Episode 45

Episode Rewind: Control Unleashed with Cats and Dogs - with Leslie McDevitt

Naomi's off on vacation so this week we're rewinding back to one of the podcast's earlier episodes! Revisit Naomi's chat with the amazing Leslie McDevitt, author of the popular Control Unleashed books and DVD series.

Leslie broke down how she sets up her house to allow for easier introductions and how she uses Control Unleashed games and concepts to keep her cats and dogs living happily together.

Key Moments

[3:59] How Leslie first started working with animals

[7:00] Leslie introduces her three dogs

[12:17] Leslie introduces her two new kittens

[13:11] Leslie’s specific method for introducing cats and dogs to each other

[15:22] How to set up your own kitten paradise enrichment zone

[17:13] Why Leslie likes to use crates to during introductions 

[19:20] How to work with dogs who aren’t familiar with cats

[21:49] The next step after initial introductions

[24:37] Why it’s important to give cats a way out of stressful situations

[28:18] Using food and play as a gauge of comfort levels

[31:59] What to do if you’re worried about cat and dog chases around the house

[33:21] How Leslie handles her border collie’s stalking instinct

[37:10] Why you should reward default behaviors consistently

[43:10] Balancing dogs with young children at home

[46:00] How to go easy on yourself when training a house full of pets

[48:23] Easy mistakes to make when following Leslie’s Control Unleashed methods

[52:50] How the Super Bowls game can teach you about threshold behaviors

[56:35] How to play parallel CU games

[58:19] Using social learning to your advantage

Key Links

Your Next Step:

Naomi will be back with a new episode next week! But if you enjoyed taking this look back, you can do your own rewind to some of our earlier episodes. Check out another interview with a pet professional! Or maybe a deep dive into a specific topic?

With the 50th episode of the show quickly approaching, we want to celebrate! What would you love to hear on our special episode? DM Naomi on Instagram @praiseworthypets with your suggestions!

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About the Podcast

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It's Training Cats and Dogs!
The podcast for cat-AND-dog people.

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About your host

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Naomi Rotenberg

MA, KPA-CTP
specializing in cat and dog integration

Hi! I'm Naomi, and I'm a "cat-and-dog person" 👋 My goal with this podcast is to speak to people with multi-species households who currently feel alone. There are lots of highs and lows when trying to manage the relationships between your animals. This podcast will give you clear, actionable information and guidance about the unique issues that come up between cats and dogs. And the monthly interviews with my fellow trainers who have cats and dogs will definitely help you realize that you aren't alone!

A bit about me: I'm a certified professional dog trainer (KPA-CTP) and have my MA in Animal Behavior and Conservation. I live in my own multi-species household in Philadelphia, PA with my husband, two human kids, Uri (a mini American Eskimo Dog), and Rio (a domestic shorthair cat). I also LOVE Twizzlers (the original kind, NOT pull-and-peel).

I look forward to getting to know you and your pets on your journey towards a more peaceful and safe coexistence!