Show Notes
In this foundational video, Ed Frawley shares his comprehensive dog training philosophy developed over a remarkable journey that began in the 1950s and spans more than 50 years of hands-on experience. Ed explains that effective training is common sense combined with a clear understanding of how dogs think as pack animals who genetically seek ranking order and view their human family as their pack. He emphasizes that establishing sound family pack structure accounts for 75% of solving behavioral problems, while obedience training represents only 25%—dogs must respect their handlers as pack leaders through fair, firm, and consistent control, as love alone cannot earn respect. | Links mentioned: The Power of Training Dogs with Markers: https://leerburg.com/marker-dvd.php | Training Dogs with Food Rewards: https://leerburg.com/food-dvd.php | Basic Dog Obedience: https://leerburg.com/302.htm
More from Leerburg Dog Training Podcast
David Littlefield discusses what happens when dog handlers and trainers fall into territorial camps. Everybody has their own training philosophy and preferences, and it is up to us to learn what we can, take what works for us and our dog, and leave what doesn't.
Ian O’Connell sits down with longtime Leerburg friend and mentor Kevin Sheldahl to talk about what it takes to be a good police K9 handler instructor.
Join David Littlefield as he breaks down one of the most common pitfalls in dog training: patterning. When we repeat the same routine in the same place, in the same order, our dogs often learn the pattern instead of the behavior. David explains how dogs get "stuck" performing only in familiar settings or sequences, why that falls apart when real-world distractions show up, and how to vary locations, timing, and setups so your dog truly understands what you're asking. Whether you're working obedience, sport, or everyday manners, this is a must-watch for building reliable behavior anywhere.
Operational K9 Medical Team of Wisconsin was founded by veterinary emergency and critical care specialists who saw a gap: K9 handlers are trained to deploy their dogs, but rarely trained to save them when something goes wrong in the field. OPK9 closes that gap by traveling throughout Wisconsin to teach point-of-injury care directly to K9 handlers and EMS personnel. | Links mentioned: Leerburg X OPK9 - https://leerburg.com/opk9-work.php
Join Ian O'Connell as he sits down with longtime Leerburg friend and mentor Kevin Sheldahl to talk about markers. Where they came from, why they work, and how Kevin uses them in K9 detection training. Kevin traces marker training back to its roots in marine mammal training with dolphins and sea lions, explains the psychology behind why a marker like a clicker carries meaning, and breaks down the three types of rewards trainers actually have to work with. It's a conversation packed with practical insight for anyone building a marker system with their own working k9.| Links mentioned: Leerburg Clicker - https://leerburg.com/765.htm, The Foundations of Scent Detection with Kevin Sheldahl - https://university.leerburg.com/Catalog/viewCourse/cid/243