Pet Harmony

Episode #169 - Kiki Yablon: Why Your Dog Won’t Settle When You’re Busy

Because “Standby for Treat” Really Isn’t The Goal

June 1, 2026

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TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):

1️⃣ Describe what you’re doing – Saying “I’m doing classical conditioning” leaves a lot open for interpretation. Instead, describe what you’re doing, and see how it opens you up to see other factors influencing your outcome. 
 
2️⃣DRO is time-based, not behavior-based – If you’re reinforcing a specific alternative, that’s DRA (differential reinforcement of alternative behavior). DRO (differential reinforcement of other behavior) is about the absence of a behavior for a set interval. 
 
3️⃣ New behavior comes from old behavior – Learners don’t start from scratch when something stops working. They pull from their history. A richer repertoire means more options before problem behaviors resurface. 
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Episode Overview:

This week we’re joined by Kiki Yablon, behavior analyst, dog trainer, KPA faculty member, and general bad a**. Kiki’s incredible skills of observation, communication, and implementation are honestly inspiring. 
 
If you’ve found yourself running around in circles trying to figure out how to apply the science to your training, felt your eyes glazed over at jargon, or broken down trying to work while your dog yells at you, we promise, Kiki’s teaching brings a beautiful, practical, and applicable simplicity to behavior change. Tune in to hear Emily and Kiki talk about some real nerdy stuff, how “outside” skills help you as a dog trainer, and so much more (we get a little windy in this one 😂) 

Links & Resources from the Episode​

About Kiki

A woman with beautiful salt and pepper hair wearing red track pants bending down to pet a brindle dog. Kiki Yablon, MA, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, KPA Faculty

Kiki Yablon

Kiki Yablon is a dog trainer and a teacher of other trainers based in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to serving as faculty for the Karen Pryor Academy, Kiki helps teach behavior science to fellow professionals across the animal care world as a member of the team at Dr. Susan Friedman’s Behavior Works. With a master’s degree in applied behavioral science, 16 years experience helping clients, and a pre-dog-training background in journalism, Kiki has a unique set of skills for translating scientific concepts into practical advice for trainers and dog guardians.

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Meet the Hosts

Allie pic with Oso

Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA

Allie Bender is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed, and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 2006 and professionally training since 2012. She is the founder and co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

While in the animal sheltering industry, Allie realized that her passion lied in helping pets with maladaptive behaviors. Today she spends most of her time teaching other trainers and behavior professionals the skills they need to have their most fulfilling, sustainable careers.

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EMIly strong

Emily Strong has been in the animal welfare industry since 1990 and has been a behavior consultant since 2008. She is the co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker. 

Emily started working with animals at a young age and struggled with the notion that you have to hurt, scare, or intimidate animals to help them. Emily loves helping current and prospective behavior professionals and working with pet parents through our in-depth services. She enjoys working with all species.

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Results are not guaranteed because behavior, human, canine, or otherwise, are not guaranteeable.

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