Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     In dog training, there's really only one reason we feel frustration, and that is when the outcome does not meet our expectations. But what happens when we get frustrated? Recently I experienced frustration when training a side pass with my puppy, This!, and I'm sharing with you the process I used for troubleshooting.   In the episode you'll hear:   • About the motiv...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     When I was 12 years old, I experienced the most humiliating event of my young life with a doctor who was trying to be helpful. That event changed who I was and how I processed information and led me to become the dog trainer that I am today. What if the things that we look at as our greatest challenges are actually our biggest blessings? And how could that help our...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   What if it were possible to dramatically improve your dog's focus, skills and overall behaviour just by changing the questions you are asking? There's no magic pixie dust, but it is possible for everyone. Reinforcement-based training requires outside-the-box thinking. Anyone can become a resourceful solutions-based dog trainer, and I'm giving you the four-step process...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     The number one problem every puppy owner will experience is "how do I get my puppy to go to the bathroom in the appropriate spot?". Now some puppy owners never get this mystery solved as a lot of adult dogs will mess in the house. Things are about to get easier because today we are covering the HOT topic of getting a pup or adult dog house trained fast. I'm sharing...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     If you have a dog, there will come a time when your dog will say to you "Don't Wanna, Don't Hafta". That is the moment when you ask your dog to do something, and he ignores you. The question is, what do you do when this happens? I'm sharing what I do when my dog says "no" and the questions we need to ask ourselves. In the resources below, I'm referencing a number of...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     The topic of this episode comes from a listener suggestion, and it is about "alpha" and "beta" dogs. It's a bit of a spicy subject, and the words "alpha" and "beta" go back to disproven "dominance theory". Even if you are not sure what "dominance theory" is, you might have heard the term "pack leader". It was common around 30 or so years ago for pet dog training cla...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     If you own a dog, there is a very good chance that at some point in your dog's life, your dog could get jumped or possibly attacked by another dog. It's vital to know that your reaction could actually exacerbate the emotional damage to your dog or puppy. This episode has my top tips for helping your dog and how you can take control of the uncontrollable and your res...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     Up to this point in your dog's life, your training might not have worked the way you would have liked it to work. You can fix that with a simple set of progressions, and you can start right now. I know this works as it has worked for every dog I've ever raised, including rescue dogs, and it has worked for many thousands of my students. It all starts with arranging c...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     Would you like a well-behaved dog at the expense of having a happy dog? How do we define happy? Would you be willing to make your dog a little sad, confused, anxious, stressed to be well-behaved? With every dog I have ever owned my approach to training has become a little more Zen-like. Trust in me is important for my dogs to be part of my family, and part of the li...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     What if I were to tell you that your dog's worst behaviour could very likely be there because you have been unintentionally reinforcing it? It might be your dog jumping on guests, barking, getting on the furniture, counter surfing, not wanting to leave the park, lunging, not bringing back a ball. All of these frustrations and many others are things you could be acci...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     When you get a puppy or dog, what are your expectations of your new family member? Do you have a vision of how your dog will fit into your home? What does it look like, and how do you convey your expectations to your dog? You can deepen the bond with your dog by knowing what your basics, manners and extras are.   In the episode you'll hear:   • All the things you pr...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     Today I'm sharing with you how I get brilliant behaviours with my dogs. No matter what you are training, the key to success is to build value for what you want your dog to do and avoid your dog rehearsing undesirable behaviours. I'll walk you through it step by step using walking on a leash as an example, and for me, that starts with using a Head Halter. Now before...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     What do we do when our dog shows resistance? What happens when your dog appears to be stubborn, and what does that tell you? You might even see resistance in toddlers, teenagers, your spouse, or a co-worker. We're looking at how you can overcome resistance and build a relationship of trust.   In the episode you'll hear:   • Why we want to move from resisting to a wi...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     What is confidence in a dog? Why do we need it? How do we grow it, and why should we even care? Confidence is a topic I'm very passionate about, and there are three things that are big contributors bringing out the best in a puppy or dog.   In the episode you'll hear:   • What my dog Decaff taught me about confidence. • How confidence replaces stress and anxiety. •...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   Today's episode comes from a suggestion by one of our listeners, and it's on the topic of becoming a professional dog trainer. More specifically, the path that led me to dog training as a career.   In the episode you'll hear:   • What I wanted to be when I grew up. • Why it's not just training dogs. • The things I had to learn. • My evolution to dog training. • Why to...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   How do you pick a puppy? Even if you are not selecting a puppy, a lot of these concepts apply to a rescue dog. I've just raised a litter of puppies, and one will stay with me as my next dog, so I'm covering my tips, plus how my puppy chose me!   In the episode you'll hear:   • How our rescue dog Tater feels about living in a family of Border Collies. • The considerati...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   When I am training, my dog is engaged and excited and attentive. The connection with my dogs is vital in all we do together. You might think getting your dog focused entirely on you is ninja-level dog training, but it's possible for everyone. Today I'm sharing with you one of the most important things you could be doing that will hurt engagement and connection with yo...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     Chances are you are familiar with the concept of "time outs". A time out is something you will hear of being used for kids, puppies, and dogs. The bottom line about a time out is that it is punishment. Should a time out be part of life with our dog? Are we using a time out due to our inadequacies as a trainer for our dog?   In the episode you'll hear:   • Lessons I...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     If your dog is getting on the table or counter and stealing food, you are not alone. The topic of counter surfing is one that I get a lot of questions about, and it's frequently requested for me to cover on my podcast. Your dog taking things from the counter is a big frustration, and we're looking at how you can turn this around.   In the episode you'll hear:   • Th...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     If someone comes to me with a behaviour problem, one of the first questions I ask is "how much exercise does your dog get?". There is often a definite link between the mental and physical stimulation a dog receives and the amount of trouble the dog gets into. Exercising your dog or puppy can be easy and done within your home.   The games I'm sharing are great ways t...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com     You can make your dog training a lot more effective, and a lot more efficient with the effective use and placement of rewards. It does not matter if you are just starting or have been a dog trainer for years, using my pro tips about where and how to place reinforcement will see you get results faster, and supercharge your training sessions.   In the episode you'll h...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   In this episode, I am talking about one of my favourite things to train. If you love your dog, I'm asking you to listen with an open mind, because we're talking about comfort with confinement, a topic inspired by a note from one of my online students.   In the episode you'll hear:   • Why should you care about crating your dog. • About the importance of safety for you...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   Today's topic covers the serious issue of reactivity and aggression in dogs. If you have a challenge with your dog, I strongly advise that you seek out the help of a Certified Veterinary Behaviorist who is equipped to deal with these issues in a reinforcement-based program. Seek the help of a qualified professional who will, where needed, use pharmaceutical interventi...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   Have you ever thought about why we own dogs really? What is the main benefit? That's on my mind, and your reasons might be like mine … dogs are companions and make our lives better. We have a relationship with our dogs. So why do we call the way we relate to our companions "training"? We don't think of our relationships with the people in our life as "training", so wh...

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   What you are about to hear could well be a paradigm shift. In dog training lingo, we call the rules we have for our dogs "criteria". For a dog to have an amazing life there needs to be some training, and your understanding of criteria is going help your dog find joy in all that you do together.   In the episode you'll hear:   • How your dog's behaviour impacts his lif...