Smart Dog University

10/29/2026

Skippy, the Labrador I'm raising for Service Dogs of Virginia, will be walking in the Puppy Parade at Graduation.

Come and see all the teams (and Skippy & his brother!) in Charlottesville on November 14.

You’re invited! 🎓🐾

See what your support makes possible! Join us Saturday, November 14, at 10:30 a.m. at The Center at Belvedere as we celebrate our 2026 graduating teams and the partnerships that change lives.

Hear stories from the people and dogs at the heart of our mission, see the impact of your generosity, and enjoy a puppy parade featuring our littlest pups in training.

Come celebrate how far these teams have come and get a glimpse of what’s ahead for Service Dogs of Virginia. Light refreshments will follow.

10/18/2026

Plum tuckered out.
🔊 Sound ON.

10/14/2026

Anyone out there struggling with a dog who pulls on the leash? Get in on this — Kiki's a great teacher!

Once a year I teach this five-week class about loose leash walking for Karen Pryor Academy, and that time has come again! Registration is open, access starts October 25, and we start in earnest November 8. Check the comments for how to register!

The course covers how to:
--> Reduce conflict right off the bat and make the right behaviors easier and more likely
--> Make attention mutually rewarding, and teach the dog to use it to move you
--> Identify and teach other component skills that can plug holes in your current approach or add up to a whole new approach
--> Play fun games that teach those skills individually
--> Assemble them into a walk in an ever changing environment

You can register as an Engage student and get all four webinars and the written exercises, attend the Zooms, and participate in the group discussion and Q&A; or you can register at the Excel level and get all that plus video feedback and live coaching. And you get access to everything for a year afterward.

10/13/2026

I'm bringing the KPA Dog Trainer Professional program to Georgia! Apply now; applications close on October 19!

10/13/2026

Please allow me to introduce "Skippy," the sweetest little black Labrador puppy you'd ever want to meet.

I'm raising this lovely little guy for Service Dogs of Virginia.

09/04/2026

Really interesting research. So excited to see so much research these days on canines. Way to go, Jade! Your work is so important!

New research! 🔥
Excited to see new research from Jade of Animal Behaviour Matters out this week! These two studies were undertaken with the Scent Detection Research Group at the The University of Waikato in New Zealand.

🦴 Dogs were given breakfast before or after completing a scent-detection task.

❌ When working prior to eating, dogs made significantly more false alarms.

🐺 Being hungry may cause a mild increase in frustration-related behaviour during scent work for some dogs.

🐕 Dog’s hunger state can influence both scent-detection performance and behaviour.

Yee et al. (2026) found that dogs working before breakfast produced more false alarms, suggesting hunger may increase dogs' tendency to respond to non-target odours.

Fountain et al. (2026) found that unfed dogs showed more whining and interaction with the equipment, indicating mild frustration associated with hunger. However, frustration behaviours were generally infrequent and varied between individual dogs.

Links to both of these open access articles will be in the comments or search them on google scholar/research gate.

Fountain, J., Yee, J., Hazel, S. J., McWhorter, T. J., McNutt, T., & Edwards, T. L. (2026). Effects of feeding on dogs’ frustration-related behaviours during a laboratory-based scent detection task. Behavioural Processes, 105430.

Yee, J., Downie, I., Fountain, J., & Edwards, T. L. (2026). The breakfast effect revisited: Dogs’ scent detection performance before and after a meal. Learning and Motivation, 95, 102328.

08/28/2026

Vacationing in Italy and here are some of the views. 🐶

06/10/2026

HELLLOOOO Georgia! It's been too long!

I'm heading your way, and I'd love to see you at the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Training Professional program that I'm offering in lovely Lawrenceville, Georgia!

The facility is gorgeous, and we're close to a lot of cool stuff (eats, drinks, sights).

BONUS: Apply before August 17 and save $200 bucks!
https://karenpryoracademy.com/workshop/lawrenceville-ga-laurie-luck/

05/01/2026

Heard about KONGs, but not sure how to use them? Looking for new ideas? Give this a listen!

Join The Amys and their expert guests from KONG®, for a deep dive into enrichment, play, and solving real-world behavior challenges — like boredom, anxiety, and destructive behaviors. Whether you’re a veterinarian, trainer, or devoted pet parent, this conversation will reframe how you think about play — not as a luxury, but as a behavioral and emotional necessity. Because when we enrich their lives, we transform their behavior.💖🐝

Available wherever you get your podcasts!
LISTEN NOW :
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2198891/episodes/18978295

Bee Positive. Bee Informed.
Join the HIVE MIND on our website.
https://www.behaviorbuzzzzzz.com

04/21/2026

Great opportunity to jump into nose work with your dog! Rogie and I started a couple of years ago and love it!

It's easy for any dog, young or old.
No obedience training needed!

It's a great way to spend time with your dog and watch them do what they do best: sniff!

***we still a have few spots left in the upcoming Intro class!!!*** let your friends know!!!

This just in!

A new Introduction to K9 Nose Work class begins Tues, April 28th in the Frederick, MD area!

Intro level classes are a rare find so don’t miss your opportunity!

To register, go to www.fithound.com or feel free to email us for more info: [email protected]