How to help your dog behave with guests with Jeff Millman

How to help your dog behave with guests with Jeff Millman

31:24 Mar 17, 2026
About this episode
Send us a text to say hello!How can you help your dog to like it--and behave well--when visitors come to your home? Zazie and Kristi are joined by dog trainer Jeff Millman, author of Triggers and Reactions: A Guide to Fixing Your Dog Behavior Problems, to chat about this common issue.We talk about:Why having your dog jump on guests is in some ways a nice problem to haveThe behaviours we can teach them to do insteadThe signs to look for that would suggest that your dog is shy or fearful of guestsHow to use management when guests come overUnderstanding how to use desensitization and counter conditioning for fearful dogsHow dog training culture has changed over the years and reward-based methods have become more popularWhat it was like to study at the original Academy for Dog Trainers and how much Jeff loved itand finally, we ask Jeff what he's been reading latelyThe books recommended by Jeff are:When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows... Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life by Steven PinkerNever: A Novel by Ken FollettAbout Jeff Millman: Jeff Millman was always known as an animal fanatic since he was a little boy. After studying journalism, living in Alaska after college while living in a tent, working professionally as an internet consultant and creative director, he studied dog training with the world-famous Jean Donaldson in San Francisco in 2002. Since then, he has been honing his dog training craft while training thousands of dogs. He’s the author of three books, including the two-volume Triggers and Reactions: A Guide to Fixing Dog Behavior Problems. lives in Cary, NC with his two wonderful children, amazing wife, and English Shepherds, Sky and Storm.Jeff Millman's website: https://www.jeffmillman.com/Support the showAbout the co-hosts: Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers and has her PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She lives in beautiful northern British Columbia, where she helps dog guardians through online classes. She is also a northern anthropologist. Kristi Benson's website Facebook Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog,
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