Vermont Public Radio Interview

Scarpino: “You need that motivation and you need to figure out how to use that motivation to curb towards the behaviors that you want to see. So a lot of times what I bump into is people are giving out, you know, their affection, their time so much that it almost dilutes one of your most powerful tools. And so when you start to use it towards what you want to curb your dog into doing, you become more effective and your communication becomes better. So a lot of times what you end up having to do is making sure that you have spent enough time developing that communication so it’s very effective with you and your dog.”

Scarpino also recommends Temple Grandin’s book Animals Make Us Human: “One of the things that she talks about in there is the two main systems that drive behavior: you’re going to have what’s called a ‘seeking system’ and what’s called a ‘panic system.’ …

“Dogs that are stuck in the panic system … basically run on adrenaline and cortisol all day long — that’s what fuels their behavior. So as you start to combat anxiety and stuff like this, you have to be increasing and changing the way that the dog’s brain works. And a lot of times I do this through games.”