Madcap Radio

“I have a question that has come up from some of my puppy parents, and I am not sure how to answer. How do I phase treats out and use the clicker exclusively? I was thinking clicker every time, but treats sometimes until there are no treats, and at what age would you fully remove treats? Do treats ever get fully removed? Many of my parents reported that many of the pups are really food motivated, and I'm not sure that is my goal ... I would like them to be clicker motivated at some point.”

This podcast uncouples:

How shaping behaviors with a clicker works

How a clicker becomes a shaping tool

​How and when you can lose the clicker and treats.

Visit our website www.madcapradio.com for further reading.

This episode answers a question we get on almost a weekly basis:

“How do I introduce my puppy to my adult dog?”

This podcast looks at:

Questions to ask about your dog and your puppy that can help you craft a good introduction.

Guidelines for puppy-dog introductions.

Honoring normal social behavior and protecting the interests of your dog and your puppy.

Visit our website www.madcapradio.com for further reading.

The question comes from the discussion group for our With Open Arms puppy owner course:

“Looking for a podcast - Hello! Our 15-week-old puppy is presenting some potty training challenges…While he's reliably house-trained for bowel movements, he frequently urinates on rugs, likely because they resemble the puppy pads he's familiar with. More puzzling that even when we take him outside at the recommended intervals, he'll pass small amounts of urine and then refuse to empty his bladder fully, even after 10+ minutes. Inevitably, within 20 minutes of coming back inside, he'll urinate on a rug.

He's very able to stay in his kennel for a full 2-hour nap with no anxiety or accidents. So he certainly is physically capable of holding his bladder.

We are not sure what we are doing wrong or if this is just to be expected and to be patient. It does seem like he thinks that the rugs is the place to pee. Let me know if you have any tips! ”

This podcast covers:

Why being able to take a two-hour nap without peeing does not mean a puppy can hold it for two hours while awake

Why “double and triple peeing” is really a developmental thing

The physical reasons puppies may target fabric to relieve themselves

Visit our website www.madcapradio.com for further reading.

A new study was published this week, showing that a specific strain of probiotic found in kimchi is extremely good at binding up and carrying microplastics out of the body.

We, and our dogs, are surrounded by plastic, it’s inescapable, and the accumulation of nanoparticles of plastic in our bodies is also inescapable - and very bad for our and our dogs' health.

So the student question this episode is:

“Should we be giving our dogs kimchi?”

In this episode I serve up:

The practical takeaways from the kimchi study for canine nutrition

The “Foodome” project and network analysis of food

Why the next big thing is “everything”

Visit our website www.madcapradio.com for further reading.

This episode’s question comes from the discussion group for my new weaning and early puppy nutrition course, “Weaning For Life: From Gut Biome to Behavior, A Whole Approach to Early Puppy Nourishment”.

“Some of my puppies go home on raw, others to healthy kibble with whole‑food toppers. Historically, I always include at least one kibble meal—often from toys or snuffle mats, sometimes mixed with whole foods. Is there a more refined or appropriate protocol?”

In this episode, we dig into the real‑world question breeders face every day: If, and how, to transition raw‑weaned puppies when their future homes will be feeding mostly kibble.

This podcast covers:

How I prepare raw‑weaned puppies for life in kibble‑feeding homes

What other breeders are experiencing when transitioning puppies from raw to kibble

Practical strategies for helping puppy owners either stay with raw, or significantly upgrade their kibble feeding with whole and fermented foods

Visit our website www.madcapradio.com for further reading.