As we’ve done four times prior, this show involved setting aside the customary “Talking Animals” format in order to present the extended feature, “Ask The Trainer,” in which listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats, particularly involving behavioral issues.
The Trainer these listeners were communicating with was Glen Hatchell, the Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, who’s also an accomplished dog trainer and behavior expert, having held the Certified Professional Dog Trainer certification for many years.
Glen is also a former, longtime WMNF programmer.
In today’s edition, before taking a listener question, I asked Glen the steps he recommends that people take when bringing home a new dog. You’ll want to listen to this answer—and all his answers, for that matter—but the importance of walks emerges as paramount.
Among the listener questions Glen fielded were ones from Susan, who lives in Auburndale, about her nine-month-old Corgi, who chews family members’ shoes as soon as they leave the house…
Madelyn, in Tampa, asking for guidance about what to do about her rescue dog, who is peeing in a room inside the house—one frequented by her cats…
Wendy emailed, explaining she has a nine-month-old hound mix (mom: Bluetick; dad: unknown), who’s the most vocal she’s ever owned, and is an experienced dog owner. Noting she’s not a fan of bark collars, she asked Glen how she can discourage his incessant barking. One of Glen’s suggestions was clicker training for quiet, and Wendy later emailed back, enthusing about this suggestion, indicating she had used clicker training 50 years ago when working with dolphins, but hadn’t thought of using it with her hound. Another of Glen’s suggestion: visiting Victoria Stillwell’s website
