What Does "Train The Dog In Front Of You" Really Mean? #183
Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett
DogsThat
4.8 • 679 Ratings
🗓️ 9 November 2022
⏱️ 14 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Visit us at shapedbydog.com
Have you ever been in a dog training situation and felt you are in the wrong place as your dog is not responding like other dogs? Or have you ever thought that your dog is not like other dogs? It could be in a dog training class, a workshop or an online course, and you see other people training and think your dog doesn’t compare. You are not alone, and it’s why I often say to my students, “train the dog in front of you” and “meet your dog where they’re at” so that you and your dog can be a confident team.
In the episode you'll hear:
• What I witnessed happen to a Jack Russell Terrier in group stays at a dog obedience class.
• Why we need to believe what our dogs are telling us.
• How to use the 5C Pyramid to protect and grow confidence for you and your dog.
• Tips on how to know if a dog is ready for challenge.
• That your dog not doing what other dogs do does not make your dog bad or you less of a trainer.
• Why our dog’s issues are opportunities to grow a deeper connection with them.
• How to understand what the dog in front of you needs right now.
• What I did with my dog Buzz at agility class when he was young and overexcited.
• Why we can set goals, but our dogs set the pace of their training.
Resources:
1. Podcast Episode 172: How To Teach Your Dog Anything With My Training Plan – 5C - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/172/
2. Podcast Episode 138: Frantic Dog? Are You Training Both The Hold And The Do? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/138/
3. Podcast Episode 29: Understanding and Preventing Reactivity and Aggression in Your Dog - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/29/
4. Podcast Episode 168: Creating Confidence For Anxious, Stressed Or Reactive Dogs Part 1 - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/168/
5. Podcast Episode 169: Dog Training A Stressed, Anxious Or Reactive Dog Part 2 - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/169/
6. YouTube Video: Susan Garrett’s Perch Work Dog Tricks (Pivots and Spins) – Hot Zone - https://youtu.be/O6sj6fTJnFc
7. Crate Games Online - https://get.crategames.com/
8. YouTube Playlist: Target Training for Dogs with Susan Garrett - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy3ylCyQ2bJQSCwo_ERiVHj3
9. YouTube Playlist: Dog Body Language, Communication Signals, and How to Read Dogs with Susan Garrett - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy2IwzRwAWcG0yK8oez1nPU0
10. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://youtu.be/wORARsMN85Y
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Have you ever been in a training situation and you just felt I'm in the wrong place? |
| 0:05.0 | My dog is not responding the way that these other dogs are. It could be a class or a workshop. |
| 0:11.6 | There could be working in an online class and you see other people's videos and you go, |
| 0:16.8 | my dog's not like those dogs. Well, if you've ever thought that, then this video is for you. |
| 0:23.6 | You know, I'm Susan Garrett. Welcome to Shape by Dog. And I often tell my students this line, |
| 0:40.2 | you need to train the dog in front of you, or you need to meet your dog where they're at. |
| 0:46.9 | And I've been saying that for years. And recently, one of my students said to me, |
| 0:51.9 | Susan, I'm not sure I know what that means. And it dawned on me, |
| 0:55.5 | I don't think I've ever explained fully. I just assume people knew what I meant. And so in today's |
| 1:01.1 | podcast, I'm going to explain more fully what exactly I mean and how you can go about training the |
| 1:07.6 | dog that's in front of you because it's obvious. Yeah, the dog's in front me. I'd like to train her. So, how can I do that? I'm going to first tell you a story that |
| 1:14.9 | has stuck with me for many, many years. And my late husband and I, we were members of an |
| 1:21.4 | obedience club, a local obedience club. And he actually taught classes there many, many, many years before he passed away. Anyway, |
| 1:29.6 | one night we were there and we were just visiting. There was a little Jack Russell Terrier |
| 1:35.1 | in class and I have a soft spot for Jack Russell Terriers. It was a little rough-coated |
| 1:41.6 | Jack Russell and it was in a lineup of stays. |
| 1:44.6 | Now, if you've ever been to a formal training class, often they'll put dogs side by side, |
| 1:51.1 | you know, good distance apart, six feet apart, 10 feet apart in a line to do the stay behavior |
| 1:58.6 | where the owner instructs the dog to stay and often with a big wave of a hand |
| 2:05.3 | in front of the dog's face and then they go a set distance away. You know, in most training |
| 2:10.0 | classes, they might start just pivoting out in front of the dog and then going halfway |
| 2:14.5 | across the hall and eventually going the full distance across the hall. I have no idea where they were in this young dog's training life, but what I saw was a dog |
... |
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