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We get a lot of great comments on our videos, and sometimes I come across one that inspires a podcast episode like this one. I’m answering a very thoughtful question that many people might have. Should you abandon one training philosophy for another when results appear elusive? And should you pick a dog training lane and stay in that lane? Professional dog trainers often forget what it’s like to be starting out. That can lead to learning overwhelm and students feeling less confident about the education they’re getting and giving their dogs, so it’s important for everyone to know the direction they are heading.

In the episode you'll hear:

• A listener question about abandoning a dog training method when results could be around the corner.
• Why compassionate, efficient, and effective dog training is the trifecta of my methodology.
• The difference between finding behaviors to praise vs. behaviors to punish.
• False assumptions that some balanced dog trainers make about positive reinforcement.
• That with enough time, any dog training method will work, but there are other considerations.
• Questions to ask yourself when your dog doesn’t behave as you expected.
• How my mentor Bob Bailey defines the difference between a good trainer and a great trainer.
• What “behavior is a function of consequence” means with dog training as an example.
• Why I believe the use of aversives to change behavior in dog training are antiquated.
• The two factors of mechanics and the other 23 hours of the day in dog training progress.

Resources:

1. DogsThat YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DogsThat
2. Podcast Episode 185: I Tried That, It Didn’t Work - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/185/
3. Podcast Episode 195: Making Your Mind Your Most Powerful Dog Training Tool - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/195/
4. YouTube Playlist: Reinforcement, Permissions and Transfer of Value in Dog Training - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy1IUj_4P54q2PIuLNtnXjFO
5. Podcast Episode 193: Do Different Dogs Really Need Different Dog Training Methods? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/193/
6. YouTube Playlist: Mastery of Positive Reinforcement Based Dog Training - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy20_Ko8p2SaE6B2IT4o6g6K
7. YouTube Playlist: Susan Garrett's Dog Training Philosophy and Training Processes - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy2An5_3KqDPqFVV6J6dYsYx
8. Podcast Episode 197: Outsmarting Distractions: How To Use Environmental Reinforcement in Dog Training - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/197/
9. Podcast Episode 74: Yes, Susan Garrett’s Dogs Sniff On Walks - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/74/
10. Podcast Episode 11: Episode 11: The Power of Permission in Dog Training - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/11/
11. YouTube Video: Understanding Your Dog's Reinforcement Zone (RZ) - https://youtu.be/OaUAScgaFAg
12. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-tPwWEe18M