Episode 69: Dr. Melanie Uhde

In this episode I’m back with Melanie Uhde for a direct and unapologetic conversation about canine behavior, animal learning, and the growing gap between popular dog training ideology and biological reality. We examine commonly cited canine studies, how they’re often misread or selectively used, and why the force-free narrative fails to explain how animals actually learn, adapt, and thrive.

A major part of our conversation centers on adversity and aversives in training, not as something to be reflexively avoided, but as information. We talk about why challenge, discomfort, and even conflict are not inherently harmful, and why some dogs don’t just tolerate adversity but actively seek it. For many dogs, especially those with strong drives, the thrill of overcoming resistance, pressure, and difficulty is part of what makes learning meaningful!

This episode challenges the idea that good training must be sterile, effortless, or free of negative experience. Instead, we explore learning as it actually occurs in real animals, through consequences, feedback, success, failure, and resilience.

This conversation wasn’t meant to protect feelings or ideology. It’s for trainers, behavior professionals, and serious dog people who are interested in honest, EVIDENCE BASED discussions about animal learning, motivation, and performance.