Ep 30: The Future of Dog Education P1 - The Dial Method Justine Schuurmans & Kim Brophey

Ep 30: The Future of Dog Education Part 1 - The Dial Method with Justine Schuurmans & Kim Brophey

They say “it’s not the dog that has the problem, it’s the owner.”
One of those familiar tag-line phrases that sounds wise on the surface, but actually flattens what is, in reality, a deeply complex, individual relationship between a person and their dog.

Yes, some of the biggest lightbulb moments in working with dogs come when we realise just how much power we have to influence outcomes — for our dogs and ourselves. But sometimes… it really is the dog. Their biology, their history, their needs, their thresholds. And pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.

In this episode, we chow down on the chunky topic of the future of dog education with two world-renowned educators of dog owners and pet professionals, Justine Schuurmans and Kim Brophey. Both are working hard to move dog education away from blame and binaries, and towards accessible, digestible, evidence-based frameworks that help us genuinely understand dogs, not just control them.

We talk about;

• ‘The easy life’ vs ‘the good life’ for dogs and weather we should let dogs keep some of their filthier habits (!)
• ‘Applied Ethology’ and the 5 welfare freedoms we need to help to provide for all captive animals
• How to build a trusting relationship with your dog rather than a transactional one based on reward and punishment
• The differences between UK and USA when it comes to dog freedoms
• How The Dial Method is a missing education piece all dog owners need before they start training

To learn more about the Dial Method and Justine’s work check out:

For pet owners: https://www.thefamilydog.com/Blue-dial

And pet professionals: https://www.thefamilydog.com/become-a-dial-guide

@justineanddogs

To keep up to date with the development of the Total Welfare App and Kims rebound LEGS applied ethology course go to:

https://www.familydogmediation.com/

https://www.totalwelfareapp.com/

@familydogmediation

More about your host:

Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’. She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.

Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour

https://www.amplifiedbehaviour.com

And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com

@amplifiedbehaviour @thehannahmolloy