Episode 300: Replying to Zak George About Crossover Dog Trainers

Recently, dog training advocate Zak George asked me about crossover dog trainers, and framed the question in such a different way that it inspired replying with a podcast episode. When I crossed over from balanced training to reinforcement based training in 1996, many people asked me why and told me it would not work. I'm sharing my start in dog training, pivotal moments, people and dogs that led me to change my approach, what I learned about myself along the way, and the reasons I never went back.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• About my transition to becoming a crossover dog trainer.
  
• The question from Zak George that inspired this episode.
  
• When I decided to leave balanced training behind.
  
• What I learned from my terrier puppy, Shelby.
  
• The book that changed my thinking - Don’t Shoot the Dog! by Karen Pryor.
  
• When I first saw true autonomy in dog training and how choice transformed my approach.
  
• About my "Shaping Badly" era.
  
• How learning from Bob and Marian Bailey helped me refine my training with clarity and intention.
  
• The shift to shaping with success.
  
• Why judgment holds trainers back.
  
• That change is possible.
  
• Reasons trainers resist crossing over to a positive reinforcement approach.
  
• A special offer for podcast listeners who want to be coached by me and my team.

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