In this episode, I talk with Nick Benger, a professional dog trainer from the UK. We discuss how to help dogs to become more engaged with their owners and how to improve door manners when visitors arrive. We both share client stories and embarrassing incidents so that you know you are not alone – sometimes dogs are challenging. But with consistency and fun rewards, we can all see improvements in our dogs’ behavior. I have not laughed this hard on any podcast episode yet – I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
In this episode…
- How to get your dog’s attention
- Reward what you want by using games so that your dog wants to be engaged with you.
- Door manners in busy households
- Turning the doorbell as a cue for the dog to go somewhere, the dog is doing the work for you.
- Eventually the barking will stop – we need to replace the behavior with something we want, such as going into another room or staying on a bed.
- Use a clear release cue to let the dog go.
- Ideas for how to help visiting children feel safe with dogs who are over enthusiastic greeters.
- Be honest about the dog’s personality – do they really want to meet people? Are they nervous?
About Nick
Nick Benger is the expert dog trainer for Amazon Prime Video’s The Pack TV series. He is also the host of the Dog Talk with Nick Benger podcast. In his hometown of Bristol, England where Nick specializes in helping aggressive dogs he has been an independently top-rated trainer four years in a row. He has appeared as an expert in publications such as the American Kennel Club, The Dodo, Variety and many more.
You can find him at:
Ask Nick a Question
If you have a question about engagement or aggressive behavior in your dog, go to www.speakpipe.com/NickBenger and record it. It’s easy!
Ask a Me Question
If you’ve got a question about your kids and dogs, go to www.speakpipe.com/PoochParenting and record it there just like a voicemail. And I will include it in a future episode.
