Dogs, NASCAR, and Learning How Behavior Works with Mike Calinoff

What Mike Calinoff learned from spotting race cars, reading people, and helping dog owners understand what their dogs are really doing.

In this episode of The Long Game, Mitch Long talks with Mike Calinoff about NASCAR, dog training, and the path that led him from race-day communication to canine behavior. Mike shares how he came to North Carolina for motorsports, worked as a NASCAR spotter, and eventually built Doglogics after seeing how many dog owners needed real help at home.

They also get into positive reinforcement, why most dog training is really people training, and how predictability shapes behavior. It is a conversation about patience, problem solving, and building a business around helping families live better with their dogs.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

Growing up in New York and moving to North Carolina for motorsports Working as a NASCAR spotter The psychology of drivers and dogs Why Mike started a pet sitting business How Doglogics grew into dog training and behavior work Why training owners matters more than training dogs Puppy stages, jumping, chewing, and leash pulling Why Mike does not use shock, prong, pinch, bark, or choke collars Reactive dogs, aggressive dogs, and difficult behavior cases How consistency and predictability change a dog’s behavior

CHAPTERS

00:20 – Mitch introduces Mike and asks where he is from 00:38 – Growing up in New York and moving to North Carolina 01:15 – Coming to Charlotte for motorsports 01:25 – Why Mike started a pet sitting business after NASCAR travel 02:07 – Moving to North Carolina to become a NASCAR spotter 03:00 – Getting paid to spot for Ricky Craven 03:13 – What a NASCAR spotter actually does 03:32 – Being a second set of eyes, therapist, coach, and cheerleader 04:00 – Working with Matt Kenseth and learning how drivers think 04:45 – Championships with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and leaving NASCAR travel 05:53 – Starting pet sitting and moving into dog training 06:28 – How dog psychology became the center of Mike’s work 07:24 – Why dog training is mostly training the owner 07:49 – Chewing cords, jumping, and what people accidentally teach dogs 08:24 – Why Mike avoids shock collars and punishment-based training 09:00 – Teaching calm behavior instead of rewarding jumping 10:27 – Puppy stages and why months four, seven, and eleven are hard 11:31 – Consistency, patience, and potty training 12:12 – Why dogs thrive on predictable patterns 13:18 – In-home training, field trips, and socialization in real life 14:04 – How Doglogics grew through results and referrals 14:30 – Behavioral cases, aggression, fear, and anxiety 16:27 – Why difficult cases are the work Mike loves most 17:15 – Food habits, routines, and keeping dogs engaged 19:09 – Why Mike handles the business himself 20:13 – What puppy training looks like before and after a dog comes home 21:20 – Why owners have to do the work between sessions 22:30 – Why the real training starts after Mike leaves 23:50 – Building a business by responding fast and helping people right away 26:50 – Leash pulling and opposition reflex 28:25 – Why Mike wrote Leash Connection 29:16 – Recall, relationship, and making the right choice worth it 30:24 – What to do when a dog runs away 33:26 – Mike’s books and his Legacy Series 34:04 – Why punishment can make fear and anxiety worse 35:28 – Where Mike sees the business going next 36:13 – Saving difficult dogs and the reward of behavior work 39:49 – Where to find Doglogics