Cog-Dog Radio

Throughout all the worked up material the mantra is repeated: calm down first, feel better second. But dogs don’t need to be calm all the time, and calmness is relative. So what does that actually mean, and how do we teach it?

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Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

Mental or cognitive flexibility is a vital skill to navigate life and big feelings. But we deliberately breed dogs with inflexible minds and it is our job to teach them how to bend so they do not break. A little breakdown, and some practical skills, and you’ll be off to the races to help your dog and yourself be a little more flexible.

Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup2026.com

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Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

Some dogs are just “full of bees”--meaning they are buzzing with energy. What does sensory integration therapy have to do with dogs? It turns out, kind of a lot. If your dog is a little bit too much providing them with sensory outlets–especially the outlets they tend to seek themselves–is not only necessary for progress but vital for good welfare. Learn all about releasing the bees in this episode.

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Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup2026.com

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Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

Partnership skills go way beyond the basics of training. To be truly in partnership with your dog you need to be able to tell them how to take a reward, they need to be able to ask you if they can have a reward, and you also need to be adept at handling the dog physically in space. But in addition to those dog training skills (which should be, but are not often, commonplace) you need the skill of emotional attunement. Your dog already has that skill, in spades, so its time for you to learn, too.

Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup2026.com

Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com

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Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

If you have heard or even used the phrase “over arousal” in reference to a dog, this one is for you. Join Sarah in her explanation of the circumplex model of emotion and what it has to do with our dogs. Should we respond to an angry dog the same way we respond to an excited one? Why is it easy to get frustrated when highly aroused, but not easy to feel joy in the same mindset? Do we have to calm down to feel better, or can we feel better by getting activated? All this and more.

Attend a Worked Up workshop this summer! www.workedup2026.com

Sign up for courses and join the membership here: sarahstremming.com

Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cogdogradio

Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay