Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

Visit us at shapedbydog.com

We all have vivid childhood memories, and one of mine involving my friend’s dog Chuka had a lasting impact. In all my dog training, I look to grow confidence and capability for dogs in any environment. I do that using the model of my 5C Pyramid. Now, you might already be familiar with the 5C Pyramid for Success, but I’ve got a couple of tweaks to the layers you’ll want to hear.

It all starts with our connection with our dogs and knowing the questions to ask, so we can be sure that our dog can meet our expectations. And for everyone who had queries from Episode 19 about what “sit” really means for a dog, I’m using that behaviour today as an example. We’re covering all the layers for confidence in anything you want to train your dog to do.

In the episode you'll hear:

• About my memory of Chuka, how the same thing happens to many dogs, and how it can be avoided.
• What my 5C model is and tweaks to the pyramid layers.
• Why the first layer of connection is the most vital of all.
• What engagement with your dog looks like.
• Why your dog can experiment and how that allows you to evaluate.
• What splitting a behaviour down really means.
• The three forms of challenges with distance, duration, and distractions.
• What is too much pressure for your dog and for you.
• How you can use the same model for your confidence!
• Important questions to ask before you take off your dog’s leash.

Resources:

• Podcast Episode 18: 4 Puppy and Dog Training Games for Acquired Bite Inhibition - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/18/
• Blog: Improve Your Dog Training by Playing Like a Dog - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2012/04/improve-your-dog-training-by-playing-like-a-dog/
• Blog: 6 Keys to Shaping Behaviour - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2018/12/6-keys-to-shaping-behaviour/
• Podcast Episode 4: T.E.M.P. (Tail, Eyes/Ears, Mouth, Posture) - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/4/
• Podcast Episode 2: Reinforcement - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/2/