Susan Garrett

🐰🌸 With Easter around the corner, keep those chocolate eggs out of your dog's reach! Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and even a small amount can be dangerous. Know the signs of chocolate poisoning and what details your vet will need in case of an emergency. 🍫🐾

If you’re feeling overwhelmed in dog training, thinking to yourself, "Whoa I'm not a professional trainer. This is crazy," pick one thing and integrate that into your regular training.✨   And then next month, pick another thing.  Do not try to do it all, because you're probably going to say, "I'm just not going to train." And we don't want that.👎 We want you to be training every day, and we want training to be fun!🤩dogsthat.com/t/episode-328

What are your future goals or aspirations when it comes to your relationship with your dog?

Two puppies can look like twice the fun. But when they grow up relying on each other, it can make it harder for them to build confidence, independence, and focus on us.🤩 This blog breaks down what’s really going on, includes a helpful infographic, and shares simple ways to help each dog grow into their own capable learner.🐶dogsthat.com/t/littermate-b…

Reinforcement isn’t just about the rate. It’s about the value, how quickly you deliver it, how you deliver it, and where it’s placed. These four elements all matter when you’re planning your shaping sessions.

The dog knows what you're reinforcing even though you think you're reinforcing something else.😅 Be curious if things aren't going the way you expect. It’s never on the dog. It's always on either your mechanics, your placement of reinforcement, the delivery of reinforcement, or your plan. 📋 But the good news is that can all be changed! 🤩 dogsthat.com/t/episode-328

An average dog owners day, can you relate? 😁

Never a dull moment when training my brown panther! #MismatchedExpectations #ThrowTheToy!

My dogs absolutely love to swim, so the word “swim” is a Spotlight for them. If they are barking and pulling on the leash and I unclip them and say the word, I am only going to get more of that frantic energy. 🐕 Spotlights are powerful because they tell your dog you love what they are doing, much like a clicker. However, the difference is that they also act as a specific cue that prompts the next behavior. ✨ Using these markers means you are marking the moment and directing the move all at once. It is the ultimate way to bring clarity to your training. 💡 dogsthat.com/t/episode-327

What is Your Dog’s Favorite Toy?

Using general markers like "good boy" can be a problem because we use them too often in everyday conversation without high-value rewards. This causes the words to lose their meaning and stops your dog from feeling that spark of anticipation.🐕 While clickers are great for creating a positive conditioned emotional response, we can actually do even better for our dogs. That is where Spotlights enter the picture to provide even more clarity and excitement during your training sessions.✨ dogsthat.com/t/episode-327

🐕 Imagine your front door, back door, and phone all had the exact same ringtone. If they all went off at once, you would be sprinting in circles trying to figure out where to go. That is exactly how your dog feels when they hear a general marker. The magic happens when we bring clarity to the conversation. When your dog knows exactly what they are going to get and where it is coming from, everything clicks. This is what we call a spotlight ✨. 💡 Confusion slows down learning for everyone, but specificity accelerates it. I have learned over time that Location Specific Reinforcement Markers act as both a marker and a cue that prompts the next behavior. General markers just cannot do that. dogsthat.com/t/episode-327

Is your dog struggling with car sickness? 🚗 It is often more than just nausea; it is an association with the car itself. Discover the step by step approach to help your dog go from drooling and worrying to being a happy traveler! 🐶✨ dogsthat.com/t/car-sick-blog

Confusion slows learning for everyone, including our dogs! 🐾 Specificity is what actually accelerates that process. One of the secrets I’ve learned over time is that Spotlights, or Location Specific Reinforcement Markers, are both markers and cues that prompt behavior. General markers are not. 🚫 A Spotlight tells your dog what reward is coming and where it will be delivered, bringing much more clarity to training. 🐶✨ dogsthat.com/t/episode-327

What are you teaching your dog right now? Share with us in the comments!

🐾 Have you ever had a training session where things just start to go sideways? 🧠 It’s easy to think the issue is the dog, the distraction, or the training plan, but there may be a much bigger influence in the picture. 🔍 In our newest episode of Shaped by Dog, I’m sharing why emotional resilience in dog training matters, how your nervous system may be the most powerful antecedent you bring to every training session, and the simple three-step strategy I use to reset when emotions start to take over. 💡 Dogs are incredibly sensitive to our emotional state. When frustration, anxiety, or disappointment creeps in, our dogs often feel it long before we realize it ourselves. ❣️ Learning to reset our mindset and reframe what’s happening can transform those challenging moments into opportunities for clarity, connection, and better training. dogsthat.com/t/episode-326

When a cue fails, there’s always a reason. The behavior wasn’t owned by the dog. The cue was added too early. The antecedent arrangement didn’t prompt success. 🐰 Training isn’t about testing your dog. It’s about engineering clarity and setting up success. 🎯🐾 dogsthat.com/t/episode-325

Before I say, “Let’s learn something new,” I build engagement first. 🐕 Cues carry emotion. If your dog feels frustrated, that feeling gets attached to the behavior. Start with games, connection, and buy-in. You’ll build confidence, protect your cues, and lower frustration 🙌 Training works best when your dog is excited to learn 🐾 dogsthat.com/t/episode-325

Is your dog growling or freezing when another dog comes near their food or toys? 👀🐶 That could be dog to dog resource guarding and it is not something to brush off as a phase. The early signs are easy to miss. The wrong response can make it worse. But the right approach can change everything. 💛 ➡️ If you live in a multi dog home, this is an important read. dogsthat.com/t/resource-gua…

A cue is not a threat. It’s not a demand. And it’s definitely not something you repeat louder when it doesn’t work. A cue is information. If your system was engaging, the cue feels empowering. If your system built confidence, the cue creates safety. Your cues carry the reinforcement history of your training. 🐾 Engineer the right system first, and your cues work effortlessly. 🙌