Episode 229: Transforming An Overwhelmed And Anxious Dog Into A World Champion

Imagine a dog or puppy so overwhelmed by everything they see, hear or feel that it causes anxiety and crushes their confidence. Before transforming into a world agility champion, this was my Jack Russell Terrier mix, DeCaff. In part one of this two-part series I’m sharing six lessons DeCaff taught me as well as reflections on how I uniquely approached some of my toughest dog training challenges. DeCaff ultimately blossomed into a brilliant agility dog– as well as a loving, calm family pet – who inspired many of the renowned Recallers online dog training games being played worldwide today.

In the episode you'll hear:

DeCaff’s Story: From anxious, over-aroused Jack Russell Terrier mix to world champion agility dog.
Six lessons, reflections and a few regrets when training DeCaff.
How DeCaff came into my life by accident.
When DeCaff first attacked another puppy at 9 weeks old.
DeCaff’s sensitivity to tactile stimulation and new textures could be overwhelming for agility training.
Lesson 1: Puppy selection for sport dogs.
About a dog training seminar trip gone awry.
How DeCaff’s breed mix made her physiology perfect for canine sports.
Lesson 2: Importance of arousal state when training dogs.
About The Yerkes-Dodson arousal curve for peak performance dog training.
Why to increase your dog’s joy for training in distracting environments.
Lesson 3: Create a positive environment for yourself and your dog.
How I discovered my dog’s best reinforcer - the fly swatter.
Lesson 4: Be sure never to force what you think is important on the dog when you’re picking their best reinforcer.
Lesson 5: Transfer of value in dog training.
How DeCaff and I won the ESPN Great Outdoor Games - and $10K.
Lesson 6: Take the challenge out of your training.
Reflections on my 3 toughest dogs to train.

Resources:

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One Comment

Lisa September 29, 2023 at 9:10 pm - Reply

Loved episode 229. My golden covid puppy has fear aggression issues, especially with other dogs. He is getting better. High exciting situations like agility trials are the worst, charging at ring crew. Dock diving has given him alot of confidence & we r even going to nationals. He has a bad reputation with a couple of local clubs because of this. We r going to classes to work on this. It’s been a challenge but he is so good and loves the game.

Episode 229: Transforming An Overwhelmed And Anxious Dog Into A World Champion – DeCaff’s Story Part 1