Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Choosing the best dog toy for any activity will lead to success. The toy you choose needs to be safe and suit the purpose. Before I was a professional dog trainer, I never gave any thought to toy selection apart from if a toy appealed to me. Since those days, I’ve created systems and processes for toy selection to benefit my dogs. Picking the wrong toy can set your training back and could be dangerous. Picking the right toy will set you and your dog up for success.   In the episode you'll hear:   • The six categories that toys can fit into and the best toys for each. • About looking at what’s on the end of a tug toy. • What toys are best, and what toys never to choose for retrieving. • Why never to play fetch with sticks and not let your dog carry a stick. • My thoughts on tennis balls that you might not want to hear! • Toys you can use to exercise your dog. • How toys for training help educate our dogs. • Why to consider where you will reward your dog for toy selection. • What to know about toys that deliver food to your dog and where to use them. • About toys that are entertainment for dogs. • How to use toys for enrichment and what to consider about your dog’s safety. • The toys you can make at home that won’t cost you anything.   Resources:   • Podcast Episode 54: Dog Toy Checklist: What’s Good and What to Avoid-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/54/ • Vlog Post: Retrieve Games-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2009/08/retrieve-games/ • 4MyMerles Creations-https://www.4mymerles.com/product-category/say-yes/ • West Paw Toppl Treat Toys-https://www.westpaw.com/dog-toys/puzzle/toppl-treat-toy • Nina Ottosson Puzzle Game Toys-https://www.nina-ottosson.com/products/all-products/ • *Aerobie Sprint Flying Ring-https://geni.us/Aerobie • *Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper-https://geni.us/bumper-fetch • *Kong Squeezz Stick-https://geni.us/squeezz-stick • *Jolly Pets Romp-n-Roll Rope Ball-https://geni.us/rope-ball • *iFetch Interactive Ball Launchers for Dogs-https://geni.us/ifetch-ball-launcher • *iDig Digging Toy by iFetch-https://geni.us/ifetch-digging-toy   *Amazon Links Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Susan only recommends products she uses herself, and all opinions expressed here are her own. The link above is an affiliate link that, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you decide to buy from it. Thank you!  

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    Do you know how to choose the right dog toys? Have you thought of the do’s and don’ts when picking a toy for your puppy or dog? Do you consider the purpose of the toy? My dogs have many toys, which might not be a surprise! There are ten key considerations I use when selecting a new toy, including safety. One of the things to look for in a toy might be a surprise!   In the episode you'll hear:   • The top 10 considerations for selecting a dog toy. • What sort of toys never to choose and knowing what might be toxic. • Why a toy's material is important for your dog’s safety. • About knowing how attractive a toy is for your dog, including the sounds. • Why to know your dog’s strength and power when choosing a toy. • What to consider about your physical abilities. • Why to think about how you will be able to clean your dog’s toys. • How much my Terrier Shelby loved a rock and my Terrier DeCaff loved fly swatters. • Why it’s important for you to be happy with a toy. • The importance of the color of the toy you are selecting for your dog. • The categories of engagement, exercise, education, enrichment, entertainment and eating to think about when buying toys for dogs.   Resources:   • Vlog: How to Pick the Best Toys for Your Puppy or Dog-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2019/08/pick-the-best-toys-for-your-puppy-or-dog/ • Vlog: Vlog: Why Colours Matter in Dog Agility (Featuring Nicki Gurr)-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2018/05/vlog-why-colours-matter-in-dog-agility/ • Apple iOS App “Dog Vision HD” by Laan Labs-https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dog-vision-hd/id812260666 • Android App Dog Vision-https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.nghs.android.cbs.dogvision&hl=en • Podcast Episode 2: Reinforcement-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/2/

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    We’re looking at how to train your dog to stop pulling on leash. You have probably heard me talk about the importance of exercise for dogs. But, for some of you, taking your dog for a walk is not enjoyable, and you just want your dog to walk nicely. I’m covering what might have led to your dog’s lead pulling, what you can do to fix it, and how you can start to enjoy going for a walk.   In the episode you'll hear:   • About my trips to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and why world-renowned animal trainers Bob and Marian Bailey taught us to train chickens. • The importance of mechanics and reinforcement in training any animal. • How pulling ahead of you on lead can be rewarding for your dog. • Why your dog inadvertently learns that it’s important to be in front of you. • All the good things that are out in front that can create pulling on lead. • How to be intentional about a reward zone and why to know your pants seam. • The best mechanics to use for loose leash walking. • What better behaviour to train for success with walking on leash. • How to hold the leash, how to reward your dog, and why to circle. • The layers of training walking on a leash and how to rehearse success.   Resources:   • Blog Post: How do I Stop My Dog from Pulling on the Leash?-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2020/01/stop-my-dog-pulling-on-leash/ • Podcast Episode 40: Using a Head Halter on a Dog, Why My Approach is so Different - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/40/ • Game: Learn How to Play ItsYerChoice (IYC)-https://recallers.com/iycsummit-join/ • Podcast Episode 42: Behavior Chains: Are You Teaching Your Dog to be Bad to be Good?-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/42/

