Do Dogs Really Test Us? Fluctuations In Dog Behavior, What It Means And What To Do #291
Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett
DogsThat
4.8 • 679 Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2024
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Visit us at shapedbydog.com
Do dogs really test us? It can sure seem that way when a dog's behavior is not what we expect and they show inconsistency and fluctuations in what they do. My stance on this topic has changed over the years, and I’m sharing why, along with perspectives on why dogs might seem to be testing us, and the first thing I usually do if my dog surprises me with an unexpected response.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
• My answer to the question: “Do our dogs test us?”
• About my journey in dog training, including my experiences with different breeds and dog sports.
• Why I believe dogs are not intentionally testing us, but rather responding to incomplete education or changing environments.
• The importance of understanding the ABCs of dog training - antecedents, behavior, consequences - and how they influence dog behavior.
• How to approach behavior when it's in flux vs. when it's fluent.
• The role of curiosity in dog training and why I always strive to be a lifelong learner.
• What I do when a trained behavior surprises me and goes back into flux.
• Why reacting with correction may not be the fastest solution.
• How adopting a mindset of compassion and curiosity can transform your relationship with your dog.
Resources:
1. Podcast Episode 290: The Red Flag Of Dominance Based Training: Why It’s Hurting Your Dog And What To Do Instead - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/290/
2. Podcast Episode 46: Is Your Dog Trying to Dominate You and What You Can Do About It - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/46/
3. DogsThat YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/dogsthat
4. Podcast Episode 247: Redefining Expertise In Dog Training And What Counts More Than Years Of Experience - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/247/
5. Book: Shaping Success By Susan Garrett - https://dogsthat.com/product/shaping-success-2/
6. YouTube Short: Do Dogs Test Owners Or Are Owners Tested By Their Lack Of Understanding Of The Science Of Learning? - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PObEop2LdPk
7. Podcast Episode 202: Getting A Happy Well Behaved Dog With The ABCs Of Training - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/202/
8. Podcast Episode 245: Make Dog Training Easy! Quick Guide To Antecedent Arrangements - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/245/
9. YouTube Video: Dogs See In Pictures: Understanding Their View For Training Success - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePkaYKt_8qs
10. Podcast Episode 118: Same Home Different Rules: Will Reinforcement Based Dog Training Work? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/118/
11. Podcast Episode 164: The Danger Of Car Travel For Dogs: Evaluating Your Risk - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/164/
12. Podcast Episode 150: Adding Mindset To Your Dog Training Tools: Who Do You Become? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/150/
13. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://youtu.be/MqePQug7d0g
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Do our dogs test us? That was a question I asked on social media based on my last podcast episode |
| 0:07.1 | where I was talking about dominance theory. I got a lot of different answers and different |
| 0:12.8 | opinions and today I'd like to talk more about the subject of do our dogs test us and when? Because I may have changed my stance on this. |
| 0:41.7 | And since publishing our last podcast episode, we have had a lot of different viewers and listeners that have come to our YouTube page |
| 0:47.9 | and to this podcast. People who maybe somebody had shared the last episode and potentially |
| 0:53.8 | it irked them. It got them to a place where |
| 0:57.8 | they felt the need to jump over to my YouTube channel and leave some comments. I think it's |
| 1:02.8 | resulted in some decent dialogue. And what I have to say today is really about my journey in |
| 1:09.9 | dog training and the view I have on dog training. |
| 1:13.9 | For many of you, it's going to be something that would be of interest and I'm hoping will be |
| 1:19.1 | somewhat enlightening. To those of you who are happening by this page because of the recent |
| 1:25.2 | controversy, I really, really hope you stick with this because I believe |
| 1:31.1 | as dog trainers, we should be driven for growth. I started my journey in the world of dogs |
| 1:37.9 | when I was a teenager. And it was in the 70s and I was christened into the world of confirmation. I worked for professional |
| 1:45.8 | handlers and that's where I saw the sport of dog obedience, which I was just in awe of. It blew my |
| 1:52.2 | mind that people could get dogs to do these things. Now, back in the 70s, there was very little |
| 1:57.9 | use of positive reinforcement, but the dogs, being brilliant dogs, they did |
| 2:03.4 | what they were meant to do. It was impressive to me. I then jumped in. I got a university degree |
| 2:08.8 | in animal science where I was introduced to the world of behavior. And when I graduated from |
| 2:14.0 | university, that's when I really got interested in training animals. And within 10 |
| 2:19.4 | years of graduating, I was teaching dog training professionally at a school. Competition |
| 2:25.1 | obedience and flyball were the two sports I was obsessed with. I had Jack Russell Terriers |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from DogsThat, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of DogsThat and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.