The way we dog train is different, and there are four elements that are vital to everything we do. It starts with confidence for people and their dogs and layers to grow a relationship of trust. There are many ways to use reinforcement in dog training, and our focus is on layered shaping, which might be a new concept for many people. I’m pulling back the curtain on how and why we build intentional layers of learning to set dogs up for success.
In the episode you'll hear:
- That the vast majority of people start wanting to know how to stop their dogs from doing things.
- Why our first step is creating a positive conditioned emotional response for dogs, so they feel good.
- That behaviour does not happen in an unemotional vacuum, and we want good emotions.
- How we want to minimize, and ideally eliminate, a conflict between people and their dogs.
- Why to use the things your dog loves in your training.
- That our dogs have a fun life, but we want to be aware of where they earn reinforcement.
- About turning a dog’s distractions into white noise.
- How we want to begin with our dogs doing simple things and follow the 5C Pyramid.
- About using games that change our dog's physiology so they can be in their zone of genius.
- That once we've established value for our dogs, we want to transfer that value.
- Why our dogs want to do what we want because we empower them with choice.
- How we use classical conditioning first, so the bond between dogs and people is one of trust.
ItsYerChoice Game:
Resources:
- Podcast Episode 170: 5 Popular Ways To Train Your Dog With Food
- YouTube Playlist: Reactive or Aggressive Dogs: Key Insights with Susan Garret
- Podcast Episode 130: Conditioned Responses: The Magic Every New Puppy (And Dog) Owner Must Know About
- *Book: Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg
- Home School the Dog Online Program
- *Book: Connection Training: The Heart and Science of Positive Horse Training by Hannah Weston and Rachel Bedingfield
- Podcast Episode 11: The Power of Permission in Dog Training
- Podcast Episode 90: Premack, Dog Training and Transfer of Value
- Podcast Episode 44: Using Coincidences and Positive Associations in Dog Training
- Podcast Episode 151: How Location Specific Reinforcement Markers Will Improve Your Dog Training!
- YouTube Video: Understanding Your Dog's Reinforcement Zone (RZ) with Susan Garrett
- Podcast Episode 86: How to Train Unmotivated or Overexcited Dogs (Arousal Curve)
- Podcast Episode 107: Pedicure Please: 3 Steps To Dog Nail Trimming Or Grooming Success At Home!
- Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube
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Susan, I found your podcasts as I was listening to as many dog trainers as I could (on YouTube) in order to learn how to train my 2 puppies. My original thought was: I will be retiring soon and I will need an activity to help keep me active. I love dogs and have owned several as I was growing up and then again when my children were young. But I have never trained any of them beyond a “sit” command.
The puppies I have were born in my house. The mother and father belong to my daughter and grand children. I had no idea what breed they were except i was told the mother was a pit bull, Well she is not. After research we realized she is an American Staffordshire Terrier. And it appears that the father is mostly Border Collie. I had no idea what kind of temperament that would create for my puppies. I am now learning after-the-fact.
That being said,,,, There were two puppies in the litter and I chose to keep them both. I knew that dogs were social animals and it would be cruel to keep one dog by itself in the backyard every day while I went to work. I work in a hospital on a 12 hour shift. I ride the bus 1 hour each way to get to work.
They are now a year old and I am not retiring as soon as I expected.
The dog next door is a put bull and its owner is working on gentling him. But the mother was a witness to a murder of her former owner and has become very reactive to people as well as animals. She will try to attack the bit bull – through the chain link fence. And of course she has taught this behavior to her children (my puppies). I have no idea how to Untrained this.
So I have just this week ordered your “Crate Games” online. It is an entirely different way of thinking and training from all the other YouTube videos I have watched. Having some difficulty processing these differences in my own brain. But I will be working through (for now) the Crate Games instructions hoping that as I progress through these classes I will gain some kind of peace in all these areas.
It is overwhelming to me! Sooooo much that needs to be taught. They have learned how to be best friends with each other and will begin chasing a toy which will turn into a tug between them and then into a wrestling match.
I feel like I am waaaay over my head!
Susan,
I want to let you know that I found you on YouTube a few months ago because I was at my WITS END with a young year old Bullmastiff that was so reactive and frenetic I could not do anything with her. She was suggested to me as a pup by her breeder who was aware that I did obedience and rally with my Champion male (though not agility—more on that in a minute) and almost no one in the breed does anything with them. She was a pandemic puppy and didn’t get temperament tested, the breeder just knew she was energetic and likely knew instinctively she would be too much for most people to handle. Well she was to put it mildly a complete terror. I tried everything 50 years plus of animal training exposure had shown me works. It was so bad, my adult kids were begging me to take her back to breeder but I knew that could likely spell disaster for the dog because if I couldn’t manager her most likely other Bullmastiff people couldn’t either. So I pressed on. I am 5 feet tall and in my late 60s so this 100 pound plus frenetic muscle was very hard to manage, Then I found you on YouTube as I was desperately searching for solutions.
It was a MIRACLE. She began to learn impulse control and get more focused on me! I then enrolled her in private agility lessons with a long time trainer to get her brain working (as I knew obedience and even rally would require too much concentration that she just didn’t possess) and in group classes, one of which was flatwork foundation with a facility that uses your crate games and itsyser choice as their foundations all the way up to competition levels (DePaw Dog Sports in Leander, Texas)
This dog matured in the past 10 months which gave her a bit of focus but I give your methods 100 percent credit for turning her around. She is probably always going to be an extra sort of dog and wound tight but she is doing great in her sequencing work in private and class lessons and is quite nice now around the house. ALL BECAUSE OF YOU.
Just wanted you to know that. Recently I was given my son’s fiancée’s standards poodle mix (designer dog)who was too much for them at 2 1/2 years old and am starting g him on your methods too.
Many, MANY thanks for what you do.
Regards,
Lynn