Visit us at shapedbydog.com    There are five words commonly used when training a dog. I bet you can immediately think of dog training commands that are in use frequently! Are cues like sit, down, stay, come and okay on your list? One of these words I would never ever use, and I’m sharing why. I believe our dogs put our words into five categories, and I’m covering each cue category and how it relates to what we say to our dog.   In the episode you'll hear:   • How many words dogs can respond to and understand. • What words our dogs will ignore and how that can be inadvertent. • Why there are words that can be confusing for our dogs. • How words can make our dogs happy. • The importance of the tone of our verbal cues. • About the words that can create stress and fear for dogs. • Why sit means sit and importance of a release word. • The one word I never use. • Why some words are ignored or confusing for our dog. • My best advice on selecting cues for your dog. • How some dogs only have micro-seconds to respond to a cue. • About the release cue “break” that I use and one I don’t recommend. • How you can easily change a word to one that will bring your dog clarity.   Resources:   • * Learning Resources Answer Buzzers - https://geni.us/buzzers • Vlog Post: Toning Up On Cue Clarity (Hearing The Sirens)-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2019/01/toning-up-on-cue-clarity-hearing-the-sirens/ • Blog Post: Three Different Types of Verbal Markers in Dog Training-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2018/09/three-verbal-markers-in-dog-training/ • Blog Post: How Do I Train My Dog To Come When Called?-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2019/04/train-my-dog-to-come-when-called/ • Podcast Episode 19: One of My Biggest Pet Peeves in Dog Training-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/19/   *Amazon Links Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Susan only recommends products she uses herself, and all opinions expressed here are her own. The link above is an affiliate link that, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you decide to buy from it. Thank you!

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 motivation for this episode from a post by one of my students. • Identifying the words you use when you are frustrated. • The lesson I recently learned regarding frustration and how it hurt my heart. • Why to take a break. • My 5-step evaluation for when dog training does not go to plan. • Why to look at where your dog is in the training progression chart. • How to evaluate your training with PEP. • The psychological, environmental, and physical considerations for dog training. • Why and when to tip with twenties. • How we leap too far ahead with training and the question to ask ourselves. • The importance of remembering to “train the dog in front of you”.   Resources:   • Blog Post: How to Embrace Videoing Your Dog Training - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2019/03/embrace-videoing/ • Podcast Episode 4: T.E.M.P. (Tail, Eyes/Ears, Mouth, Posture) - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/4/ • Podcast Episode 44: Using Coincidences and Positive Associations in Dog Training - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/44/

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 dogs?   In the episode you'll hear:   • About my family and my introduction to riding a bike. • Why my brothers talked about my determination as if I were an alien. • My love of Nancy Drew books as a child. • How an ophthalmologist changed my young life forever. • Why I thought I was weird and how I just tried to figure things out. • My experience at University in an English course and why I stopped reading. • The years I spent with undiagnosed dyslexia and how that shaped me. • What I want you to know about answers existing. • About not giving anyone the power to make you feel less than. • How there are dogs out there who need us.   Resources:   • Blog Post: “Each of us is Somebody’s Weirdo” - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2009/12/each-of-us-is-somebodys-weirdo/ • Book: Shaping Success by Susan Garrett - https://dogsthat.com/product/shaping-success-2/

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 I share with all of my students.   In the episode you'll hear:   • About swapping old thinking to new thinking. • Why the human brain is an amazing computer. • How to ask better questions. • The challenge with social media darkness and drama. • Why we humans have more compassion for strangers than ourselves. • How you are already answering dog training questions with great ideas. • That you are somebody’s expert. • About knowing what to do next with your dog. • The four-step process for posting a dog training question. • How to get your brain to give you amazing answers. • The importance of empowering statements. • How to get the best support and help with the way you ask questions. • How to have conversations with your family and friends about your dog.   Resources:   • Recallers - https://recallers.com/ • Home School the Dog - https://dogsthat.com/home-school/ • Game: Learn How to Play ItsYerChoice (IYC) - https://recallers.com/iycsummit-join/ • Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/ • Book: Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott -https://geni.us/fierce-conversations   *Amazon Links Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Susan only recommends products she uses herself, and all opinions expressed here are her own. The link above is an affiliate link that, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you decide to buy from it. Thank you!

