Episode 29

Setting Up Your Setups - Coaching Call with Lindsey and Em

The journey towards coexistence doesn’t stop when your dog and cat are no longer on opposing sides of an active warzone. When all the hard work training is finally paying off and you can see the changes it’s making to your household, what comes next?

Setups!

In this coaching call I helped Lindsey and Em, members of the Cat and Dog Coexistence Club, come up with some starting setups to reinforce the training they’ve been working on.

Key Moments

[00:25] Introducing the cast of characters

[01:00] Evening behaviors: Resting in the living room

[01:48] Taking the next steps to further relaxation

[02:46] Using ritualistic behavior as a foundation for new setups

[03:22] Hands-off enrichment based movement around a space

[04:30] Stations

[06:08] Food-related problems: Lower appetite

[07:05] Combining food-based stations with non food-based stations

[09:35] The first setup

[12:06] Setup prep work during relaxation protocol training

[13:44] Adjusting and managing when pets get over threshold

[15:40] Current interactions between cat and dog

[17:50] Using enrichment activities to redirect/channel behavior appropriately

[18:35] Letting interactions evolve naturally but in controlled situations

[19:55] Reward/encourage disengagements

About the Podcast

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

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!