028 – Shut up and mark!

028 – Shut up and mark!

In this week's episode of Beastly Talks, I took inspiration from someone being sassy about how I train on social media, and told me I was using markers wrong. So I decided to put my whole marker system into an episode! Marker training is using a particular sound or signal to tell the dog when they're right, wrong, encourage them to continue, teach different reinforcers and so on. At the most basic level, most people just need a reward marker ("YES") and a punishment marker ("NO"), but it can get a lot more complicated from there, depending on what you are trying to achieve with your dog. Hopefully you find this episode educational! Make sure to give us a 5 🌟 review, follow the podcast for all the latest updates, share it with your friends and other dog lovers, and drop us a comment if you like what you hear or have questions for us! Book your spot for the upcoming reactivity workshop (25-26th July, 2026) with Ben Geurts from Kaizen K9 below! ⁠⁠Reaktivity with Kaizen K9⁠⁠ [https://beautifulbeasts.com.au/event/reaktivity/] Follow Stian Helling and Beautiful Beasts on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/] Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/] For personalised, expert help with your dog, contact us today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beautifulbeasts.com.au [www.beautifulbeasts.com.au]

027 - From Snugglebug to Hellhound (The Adolescent Dog)

We received a message from an Instagram follower, who is currently dealing with an adolescent dog. So, in this episode of Beastly Talks, that is exactly what we're getting stuck into (as I am currently dealing with the same painful thing). From selective memory, to lack of engagement and even increased aggression and fear, adolescence affects all dogs differently. In this podcast we go through a young dogs big developmental stages, look at how sexual maturity affects behaviour, the difference in breeds and sizes, and finally how we battle our way through this erratic period in a dogs life. It's an exhausting time when raising a young dog, but stick with it! I promise, things do get better with consistency! Make sure to give us a 5 🌟 review, follow the podcast for all the latest updates, share it with your friends and other dog lovers, and drop us a comment if you like what you hear or have questions for us! Book your spot for the upcoming reactivity workshop (25-26th July) with Ben Geurts from Kaizen K9 below! ⁠Reaktivity with Kaizen K9⁠ [https://beautifulbeasts.com.au/event/reaktivity/] Follow Stian Helling and Beautiful Beasts on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/] Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/] For personalised, expert help with your dog, contact us today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beautifulbeasts.com.au [www.beautifulbeasts.com.au]

026 - Punishment Opens the Door to Reinforcement

In this episode of Beastly Talks, we're diving into a somewhat complicated topic to wrap your head around: how punishment can open the door to reinforcement. For a lot of dogs – especially dogs with a low stress tolerance – panic quickly sets in and shuts off any form of positive reinforcement opportunity. The dog gets stuck in what I call a "Mindset trap", where stress begets more stress, resulting in high levels of anxiety and zero interest in external reinforcement. Many trainers talk about "keeping the dog under threshold", but very few explain how to bring the dog back down when it's over threshold. Introducing considered pressure and even punishment, can be the prediction error the dog needs, to recommence the training. Complicated topic, but hopefully I've been able to make it understandable! Make sure to give us a 5 🌟 review, follow the podcast for all the latest updates, share it with your friends and other dog lovers, and drop us a comment if you like what you hear or have questions for us! Book your spot for the upcoming reactivity workshop (25-26th July) with Ben Geurts from Kaizen K9 below! Reaktivity with Kaizen K9 [https://beautifulbeasts.com.au/event/reaktivity/] Follow Stian Helling and Beautiful Beasts on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/] Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/] For personalised, expert help with your dog, contact us today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beautifulbeasts.com.au [www.beautifulbeasts.com.au]

025 – Therapy dogs & Shepherd breeding – Maddie Briggs, Companion Dog Training

We have another great episode lined up for you, one that I learned a lot from! NOTE: at one point all our recording shut down and we had to start again to finish the conversation (I mention it in my additional intro that I made for this episode). Sorry about that! This week we are speaking with Maddie from Companion Dog Training and Von Goron Shepherds. Maddie is a dog trainer who also breeds German Shepherds. We talk about the difference between therapy and assistance dogs, temperaments in therapy dogs and all the things that happen when great dogs are being created by responsible breeders. We hope you enjoy this conversation! Make sure to give us a 5 🌟 review, follow the podcast for all the latest updates, share it with your friends and other dog lovers, and drop us a comment if you like what you hear or have questions for us! Check out Maddie and Companion Dog Training & Von Goron on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/_companiondogtraining/ [https://www.instagram.com/_companiondogtraining/] Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/dogtraining.companion [https://www.facebook.com/dogtraining.companion] https://vongorongsdandtraining.com/ [https://vongorongsdandtraining.com/] Follow Stian Helling and Beautiful Beasts on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/] Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/] For personalised, expert help with your dog, contact us today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beautifulbeasts.com.au [www.beautifulbeasts.com.au]

024 - Your Dog's Not Dominant. He's a Dick.

In this episode of Beastly Talks, we're doing another "Reddit is Retarded" (I'm probably going to get cancelled for writing that). I came across a post that said "I think my dog is being dominant towards me." The person then proceeded to list a whole lot of extremely common behavioural problems, not at all linked to dominance. Most of the replies were surprisingly good though, despite being on Reddit, but I thought it was still worth digging into this. "Dominance" is like a pointy rock in your shoe, that is held in there by divine power. It makes no sense, but it is frustrating as hell. I don't dive too deep into dominance here, but I give a brief overview of it, before dismantling a whole lot of myths surrounding dominance. The key take away from this podcast? Don't think 'dominance', think 'leadership.' Make sure to give us a 5 🌟 review, follow the podcast for all the latest updates, share it with your friends and other dog lovers, and drop us a comment if you like what you hear or have questions for us! Follow Stian Helling and Beautiful Beasts on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/vikingdogtrainer/] Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/vikingdogtrainer/] For personalised, expert help with your dog, contact us today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beautifulbeasts.com.au [www.beautifulbeasts.com.au]