Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer recently earned her license as a Family Dog Mediator through Kim Brophey’s course, L.E.G.S.® Applied Ethology! Megan is passionate about educating dog parents about not just the behaviors that we see as disruptive but about how to be successful with them as we look to understand the whole dog that we have in front of us. In this podcast, Megan will take you through L.E.G.S; what that is and why it is so important to look at when we are evaluating our dogs. So today, let’s meet our dogs where they are, love them for who they are, and recognize all that they bring in their unique ways to interact with us in our world.

• What is Family Dog Mediation?
• The importance of L.E.G.S. and why you need to know about it when training your dog
• Why behavior problems aren’t about dog training
• Going in-depth into our understanding of L.E.G.S. 
• Deep dive into the pros and cons of each category of dog breeds
• Living with dogs and gaining education to understand them more

Resources and Links:

• Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.
• Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!
• Learn more about Kim Brophey’s course for families.

Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer talks with you today about how to check your dog’s feelings! Yes, dogs do have feelings and emotions that science has proven are a motivator that influences their behaviors. She will give you tips and tricks to help you retrain your dog’s responses to certain triggers in its environment. Megan urges all dog guardians to invest time and gain knowledge in understanding your dog so that you can have the best relationship to help cultivate a safe and trusting learning environment to help your dog survive living in our crazy human world!

• How to use a dog’s feelings to your advantage when it comes to behavior
• The science behind behaviors
• The difference between operant conditioning and classical conditioning
• Involuntary vs. voluntary responses
• Tips for retraining your dog’s feelings about a situation or thing through classical conditioning 

Resources and Links:

• Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.
• Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!

Mike Shikashio's Workshop:

To learn more about Mike and what he does, visit his website AgressiveDog.com

This workshop will run on October 29th and 30th, 2022 from 9 am-5 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Lunch IS included! The ticket cost is just $300.00! We are so excited for you to join us for this AMAZING opportunity!!

Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer talks today about what is REALLY going on when your dog “checks out” during training! Megan will deep dive into why our dogs do this and what we can do to help them. If your dog tends to wander during your training classes, you’re not alone! This episode will help you learn how to stay consistent in reinforcement so you can set your dog up for long-term success!

• The factors that can feed into your dog “checking out"
• Reinforcement and why it’s so important
• Centering behavior on core motor skills to set your dog up for success
• What it looks like when your dog is checking out
• Tips on helping you stay consistent in reinforcing your dog

Resources and Links:

• Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.
• Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!

Mike Shikashio's Workshop:

To learn more about Mike and what he does, visit his website AgressiveDog.com

This workshop will run from 9 am-5pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Lunch IS included! The ticket cost is just $300.00! We are so excited for you to join us for this AMAZING opportunity!!

Click here to reserve your spot OR you can email us at: info@inspirek9s.com for more information!

Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer talks today about babies, kids, and dogs and how to set them up for success in every situation! Joining Megan for this episode are her own two boys, LB and Charlie! They give you an inside perspective of a child as to what they have learned about dogs and how to be respectful of their boundaries. This is a great episode for your own children to listen to so they can learn alongside them. Megan also talks about some helpful tips to help set up your home for success as you prepare your dog for a new baby and tips for kids and dogs as they grow. This episode is one the whole family can enjoy, and we are so excited to help you set both your kids and dogs up for long-term success!

• How they say “Hi” to a dog
• Why they don’t approach dogs they don’t know
• What to do when you see a service or working dog
• Tips on petting dogs
• Feeding dogs
• What they want other kids to know who may be starting out in training
• Wagging tails and what they can really mean

• Setting up your home when you’re expecting
• What to do when you bring your baby home for the first time
• Helping kids learn how to respect your dog’s boundaries
• How you can involve your kids in training your dog

Resources and Links:

• Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.
• Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!
• For more information or fun games to play with dogs and kids, visit the Miss Behavior Training website.

Mike Shikashio's Workshop:

To learn more about Mike and what he does, visit his website AgressiveDog.com

This workshop will run from 9 am-5pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Lunch IS included! The ticket cost is just $300.00! We are so excited for you to join us for this AMAZING opportunity!!

Click here to reserve your spot OR you can email us at: info@inspirek9s.com for more information!

Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer talks today about Canine adolescents!

