Connecting with Your Dog in Agility and Daily Life

How dog agility amplifies connection

This podcast and video are shared with permission from Susan Garrett's Shaped by Dog podcast series.

Over the years I’ve asked my students to describe the connection with their dog in different environments. How is it different inside your house versus your front yard? What about the park? Or, around other dogs or children? Often the response describes the emotional connection “to” their dog; not the two-way connection “with” their dog. We’re covering what that difference is between the connection to versus connection with our dogs, why it's super important to understand, and how growing one can also grow the other.

In the episode you'll hear:

• How connection TO a dog differs from connection WITH a dog.
• What weakens and strengthens the relationship we have with dogs.
• Common words used about dogs that signal a connection crisis.
• The reasons understanding and empathy will grow your relationship.
• How the sport of dog agility, or any dog sport, is like an amplifier of connection.
• Why it's essential to protect your dog's confidence when beginning agility.
• How one of my agility students, Jenny, went from overwhelmed to elite competitor with her Siberian Huskies.
• The story of Cait's Shiba Inu, Moshi, a pandemic puppy, and how their connection evolved.
• That game by game, layer and layer, you can see the connection with your dog blossom.

Visit the website for the complete transcript of this podcast.

About Susan Garrett

Susan Garrett’s interest in animal behavior started at the University of Guelph where she earned a Bachelor of Science majoring in animal science. Since then she has developed into a pre-eminent canine sports instructor and competitor. Susan is one of the most successful agility competitors of the last two decades. She has won multiple Gold Medals at National or World Championship events with every dog she has ever owned over the past 30 years.

A natural teacher and an entertaining speaker, Susan is a leading educator of dog trainers. Her understanding of how to apply learning principles to practical and competitive dog training has made her a much sought-after speaker throughout North America and as far away as Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The Dog Writers Association of America named Susan’s book “Shaping Success” the 2005 "Dog Training and Behaviour Book of the Year." 

Read more about Susan and her training philosophy.