Finding Joy Amidst Frustration And Shame In Dog Training - DeCaff’s Story Part 2 #230

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In episode 229, I shared the story about finding joy with a “mighty dog” in my life, a Jack Russell Terrier mix named DeCaff. In Part 2, I admit a painful lesson around frustration, shame and struggle between two of my Terriers; as well as the last six lessons my agility champion taught me about conditioning positive emotional responses, arousal states in dog training, seeing behavior as communication, the canine gut-brain axis, and most importantly: forgiveness of self and others.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• DeCaff’s Story, Part Two: A painful admission about my world champion agility dog. • Lesson 1: A dog shutting down during training is feedback to you. • About DeCaff’s slow weave pole times. • Lesson 2: A dog’s behavior is a critique of your training plan, skills and execution. • How I used time outs in the past. • About DeCaff’s aggression redirection. • Lesson 3: Never sidestep the lesson the dog is trying to share with you. • About my a-ha moment with the “Smack Da Baby” tug game. • How I doubled my agility dog’s weave pole times with positive conditioning. • Lesson 4: You can’t truly help a dog you’ve labelled or compared. • How to acknowledge a dog’s limitations but focus on their joy and strengths. • Lesson 5: Release guilt, shame and angst we have about our dogs. • When DeCaff jumped my sick senior dog. • My struggles training DeCaff after the death of my other dog, Twister. • About forgiveness for mistakes made with your dog. • Lesson 6: Focus on you and your dog’s improvements. • About the lessons dogs bring to our lives. • About the link between gut health, a dog’s reactive behavior and their neuroses. 

Resources:

1. Podcast Episode 229: Transforming An Overwhelmed And Anxious Dog Into A World Champion - Decaff’s Story Part 1 - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/229/ 2. Podcast Episode 36: Puppy Selection: How I Do It and Why I Didn’t This! Time - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/36/ 3. Podcast Episode 205: The Hidden World Of Reinforcement For Dogs And Why You Need To Know - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/205/ 4. Podcast Episode 177: Dog Training Outside The Box: Transfer Of Value Case Study - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/177/ 5. Podcast Episode 86: How to Train Unmotivated or Overexcited Dogs - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/86/ 6. Podcast Episode 189: All The Things That Influence Your Dog’s Behavior And What Behavior Tells You - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/189/ 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 157: Dog Body Language: Understanding Canine Communication Signals And Emotions - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/157/ 9. Podcast Episode 5: What is Shaping And How Can Dogs Shape Us - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/5/ 10. Podcast Episode 71: Pro Dog Trainer’s Secret to Help Your Naughty Dog - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/71/ 11. Podcast Episode 34: Time Outs for Dogs: Does Your Dog Need One? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/34/ 12. Podcast Episode 64: Help! How Can I Tell My Dog He’s Wrong - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/64/ 13. Podcast Episode 172: How To Teach Your Dog Anything With My Training Plan - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/172/ 14. Podcast Episode 104: Naughty Dog Behaviors And How To Deal With Them - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/104/ 15. YouTube Video: The Journey with Susan Garrett - https://youtu.be/JpgEi1n7yPc?si=b4mAJLD40it_TcWc 16. Podcast Episode 95: How Playing with Your Dog Like a Puppy Can Reduce Fear - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/95/ 17. Podcast Episode 221: Mindshifting Dog Behavior Problems To Overcome Extreme Training Challenges - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/221/ 18. Podcast Episode 8: Get Your Dog in the Belief Loop of Awesome - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/8/ 19. Podcast Episode 159: Help! My Puppy Is A Bully And Plays Too Rough - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/159/ 20. Podcast Episode 217: Understanding Emotional Regulation In Dogs To Create Calm - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/217/ 21. *The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy - https://geni.us/the-gap-the-gain 22. Podcast Episode 206: First Dog Agility Competition: Creating Joy For This! By Maximizing Reinforcement - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/206/ 23. Podcast Episode 203: Reactive, Unmotivated and Fearful: Finding Resiliency For This! Beyond Dog Training Part 1 - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/203/ 24. Podcast Episode 204: Dog Behavior And Diet: Recovery For This! Beyond Dog Training Part 2 - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/204/ 25. Podcast Episode 208: Brilliance, Resilience And Gratitude: Inspiration And Motivation With Elliott Connie - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/208/ 26. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://youtu.be/WENcO3tHxB0

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