Guest:  Dr. Ian Dunbar, D.V.M,  Dog training Guru, Author and Expert

Show Topics:  Dr. Ian Dunbar  is scientifically trained and eloquent on expressing the true nature of pets’ bodies and minds and how they relate to us, the human animals.  Who has more bones a cat or human?  Deborah answers last week’s pet trivia questions.  Plus updates on environmental issues and animal news including the blob floating in the Pacific and the fish we eat.  Can you guess how long it takes for a tin can to biodegrade? A roll of paper towel?  What about dental floss and diapers? How about an apple core.  There is a right way and a wrong way to toss an apple core.  New boat uses wave power to travel from Hawaii to Japan.  Imagine wave power moving all freight.  The chicken battle continues in Halifax.  Urban agriculture is more embraced in the U.S. than Canada with 53 cities in the U.S. officially condoning chickens in the city.  Did you know that in a flock of hens without a rooster, the most dominant hen crows like a rooster, acts like a rooster and mounts the hens?  It’s true.  Deborah explains why urban agriculture is so smart, and yummy. Paws up to California for methane gas energy.  What has three hearts, blue blood and eight legs?  An octopus - unless its the six legged one found this week.  Teenage kid recovers from unknown debilitating illness after no progress when doctor thinks to ask about dog treats.  Boy got two kinds of salmonella from partly cooked real treats.  Remember the pigs’ ear scare in the 80’s?  Wash your hands if you touch raw foods and treats and stay clear of pigs ears if you’re immune compromised, elderly or have kids under 5. 

 Mailmen vs. Dogs.  Is pepper spray a good idea? Deborah quotes an attacked mailman and reads from headlines and news clips from the last week and Ian Dunbar talks about making stupid irresponsible dog owners liable with their wallets.  After all it’s super easy to teach a dog bite inhibition as a puppy and teach him to come and socialize him and keep him controlled and with you when he encounters the mail carrier.  Ian and Deborah both agree that tazers won’t help if pepper sprays don’t work because good aim and a still dog is required for both and the potential for abuse is too high. Touch your dog all over his body every day especially when there are health issues.   If he hates his ears touched or his paws or his bum then listen to Ian describe how you can make him love being touched where he hates being touched now.

Ian describes his years of research watching puppies in labs.    Ian asks ‘Is there anyone here who has never had an argument?’ 
‘Is there anyone here who has never lost their temper and hit someone in anger even as a child?‘ and finally ‘Is there anyone here who has ever hurt someone so badly you put that person in hospital?’

He explains how this helps humans understand dogs and how to work with aggressive dogs in particular. This show is information packed like three textbooks combining philosophy, anatomy, and behavioral psychology but with Ian Dunbar chatting to Deborah the information is delivered like a story told by your favorite British Uncle.  He makes the dog mind and body make sense to the average human and fascinating too.   Why is abuse of dogs, horses and humans so much more prevalent than abuse of any thing else.  Ian explains why he thinks the horse whispering style training is negative reinforcement in training or mild punishment because its based on making the horse uncomfortable and confining him and it stresses the horses who like all animals learn better stress free.  Ian recommends lure training for everyone.  Using a reward object the animal wants which can be a toy or treat. If your dog is rude, listen to this show and Deborah will help you make Ian’s advice part of your life and your dog will be polite.  Seriously, in a day or two he will no longer jump on people. Ian says ‘it is blindingly simple’.   Ian explains the easy fast way to house train a dog.  How can you see Dr. Dunbar’s dog advice pod clips for free anytime you like?   www.dogstardaily.com.