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 my easy 3 part process so you can have potty training success in a week, and within a month put any accidents behind you.   In the episode you'll hear:   • All about what’s HOT: Habit, Observation, Timetable • The easy process you can use to get pottying success within a week. • Simple ways you can set your puppy or dog up for housetraining success. • Why you will thank me for having your puppy or dog on a leash when you start potty training. • Your dog’s privacy and the importance of your silence while you are waiting. • About my “pee in three” criteria. • What a double pee-er is and how your timing matters. • Why to do a bedding check twice a day. • The importance of your puppy or dog having clarity. • What playing poker has to do with housetraining. • The timetable I use for potty training a puppy. • When to get your puppy or dog checked by a Veterinarian. • What to do if an accident happens inside the house. • How to use the same easy steps if you have a potty tray inside the house.   Resources:   • Blog Post: It’s Time to P-o-t-t-y! Inside Scoop on Housetraining-https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2018/08/scoop-on-housetraining/ • Podcast Episode 44: Using Coincidences and Positive Associations in Dog Training-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/44/ • Podcast Episode 6: The Art of Manipulation-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/6/ • Podcast Episode 30: Why Dog Crates Are Not Dog Cages-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/30/ • Ex-Pen: Rover Modular Pet Enclosures-http://dogsthat.com/roverpanels • Crate Games Online-https://get.crategames.com/ • Podcast Episode 26: Pro Dog Training Tips to Get Your Puppy to Sleep All Night-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/26/ • Podcast Episode 43: Can a Dog be Happy and Well Trained?-https://dogsthat.com/podcast/43/ • YouTube Video: 5 Games for Puppies-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxd1sVEQp2Y

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 previous podcast episodes that I strongly encourage you to check out with the context of what I say here in mind.   In the episode you'll hear:   • Why it’s important to value compassion more than ambition. • Your right to have expectations about how your dog behaves. • About your dog’s competing values. • Why considering your dog’s stage of learning is vital. • The importance of asking yourself if your dog is saying no due to fear. • What I noticed with my puppy This! in class recently with a golf cart. • My 5 keys for working through “Don’t Wanna, Don’t Hafta”. • How to rehearse your dog doing what you ask, when you ask, with fun games. • What it means to be the keeper of the joy. • About hard-wired behaviours and “Don’t Wanna, Don’t Hafta”.   Resources: • Podcast Episode 27: Do Dogs Need Rules? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/27/ • Podcast Episode 46: Is Your Dog Trying to Dominate You and What You Can Do About It - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/46/ • Podcast Episode 44: Using Coincidences and Positive Associations in Dog Training -https://dogsthat.com/podcast/44/ • Podcast Episode 42: Behavior Chains: Are You Teaching Your Dog to be Bad to be Good? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/42/ • Game: Learn How to Play ItsYerChoice (IYC) - https://recallers.com/iycsummit-join/ • Podcast Episode 24: Help for the Dog who Chases Chipmunks, Bicycles, and the Neighbor’s Cat - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/24/ • Blog Post: How to Use the Distraction Intensity Index to Help Your Dog - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2020/09/distraction-intensity-index/

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 classes to be based on “dominancy theory”, but not so much these days. Each of us has a filter we see the world through, and that filter is going to have an impact on our dog training choices and beliefs.   In the episode you'll hear:   • What influenced the filters through which I see the world. • How my filter has an impact on my dog training. • What I ask if something goes wrong with my dogs. • The commonalities and digressions I’ve noticed in training beliefs. • What I googled about dominance theory. • My quick diversion on humping. • How what we see in our dogs can be interrupted in different ways. • The ways our filters relate to our dog training decisions and how changing our filters is possible for everyone. • That behavior is behavior, for humans and for dogs, and how choice and communication are powerful for any relationship. • How my puppy This! shredded a bed and my reaction. • The three things you can do when faced with a challenge with your dog. • Why it’s time to get curious when you are furious. • What can go into a plan for you to get what you want with your dog. • That none of us is perfect.   Resources:   • Quick video of This! shredding her bed (on Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/SusanGarrettDogAgility/posts/3749967288358197 • Podcast Episode 43: Can a Dog be Happy and Well Trained? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/43/ • Podcast Episode 6: The Art of Manipulation - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/6/ • Podcast Episode 16: The Thing Before Your Dog’s Thing - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/16/ • Podcast Episode 42: Behavior Chains: Are You Teaching Your Dog to be Bad to be Good? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/42/ • Home School the Dog - https://dogsthat.com/home-school/ • Recallers - https://dogsthat.com/recallers/ • Podcast Episode 44: Using Coincidences and Positive Associations in Dog Training - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/44/