Training Tuesday: When To Listen To Your Heart In Dog Training

Don't let old beliefs and habits hold you back.

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

I’ve met a lot of people at the crossroads of their dog training and looking to go in a more reinforcement-based direction, but they’re worried it won’t work due to old beliefs and habits. Unless you were one of the lucky few to learn nothing but reinforcement-based dog training, leaving behind the familiar for something new naturally creates fear and vulnerability, especially when surrounded by so-called "experts" and naysayers when you encounter challenges. We’re covering how to recognize belief loops that could be holding you back.

In the episode you'll hear:

• That safety for everyone is your first priority in dog training.
• Why to choose your experts carefully for your sake and your dog’s well-being.
• The reasons dog training knowledge should always be growing and evolving.
• How belief loops and confirmation bias impact your dog training and decisions.
• Why it’s not necessary to be your dog’s dominant leader.
• About protecting yourself from naysayers and uninformed opinions.
• Why giving dogs opportunities to earn high value reinforcement creates deep connection.

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.