The Red Flag Of Dominance Based Training: Why It’s Hurting Your Dog And What To Do Instead #290
Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett
DogsThat
4.8 • 679 Ratings
🗓️ 6 December 2024
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Visit us at shapedbydog.com
If you hear dog training advice based on the Dominance Theory, it’s time to rethink that approach. I’m diving deep into what you need to know about dog trainer red flags and choosing a method to prevent harmful mistakes that lead to lasting success for you and your dog. I’m sharing why these outdated, force-based beliefs can damage your relationship with your dog. Plus, what everyone needs to know to choose dog training built on trust, empathy, and kindness, which creates a deep, lasting bond with dogs and effective training results.
In this episode you’ll hear:
• Why dominance theory is outdated and harmful to dogs.
• How belief systems create confirmation bias in dog training.
• The Fight, Flight, Freeze, Please responses in dogs facing conflict.
• Whether problem behaviors are solved or just masked in training.
• How to recognize red flags when choosing a dog trainer.
• Steps to recognize and address emotional issues in dogs before beginning training.
• Strategies for teaching incompatible behaviors to overcome challenges like jumping or chasing.
• The importance of understanding your dog’s body language for better communication.
• How to create a kinder, more compassionate bond with your dog.
• More about what kind of relationship you want with your dog.
• Why dogs learn to live by your rules, even if it is unfair.
• Why dogs don’t understand “stop” and what to do instead.
• Steps to create value for the behaviors you want.
• Why dog training is a conversation between two friends.
• About my special opportunity to join Home School the Dog.
Home School the Dog Opportunity:
Write to us at [email protected] with the subject line “New Outcome”
Resources:
1. DogsThat YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DogsThat
2. Podcast Episode 46: Is Your Dog Trying to Dominate You and What You Can Do About It - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/46/
3. Podcast Episode 280: The Boost Button For Dog Training Happiness: Activate Your Mind’s Superpowers - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/280/
4. Podcast Episode 224: Unleashing Fluency In Dog Training: Cracking The Canine Communication Code - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/224/
5. Podcast Episode 163: Unsolicited Dog Training Advice: How To Protect Your Confidence And Your Dog - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/163/
6. Podcast Episode 176: Why Your Dog’s Emotions Are A Critical Element Of Dog Training - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/176/
7. YouTube Playlist: Dog Body Language, Communication Signals, and How to Read Dogs with Susan Garrett - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy2IwzRwAWcG0yK8oez1nPU0
8. Podcast Episode 112: Stressed Dog? How Trigger Stacking Might Be Putting Your Dog Over Threshold - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/112/
9. Podcast Episode 184: Proofing Vs Generalizing In Dog Training To Grow Skills And Confidence - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/184/
10. Podcast Episode 219: Self-Regulation Helping Shy, Hyper, Anxious Or Fearful Dogs To A Better Life - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/219/
11. Podcast Episode 121: How To Stop Dogs Jumping Up On People - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/121/
12. Podcast Episode 16: The Thing Before Your Dog’s Thing - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/16/
13. Podcast Episode 109: Project Calm Dog: Prevent Over Enthusiastic Greetings - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/109/
14. YouTube Playlist: Planning Your Dog Training with Susan Garrett - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy3bIhKLPQApN0x_2PjNJgkG
15. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://youtu.be/3UBygK6xeFk
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Have you heard the expression, when you're a hammer, everything is a nail? |
| 0:03.3 | What has it got to do with dog training? |
| 0:05.7 | Because if you're a hammer, you're looking for something to hit. |
| 0:08.5 | And unfortunately, in dog training, there's many different approaches. |
| 0:14.2 | And I decided it's time I stood up and spoke against those that are asking you to do things that are just unkind to your |
| 0:23.8 | dog. |
| 0:24.1 | Okay. |
| 0:24.6 | I'm Susan Garrett. |
| 0:35.5 | Welcome to Shaped by Dog. |
| 0:36.8 | And today, I'm going to talk to you about a methodology |
| 0:39.9 | of dog training that's unfortunately very prevalent in society. I'm going to talk about why I believe |
| 0:45.5 | it might be there, the harm it's doing in what you can do instead. There are a lot of red flags |
| 0:51.9 | when you're looking for somebody to help you with your dog, but I think the biggest red flag of all is when somebody believes in dominance theory, |
| 1:00.6 | that a dog is trying to dominate you or a member of your family or another dog. |
| 1:06.7 | Now, dominance theory has been debunked by the American Association of Veterinarians and by many |
| 1:12.9 | progressive-thinking dog trainers worldwide. But yet, it's still very prevalent. And I believe a big |
| 1:19.4 | part of it goes back to what I've often referred to here on this podcast, the belief loop. |
| 1:25.3 | Now, the belief loop starts with a belief. Now, if you are a hammer, everything |
| 1:30.0 | is a nail. If you believe that dogs are trying to dominate people on a regular basis, |
| 1:36.0 | then that is a confirmation bias that you are going to look for in every dog that crosses |
| 1:43.9 | your threshold. No matter what that dog does, |
| 1:46.8 | the dog that humps their owner's leg, trying to dominate, the dog that maybe grabs your sleeve, |
... |
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