#77 - How to Evaluate Your Environment for Behavioral Impact

#77 - How to Evaluate Your Environment for Behavioral Impact

Author: Pet Harmony Animal Behavior and Training May 20, 2024 Duration: 31:46
In this week's implementation episode, Allie and Emily dive further into evaluating your environment for behavioral impact and talk about implementation with the animals in your life. In this episode, you'll hear Allie and Emily talk about: How our pet's senses aren't necessarily better or worse, just different Bunny bathroom habits Big Boy Oso fitting under Allie's desk.You can find the full episode show notes here. Behavior Professionals! Join our 15-Minute...

Ever since she was seven years old, Emily Strong was figuring out how to train praying mantids, while her co-host Allie Bender was advocating for hungry birds at her neighbor's feeder by age two. If that kind of deep-seated drive to connect with animals sounds familiar, then you're exactly who they're talking to. Enrichment for the Real World is a conversation between these two lifelong animal people, brought to you by Pet Harmony Animal Behavior and Training. They built this podcast for anyone who has ever felt that innate pull to improve the lives of the creatures in their care, whether they're family pets, classroom companions, or rescue animals. In each episode, Emily and Allie, the authors behind "Canine Enrichment for the Real World," move beyond theory to discuss practical, actionable strategies. You'll hear them break down the real-world applications of enrichment and behavior science, making it accessible for families, pet owners, and animal enthusiasts of all ages. The discussions are grounded in experience and empathy, focusing on creating deeper understanding and healthier relationships between humans and animals. Tune in for thoughtful, often humorous, and always compassionate guidance that helps you apply these concepts in your daily life, making the well-being of animals a natural and integrated part of your world.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Enrichment for the Real World
Podcast Episodes
#160 - The Skill No Protocol Can Replace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:00
Look. If memorizing protocols was the secret to being a great trainer, we'd all just hand out flashcards and call it a day. But that's not how this works, and deep down, you already know that. Emily (she/they) and Ellen…
#159 - When Your Training Isn’t Showing Results in Real Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:56
You nail a training session. Your dog is locked in, responding beautifully, and you feel that rare rush of “we’ve got this.” Then real life shows up and your dog looks at you like you’ve never met. Sound familiar? Here’s…
#158 - Why Dogs Need Skills, Not Just Feelings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:11
There’s a quiet assumption that runs through a lot of behavior work: if we can just change how an animal feels about something, the problem will resolve. Counterconditioning is a powerful tool, and Emily and Allie aren’t…
#157 - Haylee Heisel: Why Giving More Doesn’t Fix Resource Guarding [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:58
Resource guarding is one of those behaviors that gets treated like it’s one simple problem with one simple fix. Just add abundance. Just countercondition it. Just follow this protocol. Except… it’s not that simple. In th…
#156 - Q&A: All About Resource Guarding [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:00
In this Q&A episode, we’re answering your questions about resource guarding. If you’ve ever lied awake at 2am thinking: “Is this normal?” “Am I overreacting?” “Did I cause this?” “Should I try that 30-second training hac…
#155 - Try It: Engaging Indoor Games for Pets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:00
Do you ever feel like enrichment has turned into a second full-time job? Hours of prep. Fancy toys. Amazon carts. Storage bins. Guilt. In this episode, Emily walks you through three simple, adaptable foraging game catego…
#154 - Dog Training Advice: Find What Works [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:26
You scroll. One trainer says never let your dog look at the trigger. Another says your dog has to look at the trigger. Both sound confident. Both sound science-y. Now you’re more confused than when you started. In this e…
#153 - Why Dogs React Suddenly: Trigger Stacking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:07
Ever have one of those days where your dog absolutely loses their mind over something they handled fine yesterday, and you're left standing there like, “Cool, cool, cool, love this for us, what just happened?” That wasn’…
#152 - Advocating for Your Anxious Dog as an Anxious Human [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:44
Advocating for your dog sounds simple, but it sure isn’t always easy. Your heart races, your brain goes blank, and a stranger (or family member 🙃) is giving you unsolicited advice while your dog is already at threshold.…
#151 - Labels: Helpful or Harmful? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:21
Labels are everywhere: reactive dog, bad pet parent, confident trainer, resilient learner. They’re meant to simplify things, and while they can be helpful, sometimes they do the opposite. In this episode, Emily and Ellen…