Do you ever wonder what happened to that perfect little puppy you brought home, or do you have an adolescent dog that you’re not sure how to socialize? If you’ve answered yes, then you’re in the right place today because we’re going to talk about all the changes your puppy will go through and how to find the right dogs to socialize with. Megan talks through some helpful tips to help you navigate this stage of your puppy’s life so we can make sure that we're setting them up to be the most successful dog that they can be, once they've worked through this adolescent stage. If this is something you struggle with, then this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

• Last impacts of negative play experiences during adolescents
• Setting your puppy up for success
• Why other dogs may start to treat your dog differently as they grow into adolescents
• When your young adolescent puppy starts to test the boundaries of appropriateness when interacting with other dogs
• Finding appropriate play dogs
• Avoiding the wrong playmates
• Tips on preventing your adolescent dog from making poor decisions during play

Resources and Links:

Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.

Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!

Mike Shikashio's Workshop:

To learn more about Mike and what he does, visit his website AgressiveDog.com

This workshop will run from 9 am-5 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Lunch IS included! The ticket cost is just $300.00! We are so excited for you to join us for this AMAZING opportunity!!

Click here to reserve your spot OR you can email us at: info@inspirek9s.com for more information!

Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer talks again with Laura Gendron, owner of Miss Behavior Training & Louise Daigle, owner of Red Pointy Dog Training in their third, Dog Trainer Round Table episodes.  Laura is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, & holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and an Associate’s degree in Animal Science.  She worked as a Veterinary Technician for 10 years and offers Virtual Coaching and Training for you and your family dog. Louise graduated from UNH in 2012 with a degree in Applied Animal Science. From there she went on to work at the New Hampshire SPCA where she trained shelter dogs and taught a wide array of classes. A few years later she began work at the Lakes Region Humane Society creating a Behavior Rehabilitation Program where they take in dogs with undesirable behaviors, train them, and find them homes. Her work involved assessing each dog and creating a behavior modification plan for their specific needs. Louise now runs Red Pointy Dog Training full time with her fiancée, Jake, and offers a wide array of services to the community.  Join them today as they talk about what to look for when you’re searching for a  dog trainer, the questions to ask, and the red flags to look for so you can find the best one to fit your learning style, your dog’s personality, your goals, and needs.  There is a trainer out there to fit every dog and human team to reach your goals and help your dog become the best version of themselves! 

• What to look for when looking for a dog trainer on social media
• What to look for on a dog trainers’ website
• The different types of certifications for dog trainers
• The importance of filling out the behavior forms on your dog trainer’s website
• Questions to ask when talking with a prospective dog trainer
• The big RED FLAGS to look for
• The things that are worth looking for in a dog trainer

Resources and Links:

Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.

Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!

Red Pointy Dog Training with Louise Daigle- Visit their website here. 

Miss Behavior Training: Visit their website here. 

• What are the reasons behind your dog’s reactions?
• Conflict based, fear-based, predatory, and territorial reactions
• Idiopathic reactions and what is important to consider when your dog has this response
• Common triggers that can initiate these reactions and how to identify them
• Management tools to use until you can get into a trainer for help
• Biting
• Over-reactivity and threshold points
• Why your relationship with your dog is so important
• Timeouts and how to use them

Resources and Links:

Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.

Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!

Check out Jean Donaldson’s book, Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs

Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer talks today about the Lima Hierarchy!  Have you ever heard of it before?  Well, most people haven’t.  According to the CCPDT website, “LIMA describes a trainer or behavior consultant who uses the least intrusive, minimally aversive strategy out of a set of humane and effective tactics likely to succeed in achieving a training or behavior change objective. LIMA adherence also requires consultants to be adequately educated and skilled in order to ensure that the least intrusive and aversive procedure is used.” So come join Megan today as she teaches you her approach to training and deep dives into each level of the pyramid to give you real-life examples and how to help your dog achieve the desired behavior by giving them alternative skills to respond appropriately in all situations.

We discuss topics such as:

• What is the Lima Hierarchy?
• Are you positive? How does changing your approach benefit your dogs’ behavior?
• Where to start on the pyramid and why it’s important
• What do nutrition, wellness, and medical issues have to do with training?
• The next tier…how the environment can affect behavior and what we can do to manage it
• My favorite! Positive Reinforcement Training!
• Help with differential reinforcement
• The difference between negative reinforcement and negative punishment
• Positive punishment and why it should not be used
• Why the pyramid is helpful in preventing learned helplessness

Resources and Links:

• Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules.
• Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you!
• Learn more about the Lima Hierarchy here!
• Miss Behavior Training: Visit their website here.