If you are here, chances are you have an interest in how to train a dog without punishment or blame. When you are moving away from training with physical corrections, intimidation, or verbal corrections, you can fall into what I call “the gap”. If your dog is digging in the garden, has paws on the counter, has jumped in the pond or is chasing a cat, you freeze. The old lessons come to your head telling you to “stop the dog and punish”. You want to leave that behind and fall into “the gap” because you don’t know what to do.
In the episode you'll hear:
- How our dogs are doing the best they can with the education we have given them in the environment that we are asking them to work in.
- About Do-Land where no babies cry, all the birds sing, and there are unicorns and rainbows.
- When I became aware of “the gap” through my friend Lynda Orton-Hill and her Golden Retriever, Spirit.
- How to move on from blame and judgement.
- Why “positive is not permissive” and how training with positive reinforcement does not mean we have no guidelines.
- The 2 things you can do when you are in “the gap”.
- How I learned to “bang head here” from my mentors Bob and Marian Bailey.
- Why my training structure for dogs to be amazing family pets creates excellence in my dogs for world level agility competition.
- How Do-Land is possible for everyone!
Resources:
- Blog: Where the Heck is Do-Land, Anyway?
- Vlog: Loose Potatoes (Sometimes Dog Training Needs a Plan B)
- Podcast Episode 6: The Art of Manipulation
- Podcast Episode 11: The Power of Permission in Dog Training
- Podcast Episode 2: Reinforcement
- Podcast Episode 19: One of My Biggest Pet Peeves in Dog Training
- Vlog: Talking About Ruff Love (Tater and Chipmunks)
- Vlog: Learning from Cats and Seagulls … Chat with Bob Bailey
This is hands down the most amazing thing I have listened to since switching from balanced to positive training. I have completely been stuck in the gap. Thank you so much for this. Life changing.
Thanks so much for your podcasts! My first dog (an adult rescue) was a quick learner and I was so excited to get him going in agility that I made some mistakes and unintentionally reinforced some habits that were then harder to break. I’m going through all your podcasts now as I contemplate getting a puppy in the hopes of not making the same mistakes. thanks again!
Thank you for this subject! Very enlightening. I have a question. You have a dog that you have unintentionally reinforced chasing the cat by calling him back to you and giving him a big scratch and telling him what a good dog he is (yes, it was me :{ ) Do I just calmly walk to him take his collar and walk away? No reinforcements? That is what my mind was conjuring up while I listened to this podcast. What is the best way to do it? By the way he currently chases the cat, skids up to it does a quick look over his shoulder waiting for me to call him. I believe he is smiling…..
Great podcast! Any suggestions for how I could stop my 5 year old neutered male from jumping on (humping) my 13 year altered female lab? The lab no longer has much strength in her back legs and this is dangerous for her she can’t move away or turn on her own. Of course my first reaction is to call the Aussies name and tell him to stop. Other than keeping them separated, is there something else I can do?
This is such great stuff to listen to! I think I could use more examples to puzzle about and examine though. It’s not that I want Susan to figure out the responses for me, but after hearing what she is presenting to us, I love to apply it in my head right away with lots of examples. I learn things best by storytelling involving some kind of problem solving. LOH’s poor hapless Golden, and the Barking Border Collie were great examples–More! More! It’s really exciting to hear Susan talk with such passion about what she knows so well, and her stories are so evocative. It is a real treat!
Susan, You made me aware that I call his name when I try to distract him from barking! Maybe I should get a cookie for NOT doing this anymore!
I wish I was fast enough to get my dog’s feet off the counter, but he’s down as soon as I move. It’s a very new behavior for him! I blame myself. We’re not doing much these days – he’s a retired geriatric living with cancer & on restricted activity, so I’m guessing he’s bored. He’s a good weight with even an extra added 1-2 pounds for safety, but he may also be hungry (on multiple remedies). I laughed out loud about jumping in the water! What we won’t do to get our message across.🤣
Wonderful and important topic. Loved the graphics, too. Thank you.
Finally I know what this means ‘possitive is not permissive’.
I’ve heard and read it many times but I never knew what was really meant by this.
Now it really clicked. I got it. I was training my dogs in a possitve way, but now realise I was still in ‘the gap’ of not exactly knowing what to do if my dog would do something I did’t like.
Thank you for another great podcast.
By the way, I love the intro music. Even that is fun 🙂
I have watched and listened to each of the podcasts and each time I say to myself, “that was the best one yet”. Now after listening to yet another, this was the best one yet. Positive is not permissive, such an important concept.
Great Podcast as always Susan, thank you. I love being in ‘do land’, but sadly occasionally still find myself in the land of ‘do not’.
Today’s podcast has inspired me to try and think of ways to avoid these rehearsals. Thank you
OMG how good was this podcast… not sure i would have ever thought about jumping in the water after my dog but will need to think about doing this next time he goes for after a duck.
Wow this really resonated with me today, my dog has a behavior or jumping up and bouncing off me at times usually when excited. I find myself annoyed about this with him and myself. I don’t know how to manage this but I’m going to figure it out. Thanks Susan this was a really great podcast.