Episode
Stephanie Rombough - How to Stop the Chase (Kindly)
- Podcast
- Soul Touched by Dogs
- Published
- Nov 6, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1396
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614/episodes/stephanie-rombough-how-to-stop-the-chase-kindly/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614/stephanie-rombough-how-to-stop-the-chase-kindly.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
If your “sweet-as-sugar-until-a-squirrel-appears” dog can’t resist the thrill of the chase, this one’s for you. Force-free trainer Stephanie Rombough (Happy Hounds Dog Training, Alberta, Canada) joins me to share the reward-based process behind her new book inspired by her own high-drive herder, Nera. We dig into why chasing is so reinforcing, how to prevent dangerous rehearsals, and exactly how to teach voluntary disengagement—from “laser-eyes on bunny” to “I see it… and I choose you.” You’ll hear how Stephanie moved from a compulsion-based upbringing in dog training to a compassionate, science-grounded approach that works for terriers, sighthounds, herders—and the humans who love them. Key takeaways 🐾 The one mistake even experienced guardians make: starting where the dog can’t succeed. Begin well below threshold so you can reward success and build from there. 🐾 Management is non-negotiable. While you train, prevent rehearsals: leashes instead of off-leash parks, doors closed, baby gates up. Each “got it!” chase self-rewards like a biochemical jackpot. 🐾 Use functional rewards. Sometimes a dry cookie can’t compete with a river, a breeze, or a squeaky critter. Reward with what your dog actually wants in that moment (e.g., a release to sniff/splash or a fur tug to bite). 🐾 Three-phase training path: Prompted leave-it (you cue disengagement). Supported watching (dog looks, you cue when needed). Voluntary disengagement (dog chooses you without prompting—keep rewarding this every time). 🐾 Replace, don’t just remove. Offer daily “legal” predation outlets—tug, chase games, scent work—so that the “prey-drive battery” drains in healthy ways. 🐾 Safety first. Keep dogs on leash during the program to prevent a full predatory sequence (chase → grab → …). Finishing that sequence m…