There's a very good chance that you, like me, want to train your dog with reinforcement. It aligns with the kind of person you want to be both for your dog and for the world. To get really good behaviors with dogs as a positive reinforcement trainer, you have to get masterful at all that is reinforcing. That's the topic of this episode, and I'm including case studies of two of my dogs, Buzz and Belief and the layers of learning with reinforcement that create amazing skills.

In the episode you'll hear:

  • A video review and breakdown of retrieve training with my dog, Buzz, from the 90's.
  • How you troubleshoot dog sports competition training using positive reinforcement.
  • Examples of popular, but bad, training advice I received that's still taught today.
  • How my puppy recalls from play brilliantly because of incremental layers of learning.
  • Why positive reinforcement is new and revolutionizing centuries of dog training.
  • How I pioneered positive reinforcement in dog agility training, even when told it would not work.
  • Why dog training using positive reinforcement is more reliable for recalls and more.
  • Why consent and cooperation create trust for nail trimming, etc.
  • The importance of knowing and growing what your dog values in different environments.
  • How dogs learn to earn reinforcement and how the value transfers to you.
  • Why teaching dogs "do" works better than teaching "don't."
  • The truth that you're one good strategy away from a better life with your dog.

Shaped by Dog Episode 200 Online Celebration Event

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