are joined by Heather Paul to start off this new year of podcasts to explore how people react to their dogs when out in public.
Episode 829 – Advocating for Animals with Peter Egan
Posted on: September 29, 2020 - No Comments

Advocating for Animals – Victoria and Holly are joined by actor and animal activist, Peter Egan to discuss dogs, moon bears and how animals can make us more compassionate human beings.
Becoming a Dog Trainer
Posted on: September 20, 2020 - No Comments

Since It’s Me or the Dog first aired back in 2005, I have received thousands of emails, letters, social media messages and phone calls from dog lovers around the world who saw me working with dogs on TV and wanted to do the same (but usually not on TV).
Social Bullying
Posted on: September 15, 2020 - No Comments

Have you ever received negative comments or been bullied on social media? If you have then you understand how bad it can make you feel and how damaging it can be. This week’s post is not about dogs, but this is a conversation we all need to be having right now, and that is why I am sharing what has happened to me since I became known in the media world.
Does Your Dog Respect You?
Posted on: September 13, 2020 - No Comments

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.” In the film ‘The Blues Brothers,’ Aretha Franklin sings about her need for some respect. The words of the song are as applicable today in human relationships as they were then, but what does the word actually mean?
Differences Between Male and Female Dogs
Posted on: September 8, 2020 - No Comments

I’ve only ever had female dogs. This has never been a conscious choice on my part, I just fell in love and adopted dogs that happened to be female. I don’t know if things would be any different if I had a male dog in the house, but people often ask me what the behavioral differences between male and female dogs are and if gender either influences or suits one lifestyle over another.
The Reactive Dog
Posted on: September 6, 2020 - No Comments

Do you have a dog that becomes restless in certain situations? Does she bark, whine, urinate, defecate, or vocalize inappropriately? Does she excessively lick herself, spin in circles or chase her tail? Does she jump up at you or other people, lunge towards other dogs or run up and down the perimeter of your fence?
Today I Was Called a Snowflake
Posted on: September 1, 2020 - No Comments

A new study led by biologist Ana Catarina Viera de Castro of the Universidae do Porto in Portugal reveals that shouting at dogs and using punitive methods to train them does short and long term damage, while using reward based methods yields better results both for learning and emotional health.
The Dog Meat Farms of South Korea
Posted on: August 30, 2020 - No Comments

I won’t ever forget the faces that stared at me as I approached them; faces of dogs that had been subjected to a life of neglect and abuse at the hands of a cruel, relentless industry.
How IMOTD Changed Me As a Dog Trainer
Posted on: August 25, 2020 - No Comments

We all have dreams. For a long time, my two dreams were to be a good actor and to have the opportunity to make a living as a dog trainer.
The W-Underdogs – Kids Save Dogs, Dogs Save Kids
Posted on: August 23, 2020 - No Comments

In a shabby, litter strewn, overgrown neighborhood in south Atlanta stands an old, white house with peeling paint and rotting wood.